Dwayne Johnson’s Hidden Homage to 1999 WWE Character on SmackDown 2/16 Revealed

Dwayne The Rock Johnson fully embraced his Hollywood Rock persona from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on the February 24, 2024, episode of the blue brand. The Great One already started his journey revitalizing his savage gimmick from the ’90s during an intense WrestleMania kick-off segment last week. His iconic attire on SmackDown tonight only added a much-needed fine-tuning to it.

Dwayne Johnson intensified his heel turn with a signature outfit from 1999

The Rock was slated to make his return tonight and, of course, not alone. The Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and “Special Counsel” Paul Heyman were supposed to accompany him in a highly dramatic segment. When The Rock’s music hit, we could literally foresee a glimpse of the drama in The Rock’s clothes. He came out in a golden glossy jacket that was very reminiscent of the legendary 1990s Hollywood Rock era. He showed goosebumps on his arms before officially joining forces with the Bloodline business.

We can be rest assured that Johnson has more in store for us as the super-sailing heel character on the roster. However, back in the 90s, the same heel turn proved detrimental to The Rock’s WWE longevity.

Backlash from fans almost left The Rock’s WWE career in deep jeopardy

There might have been a lot of classic wrestling fans who were dying to see the daredevil Rock back in action, but little did they know the wrestler doesn’t have all good things to reminisce about his old days in WWE.

Read More: WATCH: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Surprises Fans With a Heartwarming Gesture!

Johnson sat for an interview on The Joe Rogan Experience and talked about his primitive year in the WWE. He used to receive “Rocky sucks” chants from the crowd, even though he proved his worth defending his Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 13. Looking back at those negative reactions from the audiences, The Rock noted how it prompted him to think about MMA. He said, ”And I thought, ‘Well fuck, I don’t think I’m gonna make it in WWE. People are booing me out of these arenas. I can’t be myself”.

“They’re telling me to f**king smile. I don’t want to f**king smile, it’s not who I am.’ I start talking to Ken Shamrock at that time who was wrestling with us. I ran into Mark Kerr…and I have this idea in my head well maybe I should train to MMA.”

However, this time he has a high selling point in the promotion despite getting booked as a heel.

What’s your take on The Rock adding volume to his heel turn by wearing an outfit similar to his ’90s gimmick? Let us know in the comments.

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