Much Like John Cena Does Today, Dwayne Johnson Once Also Had a Similar Plan to Juggle Between His Two Professions

Before making his name in Hollywood, Dwayne Johnson enthralled millions of WWE fans worldwide every week as The Rock. Johnson, who debuted as Rocky Maivia in 1996, quickly became one of the most sought-after in WWE. By the start of the new millennium, he was a poster boy of the Attitude Era. But just two years into the 2000s, Johnson eyed another role for himself- as an actor.

He also started making the shift to Hollywood. But before he became one of the most recognized faces in the film industry, almost bidding goodbye to pro wrestling, Johnson had other plans, which is now closely followed by another WWE legend, John Cena.

He had revealed it during an old interview that he did just days before the release of The Scorpion King, his 2002 feature film.

Dwayne Johnson wanted to continue pro wrestling

A section of the WWE Universe is still waiting for Dwayne Johnson to come back to the promotion. His last appearance was before the pandemic hit. In October 2019, he joined others to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of SmackDown. Since then, The Great One has teased a comeback, but it hasn’t happened.

But during his 2002 interview, Johnson had said that he wanted to go back to the promotion when the interviewer asked him about managing two careers and if he would consider preferring one over the other. “So, and as you guys know, there’s nothing like the feeling of a live audience. I’d love to hold on to that as long as I can,” Johnson said.

He stated that WWE gave him the platform to entertain the audience and interact with them. “You know, as my roles start to increase, I’ll like to grow as an actor, but still, I’d love to go back to that,” he had said. Johnson also had a reason for coming back.

“I’ll continue to go back to that because no one lays a smackdown on candy a**es,” he said as the others broke into a loud cheer. While Johnson hasn’t been able to quite keep up with his plans, Cena, on the other hand, has kept going.

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This also led to a memorable chapter in WWE’s history a little over a decade ago.

When John Cena lost his patience with The Brahma Bull

Johnson had attained an iconic status even before John Cena made his main roster debut in the WWE in 2002. So, during his formative years, the 16-time world champion grew up listening to The Rock’s legendary stories and achievements. While Cena was quiet about it for a while, in 2008, he took a shot at The Great One and his legacy.

Cena called Johnson out for being selfish and ditching the promotion. This led to a real-life rivalry between the two. It also led to a grudge match between the two at WrestleMania 28 and a rematch the following year at WrestleMania 29.

While Johnson won the first one, Cena quickly realized his mistake and patched things up. He also went on to win the second encounter and in the process earned The Brahma Bull’s respect.

Recently, Cena recalled the incident and spoke about his immaturity in calling out the $800 million Hollywood star. He said that he empathizes with Johnson and his absence from pro wrestling, as they have a similar career graph.

But to Cena’s credit, he still manages to take time out and attend WWE events and even take part in matches. And if you think it’s because he’s not doing much in Hollywood, you would be wrong. This year alone, John Cena has had or will be having five movie releases. So, he’s pretty busy acting out characters.

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Fans would hope that Johnson takes a page out of Cena’s diary and find the time to visit his old place of work.