Dwayne Johnson did not have the best relationship with his father. Tough love, they called it. Recalling his childhood when Soulman left Dwayne with his mother Ata Maivia, The Brahma Bull identified more with his grandfather than his father. In fact, they spent many years in silence and Dwayne couldn’t bring himself to the best terms with his dad, even during his dad’s last days. “We got into a huge fight during Christmas, so we weren’t speaking at the time of his sudden passing.,” Dwayne revealed a painful memory that still lingers.

Today, the Fast and Furious actor may have everything at his fingertips but the fact that he will never be able to make amends with his late father kills the 52-year-old from inside after his father died in 2020.“My regret in this life is that I never had a chance to say goodbye to him, because he died suddenly. I regret not reconciling our complicated father/son shit before I lost him… What I’d give to have just five more minutes, to hug him hard, kiss his cheek and say: ‘I love you and we’re good,'” The Rock said.

It has been 5 years since we lost the legendary Rocky Johnson. Winning the first black NWA Georgia heavyweight championship and the NWA television championship twice did not come easy for ‘Soulman’. But it was the WWF Tag Team Championship title that he won alongside Tony Atlas in 1983 that further cemented his name in the golden pages of history. Johnson, along with Atlas, became the first black champions in the history of WWE. His sudden passing from a heart attack in 2020 shocked fans worldwide, but for his son Dwayne, the loss struck on a much deeper level.

On 24 February 2025, ‘The Rock’ shared a video on Instagram, where the visuals showed him walking down the WWE headquarters with Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque. That was when he came across a picture of his father and he couldn’t hold back his tears. He said, “I’ve never seen that picture before. The phrase of trailblazer is connected to my dad’s name. It means when you do things that have never been done. When somebody is a trailblazer that means that they have the ability to change behavior and audience’s behavior, people’s behavior.”

The visuals shifted to ‘Soulman’ talking about the hardships that he had to endure. It was the racial prejudice that worked against him. But things had certainly changed when ‘The Brahma Bull’ took on wrestling and visited the small towns during his tours. No doubt, becoming the top star all over the USA for over a decade in the 1970s and 80s, was no small feat. Emotions came swirling down Johnson’s face as he saw his father celebrating his victory beside Atlas after winning the WWF Tag Team championship.

Dwayne Johnson continued, “In that moment was just this unbridled joy and pride that my dad had. I saw it on his face. And I thought, ‘Man, I would’ve loved to have given him a hug.’ And just say, ‘I’m proud of you. You did it.’” However, it was too soon to say goodbye. ‘The Rock’ took a last look at his father and said, “I’ll see you down the road, Soulman,” before walking away from the microphone. The scenes shifted to Rocky Johnson saying, “I would like to be remembered for helping pave the road for other black athletes, but I’d also like to be remembered for paving the road for all athletes, no matter race, color, or creed.” 

It was truly heartbreaking to see the former WWE Triple Crown champion in tears. But it was the tribute to his father that made the entire world pray for the late ‘Soulman’s soul. In the captions, ‘The Rock’ sent forth a long letter, showing his love for his old man. In the end, all he had to write was, “Love you dad, see you down the road and thank you for paving the way.” Johnson’s tribute was enough to make UFC stars like Michael Chandler and Israel Adesanya emotional. And they were joined by Sylvester Stallone.

Sylvester Stallone and UFC stars join hands in tribute to Rocky Johnson

Soon after ‘The Rock’ shared the emotional video on Instagram, the world of mixed martial arts got reeled in. Chandler and Adesanya gave the post a red heart emoji to show their support. But it was Hollywood’s action movie star and an admirer of Johnson whose response won the hearts of the world. Stallone took to the comments section of ‘The Rock’s post and wrote, “That was a very very touchy moment and it’s moments like that that bring us back down to earth and make us cherish what life is really about. Heart and soul.”

Johnson and Stallone have often talked about their admiration for each other. It was enough to make ‘The Brahma Bull’ dream of taking up a villain’s character in Stallone’s action-packed franchise, The Expendables. Rumors are that the two are even working together for the fifth installment in Stallone’s franchise. But one thing among others was certain. The respect that Stallone had for Rocky Johnson was immense. And with that, ‘The Rock’ must have found some support to stand straight and look down the road that his father paved. 

As we remember the legendary ‘Soulman’ and his awe-inspiring achievements, let us know what made you a fan of Rocky Johnson. What was your favorite ‘Soulman’ moment? Drop down to the debate section and keep the conversation flowing.