Original subtitles

[MUSIC]

THROUGHOUT THE 1990S, MONDAY

NIGHTS SERVED AS A PRIMETIME

BATTLEFIELD THAT TRANSFORMED

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING INTO

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

TED TURNER'S WCW TOOK ON VINCE

MCMAHON'S WWE FOR RATINGS

SUPREMACY AT THE RISK OF

EXTINCTION AS INNOVATION AND

EVOLUTION PAVED THE WAY FOR A

KING TO BE CROWNED.

[CROWD CHEERING]

RESPECT IS GIVEN WHEN IT'S

EARNED, SO GO OUT AND EARN IT.

WITH WWE'S FATE IN THE

BALANCE.

NOW, THERE'S GOING TO BE THE

MAN RIGHT THERE, THAT

BLUE-CHIPPER RIGHT THERE.

A ONCE IN A LIFETIME

SUPERSTAR EMERGED.

THEY ARE CHANTING THE ROCK'S

NAME.

[CROWD CHEERING]

AND CHANGED THE LANDSCAPE OF

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT BOTH IN AND

OUT OF THE RING.

IF YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK...

THIS IS THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

...IS COOKING.

[MUSIC]

HULK HOGAN HAS BETRAYED WCW.

WHAT IN THE--IS HE DOING

HERE?

WELCOME TO MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

MONDAY NITRO.

OH, MY GOODNESS, HE IS BROKEN

IN HALF.

AUSTIN 3:16 SAYS I JUST

WHIPPED YOUR --.

BRET SCREWED BRET.

THE NEW WORLD ORDER, BROTHER.

LET'S GET READY TO SUCK IT.

WE ARE AT WAR.

[MUSIC]

[CROWD CHEERING]

IT'S TIME TO GET ROCKING,

IT'S LIVE ON TNT.

WELCOME TO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING.

[MUSIC]

AS THE SUMMER OF 1996 DREW TO

A CLOSE, WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING'S MONDAY NITRO HAD

OVERTAKEN WWE'S MONDAY NIGHT RAW

IN THEIR PRIMETIME RATINGS

BATTLE.

TED TURNER'S WCW UNSEATED VINCE

MCMAHON'S WWE AS THE UNDISPUTED

INDUSTRY LEADER.

IS THERE ANY QUESTION NOW

WHAT IS THE MOST POWERFUL

ORGANIZATION IN PROFESSIONAL

WRESTLING?

BACKED BY TED TURNER'S VAST

WEALTH, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ERIC

BISCHOFF HAD LURED SEVERAL OF

VINCE MCMAHON'S BIGGEST NAMES TO

JUMP FROM WWE TO WCW.

ALL THE BIG SUPERSTARS WERE

MADE BY VINCE MCMAHON, HULK

HOGAN, KEVIN NASH, RANDY SAVAGE,

EVERYBODY WHO WAS ON TOP AT THE

TIME HAD AT LEAST SPEND SOME

TIME IN WWE.

TED TURNER LOADED UP ADDING

TO THE TALENT ROSTER AND IN THE

MEANTIME, DEPLETING VINCE

MCMAHON AND THE WWE HAD A BIG

EFFECT ON THE INITIAL SUCCESS AT

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

[MUSIC]

BY GROUPING WWE'S FORMER MAIN

EVENT TALENTS INTO THE POPULAR

NEW WORLD ORDER FACTION, WCW

CREATED A MORE COMPELLING

PRODUCT.

MONDAY NITRO WOULD DOMINATE

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT'S

TELEVISION LANDSCAPE HAVING

EMBARKED ON WHAT WOULD BECOME AN

84 WEEK HEAD-TO-HEAD WINNING

STREAK IN THE PRIMETIME RATINGS.

WE WERE IN TROUBLE.

THE WCW WAS KICKING OUR REAR

ENDS EVERY MONDAY NIGHT.

THEY WERE TAKING OUR STARS, THEY

WERE DISHING OUT MONEY, THEY HAD

BETTER RATINGS, AND WE WERE

HANGING ON BY THE SKIN OF OUR

TEETH.

EVERYBODY WAS WELL AWARE OF

WHAT THE RATINGS WERE AND HOW WE

WERE GETTING OUR -- HANDED TO

US.

OUR PRODUCT WAS SOFT.

ON THIS OTHER SIDE, THEY'RE

DOING THINGS THAT ARE REALLY

EDGY AND THEY'RE KICKING OUR

BUTT ON A WEEKLY BASIS.

WITH HIS ROSTER DEPLETED AND

MOMENTUM SQUARELY AGAINST HIM,

VINCE MCMAHON WAS IN NEED OF NEW

STARS TO COMBAT THE SURGING WCW.

I WAS WORKING IN TALENT

RELATIONS AT THE TIME THAT WCW

WAS OPENING THEIR CHECKBOOK.

AND IT WAS MAKING ME AWARE THAT

IF WE DON'T DEVELOP NEW STARS,

WE'RE GOING TO BE UP AGAINST AN

AMAZING CHALLENGE.

TO REPLACE THE BIG NAMES THAT

HAD LEFT, YOU HAD TO CREATE NEW

STARS.

AND I THINK THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN

VINCE MCMAHON'S FORTE.

AS A THIRD GENERATION

PROMOTER, VINCE MCMAHON WAS

EXPERIENCED IN THE STAR MAKING

PROCESS.

VINCE MCMAHON WAS RAISED IN

THIS BUSINESS.

HIS FATHER BROUGHT HIM ALONG.

HE STARTED OFF AS AN ANNOUNCER.

TO MY LEFT, THE HIGH

PARAMOUNT SAMOAN CHIEF PETER

MAIVIA BEFORE A CAPACITY CROWD

HERE TONIGHT IN MADISON SQUARE

GARDEN.

WWE WAS TRULY A FAMILY

BUSINESS, NOT JUST FOR THE

MCMAHONS, BUT FOR THE SUPERSTARS

THEMSELVES.

AFA, SIKA, AND THE PARAMOUNT

SAMOAN CHIEF PETER MAIVIA, ALL

THREE TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME,

ALL THREE SAMOANS.

SAMOAN SPORTS ENTERTAINERS

HAD BEEN FIXTURES IN WWE FOR

DECADES.

HIGHLIGHTED BY THE FAMED ANOA'I

FAMILY FEATURING HIGH CHIEF

PETER MAIVIA, YOKOZUNA, AND THE

WILD SAMOANS.

YOU TAKE GUYS LIKE AFA AND

SIKA, THE SAMOANS, THEY'RE ALL

NATURAL WRESTLERS.

THEY CAN FIGHT, THEY CAN

WRESTLE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE

PERSONALITY.

WE THINK THAT WE HAVE THIS

TALENT.

ALL WE WANTED TO DO IS GIVEN THE

OPPORTUNITY.

AND MCMAHON GAVE ALL OF US THE

OPPORTUNITY AND WE TOOK

ADVANTAGE OF THAT.

THERE'S SO MUCH HERITAGE,

THERE'S SO MUCH LINEAGE, THERE'S

SO MUCH RESPECT WITHIN OUR

FAMILY, AND WHAT OUR FAMILY HAS

DONE FOR THE COMPANY.

OH, DOWN GOES THE BULLDOG, HE

CAN'T BELIEVE FATU JUST NAILED

HIM.

HOWEVER, BY 1996, THE SAMOANS

AND THE REST OF MONDAY NIGHT

RAW'S ROSTER WERE NOT STRONG

ENOUGH TO CONTEND WITH WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING'S STAR

POWER AND MORE CONTEMPORARY

PRODUCT.

WITH WWE AGAINST THE ROPES,

ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE ANOA'I

FAMILY WAS LOOKING TO TRY HIS

HAND AT THE FAMILY BUSINESS.

THE GRANDSON OF PETER MAIVIA AND

SON OF ROCKY JOHNSON, DWAYNE

JOHNSON HOPED TO BECOME WWE'S

LATEST SUCCESS AND HELP SAVE THE

COMPANY HE HAD ALWAYS CONSIDERED

A SECOND HOME.

VINCE MCMAHON HAS BEEN A FATHER

FIGURE.

I FIRST SHOOK HIS HANDS WHEN I

WAS 11 YEARS OLD.

THE IMPACT THAT HIS FAMILY HAS

HAD IN MY FAMILY'S LIFE, MY

GRANDFATHER WORKING FOR HIS DAD,

MY DAD WORKING FOR HIM.

ROCKY JOHNSON HAPPY ABOUT THE

VICTORY.

AND I JUST WANTED A SHOT.

YEAH, I'M THE WWE CHAMP, AND

WHEN YOU TAKE [INDISTINCT]

HULKSTER, HULKAMANIA IS GOING

TO RUN WILD, WOO.

GROWING UP IN THE BUSINESS

AND HAVING A LOVE AND AFFINITY

FOR THE BUSINESS MADE IT EASY

FOR ME WHEN I DECIDED TO START

TRAINING FOR WRESTLING.

I DIDN'T KNOW IF I WAS GOING TO

BE GOOD, BUT I DID THINK AT THAT

TIME I MIGHT HAVE HAD SOMETHING

TO OFFER.

AT ONE TIME, I GOT A CALL

FROM DWAYNE JOHNSON.

HE SAYS, "DO YOU THINK I HAVE A

CHANCE TO BE ON THE BUSINESS?"

I SAID, "I DON'T SEE WHY NOT."

I HAVE A RECOLLECTION OF PAT

SUGGESTING THAT ROCKY'S SON,

PETER'S GRANDSON WANT TO COME IN

THE BUSINESS.

THAT'S A DOOR OPENER, YOU KNOW,

IN TERMS OF HIS HERITAGE, SO

SURE, WHY NOT?

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE KID

AND, YOU KNOW, AND SEE WHAT HE

HAS.

SO WE WENT IN THE RING AND

WATCHED HIM WORK AND THEN I

CALLED VINCE.

I SAID, "VINCE, DWAYNE JOHNSON,

YOU GOT TO TAKE HIM."

I SAID, "YOU DON'T WANT HIM

TOMORROW.

YOU WANT HIM YESTERDAY."

[MUSIC]

SO I DID DUE DILIGENCE AND I

MEET WITH ROCK.

WHAT I SAW WAS A BIG,

WELL-CONDITIONED ATHLETE THAT

HAD A MAGNETIC PERSONALITY.

HE WAS ARTICULATE, HE WAS

FOCUSED, AND HE WAS DRIVEN.

YOU KNOW, IT'S TAKEN A LOT OF

HARD WORK AND DEDICATION AND I'M

A LONG WAY AWAYS TO WHERE I

WANNA BE.

SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE EVEN MORE

WORK AND YEARS OF HARD WORK AND

DEDICATION.

I'M WILLING TO PAY THAT PRICE.

AND HE WAS THIS REALLY, YOU

KNOW, GREAT-LOOKING ATHLETE,

CLEAN CUT, YOU KNOW, ALL

AMERICAN CLASSIC AND WITH A

GREAT HERITAGE.

WWE HAD HIGH HOPES FOR DWAYNE

JOHNSON AND USED HIS RICH FAMILY

LEGACY AS A FOCAL POINT OF HIS

CHARACTER'S DEVELOPMENT.

I SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN THE

RING, IN A WAREHOUSE WITH TOM

PRICHARD AND WE WERE WORKING OUR

-- OFF.

AND I REMEMBER HE SAID, "I GOT

THE RING NAME THAT THEY WANT YOU

TO USE."

AND I SAID, "OH, COOL, WHAT IS

IT?"

HE GOES, "ROCKY MAIVIA."

AND I WAS LIKE, "OH, I HATE

THAT."

HE GOES, "REALLY?

WHY?"

I SAID, "WELL, BECAUSE I JUST

WANT TO MAKE IT ON MY OWN."

DWAYNE JOHNSON NEVER WANTED

TO BE CALLED ROCKY MAIVIA.

HE DIDN'T WANT TO RIDE ON HIS

GRANDFATHER OR HIS FATHER'S

NAME.

HE WANTED TO BE DWAYNE JOHNSON.

AND WHEN I FINALLY TALKED TO

VINCE, HE SAID, "YOUR STORY IS

VERY SPECIAL AND YOU'RE THE

FIRST THIRD GENERATION WRESTLER

WE HAVE AND I WANT YOU TO HONOR

IN A WAY YOUR GRANDFATHER AND

YOUR DAD."

MEET ROCKY MAIVIA, THE SAMOAN

SENSATION FOLLOWING HIS FAMILY

HERITAGE RIGHT INTO THE WWE.

HE WAS MR. PRODIGY.

HE REALLY WANNA BE THE BEST GUY

ON THE ROSTER.

SO, THE DECISION WAS MADE THEN

TO PUT THE ROCKET SHIP UNDER HIM

MARKETING-WISE.

DESPERATE TO IMPROVE THEIR

SAGGING RATINGS, WWE PRESENTED

THEIR NEWEST SUPERSTAR TO THE

WORLD AND USED PROVEN METHODS TO

DO SO, CONTINUOUSLY HYPING THE

IMPENDING ARRIVAL OF ROCKY

MAIVIA ON WWE PROGRAMMING.

WE'VE DONE SON VIGNETTES ON

HIM INTRODUCING ROCKY MAIVIA TO

THE WORLD.

AND WE ROLLED HIM OUT THERE LIKE

ROLLING OUT A NEW SPORTS CAR.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET'S TAKE

A SPECIAL LOOK AT THE FIRST

THIRD GENERATION ATHLETE IN THE

HISTORY OF THE WORLD WRESTLING

ENTERTAINMENT, ROCKY MAIVIA.

MY GRANDFATHER WAS HIGH CHIEF

PETER MAIVIA.

WHERE DID PETER MAIVIA GO?

MY FATHER IS ROCKY JOHNSON.

ROCKY JOHNSON MAKING HIM PAY.

SO OUT OF RESPECT AND HONOR,

FROM THIS DAY FORWARD, I WILL BE

KNOWN AS ROCKY MAIVIA.

I WAS WATCHING, AND I WAS

WATCHING FROM A FAN PERSPECTIVE,

I WAS JUST A KID ENJOYING THE

SHOW.

JIM ROSS AND THE COMMENTATORS

JUST TOLD ME THIS GUY WAS THE

GREATEST THING SINCE SLICED

BREAD.

I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE ROCKY

MAIVIA IN THE RING.

WHEN I FIRST SAW THE ROCKY

MAIVIA VIGNETTE, I ACTUALLY WAS

INTERESTED, BUT THE THING IS

WHEN SOMEBODY COMES OUT AND THEY

DEBUT AND YOU HYPE HIM SO MUCH

WITH THESE VIGNETTES, HE'S GOT

TO COME OUT AND DELIVER.

WHAT'S GOT ROCKY MAIVIA SO

PUMPED UP?

HIS LONG AWAITED WORLD WRESTLING

ENTERTAINMENT DEBUT.

WHAT IT'S GOING TO FEEL LIKE

TO WALK THROUGH THAT CURTAIN, TO

ENTER THAT TALENT HALLS OF MSG

AND TO SEE THE SQUARED CIRCLE

THERE READY TO COMPETE WITH YOUR

TEAMMATES AT THE SURVIVOR

SERIES?

AND I'LL TELL YOU, IT'S A

FEELING OF ELATION RIGHT NOW.

I'M SO JACKED RIGHT NOW.

I MEAN I COULD DO IT RIGHT NOW.

IN NOVEMBER OF 1996, ROCKY

MAIVIA WAS SET TO MAKE HIS LONG

AWAITED DEBUT IN MADISON SQUARE

GARDEN AT ONE OF WWE'S SIGNATURE

PAY-PER-VIEW EVENTS, SURVIVOR

SERIES.

WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO THE WWE

SURVIVOR SERIES.

WELCOME TO MADISON SQUARE

GARDEN.

DEBUTING AS A NEW SUPERSTAR

ON A PAY-PER-VIEW IS PRETTY

MONUMENTAL IN THIS BUSINESS.

IT SHOWS THAT THE COMPANY HAS

NOT ONLY FAITH IN YOU, THAT THEY

HAVE BIG PLANS FOR YOU DOWN THE

ROAD.

MY VERY FIRST NIGHT IN THE

COMPANY, THINGS WERE ALIGNED IN

A INCREDIBLY POWERFUL WAY,

BECAUSE IT SET ME OFF ON A PATH

THAT WHILE WE ALL THOUGHT WAS

GOING TO GO IN ONE DIRECTION, IT

ACTUALLY WENT IN A DIFFERENT

DIRECTION.

[MUSIC]

THEIR PARTNER, ROCKY MAIVIA.

NOW, THERE'S GOING TO BE THE

MAN RIGHT THERE, THAT

BLUE-CHIPPER RIGHT THERE.

HE COMES OUT OF THE GARDEN,

HE GETS INTRODUCED.

I TRULY BELIEVED HE WAS A

BLUE-CHIPPER AS A HUMAN BEING

AND AS AN ATHLETE AND EVENTUALLY

AS AN IN-RING PERFORMER.

AFTER WEEKS OF ANTICIPATION,

ROCKY MAIVIA DEBUTED AS THE

COMPANY'S NEW SQUEAKY CLEAN

HERO.

FIRST THIRD GENERATION WWE

SUPERSTAR EVER.

THIS TYPE OF CHARACTER HAD

WORKED IN THE PAST, BUT OPINIONS

WERE MIXED AS TO WHETHER THIS

NEW SUPERSTAR COULD TURN THINGS

AROUND FOR WWE.

WHEN HE CAME OUT AND HIS HAIR

WAS ALL POOFY AND HE'S WEARING

THIS GOOFY GETUP, YOU'RE LIKE,

"WAIT A SECOND, THIS IS THE GUY

THAT THEY HAVE BEEN PUSHING SO

HARD FOR SO LONG?"

ROCKY IS ALL OVER GOLDUST.

YOU COULD TELL THE CHARISMA,

THE ENERGY HE BROUGHT THAT HE

WAS KIND OF SEARCHING, BUT THERE

WERE SOMETHING THERE.

AND, OH, HE'S SIX-FIVE, TWO

SEVENTY-FIVE, HE'S ROCKY MAIVIA.

UNBELIEVABLE AGILITY, YES,

SIR.

SURVIVOR SERIES WAS MORE THAN

JUST AN EVENT.

IT WAS THE GARDEN.

AND HERE I WAS MAKING MY DEBUT.

AND ON TOP OF THAT, I WIN THE

WHOLE THING.

ONE, TWO, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

I THINK IT WENT WELL.

I DO REMEMBER THAT EVERYBODY WAS

PLEASED WITH HIM, EVERYBODY

HIGH-FIVING.

I KNOW THAT ROCKY FELT GOOD

ABOUT IT.

HOWEVER, DESPITE THE FANFARE

SURROUNDING ROCKY MAIVIA'S

DEBUT, THE SUPERSTAR'S APPEAL

QUICKLY DIMINISHED AS SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT AUDIENCES REJECTED

WWE'S OUTDATED PRESENTATION OF

THE TRADITIONAL GOOD GUY

CHARACTER.

ROCKY MAIVIA WOULD'VE WORKED

WELL SIX OR SEVEN YEARS

PREVIOUSLY DURING THE HULK

HOGAN, THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR KIND

OF ERA, BUT HOWEVER, IN '96 WHEN

HE DEBUTED, HE KIND OF FELT A

LITTLE CHEESY.

HE WAS SOMETHING THAT I DON'T

THINK THE FANS REALLY RESPECTED.

WWE WAS THE BEST AT

INTRODUCING CHARACTERS, YET THE

OUTFIT WAS REALLY STUPID,

BECAUSE IT WAS DATED.

YEAH, HE HAD THIS SAMOAN LINEAGE

AND ALL THAT, BUT IT WAS DATED.

IT WASN'T--IF THE--IF THE

COMPANY WAS GOING TO BE CUTTING

EDGE, THAT WASN'T CUTTING EDGE.

WWE WAS FAILING TO ADAPT AND

PAID FOR IT IN THE RATINGS AS

NITRO AND THEIR ROSTER OF

ANTIHEROES WOULD CONTINUE TO

DOMINATE THE WEEKLY PRIMETIME

BATTLES.

IF YOU CAN'T FEEL THE

MADNESS, ASK KIMBERLY, BECAUSE

SHE SURE FELT IT.

YES, SHE HAS.

[CROWD CHEERING]

NOW, YOU GET INTO THE 90S AND

NOW LIKE ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT'S

COOL TO BE THE BAD GUY.

PEOPLE LOVE THE ANTIHERO.

WHEN I WOULD WATCH BOTH

SHOWS, I HAD TO GRUDGINGLY

ACCEPT WCW HAD THE UPPER HAND.

THEY HAD A BETTER, MORE

EXCITING, COOLER SHOW THAN WE

DID.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS, WE ARE

THE CHAMPIONS.

[MUSIC]

WHILE WCW WAS ON SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT'S CUTTING EDGE,

WWE REMAINED TRAPPED IN THEIR

OLD FORMULA, CONTINUING TO PUSH

THEIR SMILING PROTAGONIST.

DAD, MY GRANDFATHER, MY WHOLE

FAMILY, THANK YOU.

AND I'LL MAKE YOU AND ALL OF MY

FANS PROUD.

AND ROCKY MAIVIA BECAME A

TARGET OF FAN FRUSTRATIONS.

THE GOAL AND THE DESIGN OF

WHAT WE'RE DOING IS TO GET THE

FANS ON YOUR SIDE.

AND WE WERE DOING IT IN A VERY

TRADITIONAL SENSE.

GOING OUT, GOOD GUY ALWAYS

SMILES.

HAPPY TO BE THERE EVEN IF YOU

LOSE.

OH -- , I'M GONNA COME BACK

TOMORROW AND TRY MY BEST.

BUT YOU CAN REST ASSURE AND BET

YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR THAT ROCKY

MAIVIA WILL ALWAYS GIVE A

HUNDRED AND TEN PERCENT THAT'S

WHY I AM THE INTERCONTINENTAL

CHAMPION.

[MUSIC]

THIS PERIOD IN '96 AND '97, I

THINK THE FANS WERE STARTING TO

FORM THE ATTITUDE ERA EVEN

BEFORE WE LABELED IT THE

ATTITUDE ERA.

AND THEY DIDN'T LIKE TO BE TOLD

WHAT THEY SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT

LIKE.

ROCKY TRYING TO BATTLE THE

SLEEPER HOLD.

LISTEN TO THEM, HONKY, "ROCKY

THIS, ROCKY THAT."

SURE, ROCKY MAIVIA WILL GIVE YOU

A RUN FOR YOUR MONEY, BUT SO

WILL PRUNES, BIG DEAL.

IT MADE ME SICK TO STAND BACK

THERE AND LISTEN.

MCMAHON, WHY DON'T YOU TALK

ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE OTHER THAN

ROCKY?

[MUSIC]

HE WAS THAT UBER GOOD GUY AND

HE WANTS YOU TO CHEER FOR HIM,

HE'S TRYING REALLY HARD, YOU

JUST CAN'T STAND HIM.

IT'S FUNNY HOW WHEN YOU THINK

OF YOURSELF ONE WAY AND THE

AUDIENCE TAKES YOU ANOTHER.

AND THE AUDIENCE BEGAN NEGATIVE

CHANTS.

[CROWD CHEERING]

ROCKY SUCKS, ROCKY SUCKS.

HE DID EVERYTHING RIGHT AND

BY THE BOOK AND THEY JUST HATED

HIM.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WELL, I RESPONDED LIKE ANYONE

WOULD RESPOND, BECAUSE WE'RE

HUMAN.

[CROWD CHEERING]

HE WOULD COME BACK.

"WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH THESE

PEOPLE, WHY ARE THEY DOING THAT?

I'M A GOOD GUY, I'M A GOOD HUMAN

BEING."

[CROWD CHEERING]

ALL HE KNOWS IS HE'S GOING

OUT THERE AND EVERY PERSON WHO'S

BOUGHT A TICKET PLUS HALF THE

BOYS ARE CHANTING ROCKY SUCKS.

AND SO IT HAD TO WEAR ON HIM.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THERE'S NOTHING LIKE BEING ON

A SINKING SHIP AND NOT HAVING A

LIFEBOAT.

AND AT THAT POINT, HE DIDN'T.

IN THE WWE AT THAT TIME,

THERE WAS AN INCREDIBLE SHIFT

THAT WAS HAPPENING INTO THE

ATTITUDE ERA.

THEY HAD A GUY LIKE STONE COLD

STEVE AUSTIN CAME ALONG WHO FANS

STARTED TO GRAVITATE TOWARDS,

WHO WAS ALL ABOUT ATTITUDE, ALL

ABOUT BUCKING THE SYSTEM.

WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER

WITH YOU?

WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN

WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?

I TOLD YOU WHAT I WAS GONNA DO

TO BRET HART.

YOU'RE OUT OF CONTROL.

DAMN RIGHT.

AND I AIN'T THROUGH YET.

[MUSIC]

SEE, I WAS THIS GUY WHO WAS

HAPPY AND HAPPY TO BE THERE EVEN

WHEN I LOST, THAT DROVE FANS

CRAZY, BECAUSE THAT'S --

AND THEY SEE THROUGH IT AND

THEY SAW THROUGH IT.

WE WERE GETTING KILLED BY

WCW, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO LOSE?

LET'S GO ALL OUT.

VINCE GOES, "LISTEN, WE'RE GONNA

TAKE OUR CREATIVE IN A WHOLE NEW

DIRECTION."

[MUSIC]

WWE WAS BEGINNING TO

TRANSFORM IN 1997 TO EDGIER,

MORE CONTEMPORARY PROGRAMMING AS

SPORTS ENTERTAINERS WERE

ENCOURAGED TO EMBRACE THEIR REAL

LIFE PERSONAS.

THE LEADER OF THE NATION OF

DOMINATION, FAROOQ.

[BELL RINGING]

WITH HIS CHARACTER

FLOUNDERING, DWAYNE JOHNSON WILL

TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THIS NEW

OPPORTUNITY.

YOU CAN REALLY SEE THAT THE

STANDARD GOT UP, THAT THESE

NEGATIVE CHANTS WERE BOTHERING

HIM, SO WELL, I SAID, "THIS KID

IS GONNA MAKE A GREAT HEEL."

[MUSIC]

I GOT HURT AND THEN I WAS

ABLE TO TAKE THE SUMMER OFF.

I REMEMBER GETTING A PHONE CALL

FROM JIM ROSS.

AND HE SAID, "HOW DO YOU FEEL

ABOUT JOINING THE NATION OF

DOMINATION?

AND WE'RE GONNA TURN YOU INTO A

BAD GUY, YOU'RE GONNA BECOME A

HEEL."

THERE'S ROCKY MAIVIA.

WHAT'S HE DOING IN THE RING?

CHECKING ON THE REFEREE TO

MAKE SURE HE'S OKAY.

WHAT?

LOOK AT THIS.

WHAT?

WAIT A MINUTE.

ROCKY, COME ON.

[BELL RINGING]

[MUSIC]

WHAT?

[MUSIC]

WHOA.

[MUSIC]

I THINK WE HAVE JUST SEEN A

NEW MEMBER OF THE NATION.

AND I SAID, "I LOVE IT, LOVE

IT."

THE ONLY THING I ASKED IS THAT

JUST GIVE ME ONE OPPORTUNITY

EVEN IF IT'S JUST 30 SECONDS,

JUST GIVE ME ONE OPPORTUNITY TO

GET ON THE MICROPHONE AND JUST

SAY WHAT I FEEL.

I GOT THREE WORDS, DIE ROCKY

DIE.

THAT'S THE GRATITUDE I GET FROM

YOU PIECES OF CRAP FOR ALL MY

BLOOD, MY SWEAT, AND MY TEARS?

AND ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS

JUST BE REAL.

SO, YOU DON'T LIKE THOSE

NEGATIVE CHANTS, NOW GO TELL

THOSE PEOPLE YOU DON'T LIKE

THOSE NEGATIVE CHANTS.

IN ARENAS ACROSS THE COUNTRY,

I HEARD CHANTS OF ROCKY SUCKS.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WELL, ROCKY MAIVIA IS A LOT

OF THINGS, BUT SUCKS ISN'T ONE

OF THEM.

[CROWD CHEERING]

AND FROM THEN ON, WE SHOT OUT

LIKE A ROCKET, BECAUSE I WAS

JUST ABLE TO BE AUTHENTIC.

[CROWD CHEERING]

SHUT UP.

THE LAST THING THE ROCK NEEDS IS

SOME JABRONI ASKING HIM

QUESTIONS WHEN HE'S GOT ALL THE

ANSWERS.

AND NOW, OFF WE GO.

DWAYNE IS A PERFORMER THAT

PEOPLE LOVED TO HATE.

I WANT TO MAKE ONE POINT TO

ALL YOU JACK -- FANS OUT THERE.

OH.

THAT WAS WHEN PEOPLE ALL OF A

SUDDEN SAW THE REAL DWAYNE

JOHNSON WITH THE VOLUME TURNED

UP.

THE NATION OF DOMINATION WAS

A PERFECT PLATFORM FOR THE ROCK.

AND THAT WAS A ROUGH, ROUGH

GROUP WHICH COMPLETELY TOOK HIM

AWAY FROM THE PRETTY BOY THING.

[MUSIC]

THAT'S KIND OF ACHY IF YOU

TRIED TO WIPE OFF OF HIS FACE,

YOU KNOW, NOW, THE NATION OF

DOMINATION, THAT'S ALL IN THE

PAST AND THEN IT GIVES HIM A

PLATFORM AND AN ENVIRONMENT

WHERE HE CAN REALLY BECOME AS

AGGRESSIVE AND JUST LET GO AS

MUCH AS HE WANTS TO AND THAT'S

WHEN HE STARTS TO KIND OF BECOME

THE ROCK.

WHEN YOU INTRODUCE ME, YOU

DAMN SURE BETTER INTRODUCE ME AS

THE ROCK.

[MUSIC]

HE JOINED THE NATION OF

DOMINATION, STARTED BRINGING OUT

A CERTAIN ARROGANCE TO HIS

CHARACTER.

AND SOMETHING ABOUT THE ROCK'S

ARROGANCE MADE HIM INCREDIBLY

ENTERTAINING.

[MUSIC]

YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT, BECAUSE

I'M THE CHAMP.

THE ONLY THING THAT WAS

MISSING FROM HIM WAS JUST THE

CONFIDENCE THAT HE NEEDED

STANDING IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA,

ONCE HE GOT THAT DOWN, THEN THE

REST IS HISTORY.

[MUSIC]

AND AS WE ALL KNOW, THE BEST

DAMN INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION

THERE EVER WAS.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT...

HEY, HEY, HEY, WITH ALL DUE

RESPECT, THE CHAMP IS TALKING.

[MUSIC]

AS THE CALENDAR TURNED TO

1998, MONDAY NIGHT RAW WAS

GAINING GROUND ON NITRO IN THE

RATINGS, THANKS TO A FLEET OF

YOUNG ENTERTAINING SUPERSTARS.

WITH WCW'S STRANGLEHOLD ON

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT WEAKENING,

WWE WOULD NOT WAIT TO CAPITALIZE

ON THE RISING MOMENTUM OF THEIR

CHARISMATIC ANTAGONIST.

[MUSIC]

WHEN WE PUT HIM IN THAT GROUP

WITH RON SIMMONS A.K.A.

FAROOQ AS THE LEADER, WE WERE

HOPING THAT WE WOULD GET TWO OR

THREE GUYS THAT WAS [INDISTINCT]

OF THAT ENSEMBLE BECOME STARS,

BUT HE WAS THE ONE THAT

EXPLODED.

[MUSIC]

I MEAN, THE NATION OF

DOMINATION, FAROOQ WAS THE

LEADER.

IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME,

YOU COULD SEE WHO REALLY HAD THE

CHARISMA, IT WAS ONLY BE ONE OF

THEM WHO'S GONNA DOMINATE AND

THAT WAS GONNA BE THE ROCK.

SO, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY

HEART, THE ROCK OFFERS YOU THIS

TO SHOW HIS RESPECT AND

ADMIRATION, ENJOY.

DON'T LET YOUR EMOTION CARRY

OVER, IT'S FOR YOU, ABSOLUTELY.

[MUSIC]

WAIT A MINUTE.

AND SHOW THE WORLD, LET'S

SHOW THE WORLD.

WE KNEW THAT EVEN THOUGH HE

WAS STANDING IN THE TROOPS THAT

HE WAS THE ONE, HE WAS THE ONE

THAT WAS LEADING THIS THING, HE

WAS THE ONE THAT WAS EXCITING TO

WATCH.

AND WHEN HE TOOK OVER THE

NATION, THAT'S WHEN WE KNEW THAT

THE ROCK HAD ARRIVED.

YOU LET THIS BE A LESSON TO

YOU, YOU PIECE OF TRASH, BECAUSE

THE ROCK IS NOT ONLY THE LEADER

OF THE NATION OF DOMINATION,

HE'S THE RULER OF THE NATION OF

DOMINATION.

[MUSIC]

HE TOOK OVER THE NATION AND

HE WAS CUTTING SOME GREAT

PROMOS.

YOU KNEW THIS GUY WAS GONNA BE

BIG MONEY REAL QUICK, REAL FAST.

AND TONIGHT, NOTHING IS GONNA

CHANGE, IT'S GONNA BE THE ROCK,

THE WORLD'S STRONGEST MAN MARK

HENRY.

HEY, MAKE SURE THAT DAMN CAMERA

IS STUCK HERE ON THE ROCK.

THE ROCK IS GONNA RAISE HIS BIG

RIGHT HAND, HE'S GONNA RAISE THE

PEOPLE'S EYEBROW, HE'S GONNA LAY

THE SMACKDOWN ON BOTH OF YOUR

CANDY -- .

IT'S HIS PERSONA.

IT'S THE "IT" THING THAT WE

TALKED ABOUT THAT ALL HUGE STARS

HAVE.

YOU JUST LOOK AT HIM AND GO,

"HO-WEE, THAT KID'S GOT

SOMETHING."

[MUSIC]

VINCE MCMAHON'S INVESTMENT IN

NEW STARS WAS BEGINNING TO PAY

OFF.

AND ON APRIL 13TH 1998, RAW BEAT

NITRO FOR THE FIRST TIME IN

NEARLY TWO YEARS.

THE ROCK WAS BECOMING A MAJOR

PLAYER FOR THE THRIVING WWE.

BUT HE WAS NOT THE ONLY RISING

STAR LOOKING TO STICK HIS CLAIM

ON THE COMPANY'S MAIN EVENT

PICTURE.

ROCKY, YOUR ROLE IS GONNA BE

REAL CLEAR.

YOU ARE GONNA BE MY -- .

[CROWD CHEERING]

I'M LEADING DX AND I'M A GOOD

GUY.

AND THE ROCK IS NOW LEADING THE

NATION OF DOMINATION AS ONE OF

THE HOTTEST BAD GUYS IN THE

BUSINESS.

[MUSIC]

IT WAS AN INTERESTING

RIVALRY.

THERE WAS AN ENERGY BETWEEN THE

TWO OF US.

AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THAT

STEMMED PROBABLY FROM REAL LIFE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

ROCK AND TRIPLE H WOULDN'T

HANG OUT TOGETHER IF YOU PAID

THEM, BUT WHEN THEY GOT IN THAT

RING, THEY KNEW THEY HAD THAT

CHEMISTRY.

TWO OF THE GREAT YOUNG

ATHLETES IN THE WWE ARE GONNA

STRUT THEIR STUFF HERE.

WE WERE ON DIFFERENT SIDES

ALL THE TIME, BUT CONSTANTLY

STRIVING TO GET TO THAT NEXT

LEVEL.

AND WE WERE CONSTANTLY IN A

SERIES OF ONE-UPMANSHIP EVERY

SINGLE NIGHT.

HELL, OH, GOD.

[CROWD CHEERING]

I LOVE MY RIVALRY WITH TRIPLE

H.

I THINK WE BOTH KNEW AT THAT

TIME THERE WAS MORE.

AND THERE WAS THE DESIRE TO BE

THE BEST.

NOT GOOD, THE BEST.

[MUSIC]

WHILE THE ROCK AND TRIPLE H

WERE OPPONENTS IN THE RING, THEY

WERE TEAMMATES IN WWE'S WAR

AGAINST WCW.

IN THE SUMMER OF 1998, FANS

WITNESSED BOTH COMPANIES PULLING

OUT ALL THE STIPS IN AN EFFORT

TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE RATINGS.

YOU JUST NEVER KNEW WHAT WAS

GONNA HAPPEN, YOU NEVER KNEW

WHAT THE ROCK AND STONE COLD

WERE GONNA BE DOING.

YOU NEVER KNEW WHAT HOGAN AND

THE NWO WERE GONNA DO, IT WAS

GOOD TELEVISION, IT REALLY WAS.

[MUSIC]

OH, HELL YEAH.

ONE, TWO, THREE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

OH, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

[BELL RINGING]

WE GOT A NEW HEAVYWEIGHT

CHAMPION OF THE WORLD.

[MUSIC]

THE COMPANIES TRADED RATINGS

VICTORIES THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER

OF 1998 AS MONDAY NITRO FEATURED

WCW'S UNDEFEATED HOMEGROWN

SUPERSTAR, GOLDBERG AS WELL AS

THE EVER PRESENT NWO.

[MUSIC]

WHILE WWE'S GROUND-BREAKING

ATTITUDE ERA ALLOWED THEIR

ROSTER TO CONTINUE TO PUSH THE

CREATIVE ENVELOPE WITH THE ROCK

TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE.

NO, NO, NO, YOU DON'T CALL

THE SHOTS.

IT'S THE PEOPLE'S CHAMP, THE

ROCK, HE CALLS ALL THE SHOTS.

YOU TAKE YOU AND YOUR 75 CENT

SHIRT, YOU GO BACK THERE, AND

YOU GET THE ROCK AND OWEN HART'S

TAG TEAM TITLES.

KNOW YOUR ROLE BEFORE THE ROCK

LAYS THE SMACKDOWN ON YOUR CANDY

-- JABRONI.

[MUSIC]

THE ATTITUDE ERA, THERE WAS

CERTAIN BOUNDARIES THAT WERE

DROPPED.

THEY ALLOWED SOMEONE LIKE THE

ROCK, HE WAS VERY EDGY TO MAKE

FULL USE OF HIS ASSETS IN TERMS

OF ENTERTAINING THE FANS.

AND WHAT HE PLANS ON DOING IS

THE ROCK WILL TAKE HIS RIGHT

HAND, THE ROCK WILL TAKE HIS

LEFT HAND, AND THEN THE ROCK

WILL COMMENCE ON LAYING THE

SMACKDOWN ON BOTH YOUR MONKEY

-- .

[MUSIC]

I USED TO WATCH HIS

INTERVIEWS AND I'M REALLY LIKE,

"WOW, THIS GUY DRIPS CHARISMA.

HE HAS MORE CHARISMA IN HIS

LITTLE FINGER THAN HALF OF THE

STARS IN HOLLYWOOD HAVE IN THEIR

ENTIRE BODY.

HE'S GONNA BE A GIANT."

WHEN YOU ARE AS TALENTED AS

SOMEONE LIKE ROCK IS,

EVENTUALLY, YOU KNOW, THE

AUDIENCE JUST STARTS LIKING YOU.

[CROWD CHEERING]

ROCK STARTED GAINING A LOT OF

MOMENTUM AS A BABY FACE, HE WAS

GETTING A POSITIVE REACTION WITH

THE FANS, BECAUSE HE WAS SO

ENTERTAINING, HE WAS SO

ELECTRIFYING, HE WAS SO

ENERGETIC, AND THE WAY HE DID

LIKE IT.

[MUSIC]

WHATEVER HAPPENED, JR, TO

ROCKY SUCKS?

YOU KNOW, I THINK, KING, THAT

THE EVOLUTION AND THE

DEVELOPMENT OF THIS YOUNG

ATHLETE CERTAINLY HAS IMPRESSED

A LOT OF FANS.

[MUSIC]

BY THE FALL OF 1998, THE ROCK

OUTGREW THE NATION OF

DOMINATION.

THE PEOPLE'S CHAMPION WAS NOW

ONE OF WWE'S MOST POPULAR STARS

AS HIS UNPARALLELED CHARISMA AND

CREATIVITY CAPTIVATED AUDIENCES.

BECAUSE WHETHER YOU LIKE IT,

WHETHER THIS PIECE OF TRASH OVER

HERE LIKES IT, WHETHER THIS BIG

FAT FEMALE PIG OVER HERE LIKES

IT, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS

THIS, IS THAT THERE AIN'T

NOTHING AND THE ROCK MEANS

NOTHING THAT COULD EVER COMPARE

TO BEING THE PEOPLE'S CHAMP.

THE ROCK USHERED IN AN ERA

WHERE CATCHPHRASES WERE VERY

POPULAR.

THAT IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY

HELPED HIM STAND OUT AND THAT

OBVIOUSLY HELPED HIS POPULARITY

IMMENSELY.

THE ROCK IS GONNA WALK OUT

DOWN THE PEOPLE'S AISLE INTO THE

PEOPLE'S RING AND LAY THE

SMACKDOWN ON MARK HENRY'S FAT

-- , IF YOU SMELL WHAT THE ROCK

IS COOKING.

THE ROCK WAS GIVEN A MIC AND

HE WAS ABLE TO DO HIS THING

WHICH WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

THAN ANYBODY, EVERYTHING THAT

CAME OUT OF HIS MOUTH BECAME A

CATCHPHRASE.

VINCE, THE ROCK SAYS THAT

HE'S NOT ASKING YOUR CANDY -- ,

THE ROCK SAYS THAT HE'S TELLING

YOUR CANDY -- .

WITH THE ROCK'S POPULARITY AT

ALL-TIME HIGH, WWE WAS READY TO

INTRODUCE HIM INTO MAIN EVENT

STORYLINES WITH THE COMPANY'S

TOP ANTAGONIST, THE ONSCREEN

PERSONA OF WWE CHAIRMAN, MR.

MCMAHON.

[CROWD CHEERING]

MCMAHON IS GOING ROCK BOTTOM.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WHILE THE ROCK'S POPULARITY

WAS SURGING, GOLDBERG'S OWN HARD

HITTING CHARISMA HAD BROUGHT

WCW'S CREATION TO THE TOP OF

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

GOLDBERG HAS CAPTURED AN

ENTIRE NATION, AN ENTIRE WORLD.

WHEN YOU SAW ME, I DIDN'T

WANT TO TALK, I JUST WANT TO

COME OUT THERE AND I WANTED TO

SMASH PEOPLE.

THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE WANTED TO

SEE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE ROCK, HE LIKES TO GO OUT

THERE AND PUT THE BEST SHOW ON

POSSIBLE AND I LIKE TO DO THE

SAME.

WE JUST LIKED TO DO IT IN

TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAYS.

GOLDBERG HELPED MONDAY NITRO

REMAIN CLOSE IN THE RATINGS.

AND WWE WOULD NOT REST ON THEIR

LAURELS, PLANNING A RISKY MOVE

THAT WOULD LEAVE THE COMPANY'S

FUTURE IN THE ROCK'S HANDS.

[MUSIC]

ONE OF THESE TWO MEN WILL

REPRESENT THE WORLD WRESTLING

ENTERTAINMENT AS ITS NEXT

CHAMPION.

WITH CONTROL OF THE INDUSTRY

UP FOR GRABS, SO TOO WAS THE WWE

CHAMPIONSHIP, A TOURNAMENT FOR

THE VACATED TITLE GAVE VINCE

MCMAHON THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE

THE ROCK'S CHARACTER IN AN

ENTIRELY UNEXPECTED DIRECTION.

MCMAHON SAID, "RING THE

BELL."

[BELL RINGING]

[CROWD CHEERING]

WAIT A MINUTE.

WHAT?

WHAT THE HELL?

THEY'RE IN ON IT ALL ALONG, ALL

THREE OF THEM.

THEY SCREWED US ALL.

MCMAHON, THE FAMILY, THE ROCK,

THEY SCREWED US ALL.

AND YOU BECOME WORLD CHAMPION

AT SURVIVOR SERIES.

IT WAS A HELL OF A SHIFT.

TRADITIONALLY, YOU WOULD NEVER

DO THAT WITH A GOOD GUY WHO WAS

CATCHING ON FIRE.

SO, WE BUCKED TRADITION IN A

WAY, BECAUSE AT THAT TIME, I WAS

ON THE RISE AS BEING ONE OF THE

TOP TWO GOOD GUYS IN THE

COMPANY.

THE OTHER ONE WAS STONE COLD

STEVE AUSTIN.

THE ROCK'S TITLE WIN WAS THE

CULMINATION AND THE CREATION OF

WWE'S NEXT MEGASTAR,

ESTABLISHING THE NOW VILLAINOUS

CORPORATE CHAMPION AS THE FACE

OF THE COMPANY.

HE'S ALWAYS BEEN MY CHAMPION.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE WORLD

WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT

CHAMPION, THE CORPORATE

CHAMPION, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

THE ROCK.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[MUSIC]

VINCE MCMAHON'S PROCLAMATION

RANG THROUGH BOTH IN FRONT OF

THE CAMERA AND BEHIND THE

SCENES.

ROCK, HE HAD ALL THE

CREDENTIALS.

YOU COULD JUST TELL IT WAS THE

RIGHT TIME AND THE RIGHT PERSON

AND IT ALL WORKED.

NOT ONLY DO YOU BECOME WORLD

CHAMPION, BUT NOW YOU ALIGN

YOURSELF WITH THE COMPANY'S TOP

HEEL, VINCE MCMAHON.

AND YOU TAKE THE MONIKER OF THE

PEOPLE'S CHAMPION AND YOU TURN

IT CORPORATE.

IT WAS A RECIPE FOR PHENOMENAL

SUCCESS IN TERMS OF FANS LOVING

TO HATE ME.

THE ROCK'S ABRUPT

TRANSFORMATION TO THE CORPORATE

CHAMPION PUT WWE'S TWO MOST

CHARISMATIC SUPERSTARS ON A

COLLISION COURSE.

ROCK ALIGNS HIMSELF WITH

VINCE MCMAHON AND BECOMES THE

CORPORATE CHAMPION, THEN I KNEW

RIGHT THEN THAT OUR PATHS WERE

GONNA CROSS AND IT'S GONNA CROSS

SEVERAL MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD.

IT WAS JUST ABSOLUTELY

BRILLIANT.

THE REAL MONEY WAS GONNA BE

THE ROCK VERSUS STONE COLD STEVE

AUSTIN.

THERE WAS NO GETTING AWAY FROM

IT.

PEOPLE WANTED TO SEE THOSE TWO

CLASH.

SO THE DECISION HAD TO BE MADE.

WHO'S GONNA BE THE ANTAGONIST

AND WHO'S GONNA BE THE

PROTAGONIST?

YOU PIECES OF TRASH, YOU WORK

YOU CANDY -- OFF DAY AFTER DAY

AFTER DAY, 9:00 TO 5:00 FOR

MINIMUM WAGE.

THE ROCK KNOWS HOW TO SAY

THINGS THAT REALLY TICK YOU OFF.

YOU'RE ALL NO DIFFERENT FROM

A BIG PIECE, THE BIGGEST PIECE

OF TRAILER PARK TRASH IN STONE

COLD STEVE AUSTIN.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[MUSIC]

A SHOWDOWN WITH STONE COLD

WAS LOOMING, BUT FIRST, A

DIFFERENT OPPONENT WOULD PROVIDE

THE ROCK AN OPPORTUNITY TO

SHOWCASE HIS VERSATILITY AS A

PERFORMER.

THE ROCK WAS A PHENOMENON.

AND HE WAS CLEARLY HEADED FOR

BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS MEETING

STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN, SO I

ALWAYS KNEW MY JOB WAS TO GET

THE ROCK READY FOR THAT ROLE.

BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WE HAD A

GREAT SERIES OF MATCHES.

NO.

[CROWD CHEERING]

HE MAY HAVE SHATTERED MICK

FOLEY'S SKULL.

THEY HAD GREAT CHEMISTRY.

THEY BROUGHT THE BEST OUT IN

EACH OTHER.

YOU CAN HAVE CHEMISTRY IN A LOT

OF WAYS.

FOLEY AND ROCK GENUINELY ENJOYED

WORKING WITH EACH OTHER.

I'LL TELL YOU WHAT...

TWO GREAT MINDS, TWO GREAT

ENTERTAINERS, THEIR RIVALRY TOOK

ROCK TO A WHOLE ANOTHER LEVEL.

AND I REMEMBER THE EMPTY ARENA

MATCH, THERE WAS JUST SO MANY

ASPECTS OF THAT MATCH THAT WERE

JUST SO CLEVER, THE ROCK ON THE

PHONE.

HE WAS AN INNOVATOR WITH A LOT

OF THAT.

YES, SMACKDOWN HOTEL, THAT'S

RIGHT.

WELL, NO, MANKIND'S NOT

AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW.

HE'S A LITTLE BUSY.

HIS MOUTH IS FULL WITH THE

ROCK'S FOOT ON HIS MOUTH.

[MUSIC]

AND I'M PROUD TO HAVE BEEN A

BIG PART OF THE ROCK'S FORMATIVE

PERIOD.

ROCK BOTTOM.

ROCK BOTTOM.

ROCK BOTTOM.

YES.

WE HAD GREAT CHEMISTRY IN THE

RING.

WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE SOME REALLY

COMPELLING PHYSICAL MATCHES WITH

A LITTLE BIT OF HUMOR THROWN IN.

IT LOOKS LIKE A BIG MONKEY

CAME DOWN HERE, TOOK A CRAP, AND

OUT CAME MANKIND.

THE ROCK'S CREATIVITY AND

GROWTH FURTHER VALIDATED WWE'S

FAITH IN THEIR YOUNG CHAMPION.

AND THE COMPANY REAPED THE

BENEFITS AS RAW DISTANCED ITSELF

FROM NITRO IN THE MONDAY NIGHT

RATINGS.

[MUSIC]

MEANWHILE, WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING WAS SLIPPING IN THE

WAKE OF THE ROCK'S MOMENTUM AS

QUESTIONABLE CREATIVE DECISIONS

WERE PREVENTING WCW'S UP AND

COMING TALENTS FROM REACHING

THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.

THERE WAS A LOT OF

BACKSTABBING, A LOT OF

POLITICKING BEHIND THE SCENES.

THERE WAS A LOT OF BIG NAMES

THAT DIDN'T WANT US TO GO ANY

FURTHER.

OH.

JACKKNIFE.

[MUSIC]

RAW'S RATINGS CONTINUED TO

GROW AMIDST WCW'S MISMANAGEMENT.

AND BY FEBRUARY OF 1999,

BUSINESS WOULD REACH NEW HEIGHTS

WHEN WWE'S TWO TOP STARS WERE

FINALLY READY TO CLASH.

AUSTIN AND ROCK, ARGUABLY THE

MOST PROFITABLE, TIMELY,

MEANINGFUL RIVALRY IN THIS

COMPANY'S HISTORY.

YOU HAD THE NEW INCUMBENT IN

STONE COLD WHO WAS JUST GETTING

ON HIS ROLE.

AND THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE,

BECAUSE STONE COLD SAID SO.

AND YOUNG HAD THE YOUNG

NEWCOMER, THE GOLDEN BOY WITH

ALL THE TOOLS TO TALK TRASH

ABOUT AS WELL AS AUSTIN.

AND IT WAS A MATCH MADE IN--FROM

MOTOR HEAVEN.

THE STUNNER.

THE STUNNER.

THE CHEMISTRY THAT ROCK HAD

WITH STONE COLD WAS INCREDIBLE.

GIVE ME THE -- CAMERA.

GIVE ME THE CAMERA.

WATCHING THOSE TWO WHO HAVE

EXTRAORDINARY CHARISMA...

STONE COLD, YOU GO DIRECTLY

TO HELL AND YOU TAKE THAT WITH

YOU, COMPLEMENTS OF THE ROCK.

IN SEEING THAT ALTOGETHER, IT

WAS LIKE, "WOO, THAT IS QUITE

THE PACKAGE."

WATCH THIS, OH -- .

[CROWD CHEERING]

[MUSIC]

THE ONSCREEN BATTLES BETWEEN

AUSTIN AND THE ROCK MIRRORED

THEIR BACKSTAGE RIVALRY AS BOTH

MEN FOUGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO BE

CALLED THE ATTITUDE ERA'S TOP

SUPERSTAR.

THERE WERE NO BIGGER STARS IN

WWE IN THE LATE '90S THAN STONE

COLD STEVE AUSTIN AND THE ROCK.

THOSE WERE THE GUYS.

WHEN YOU BOUGHT A TICKET FOR

MONDAY NIGHT RAW, THOSE WERE THE

GUYS YOU WANTED TO SEE.

WELL, THAT DOESN'T SURPRISE

THE ROCK THAT YOU'RE WATCHING

BACK THERE, STONE COLD, BECAUSE

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE ROCK

THAT DRAWS YOU TO THE ROCK.

I BROUGHT OUT THE BEST IN THE

ROCK AND HE BROUGHT OUT THE BEST

IN ME.

AND ANYTIME WE STEPPED IN THE

RING, IT WAS ON.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE ROCK BOTTOM.

WE WERE USHERING IN THIS

INCREDIBLE ERA, SO IT WAS

IMPORTANT TO ME THAT I WAS THE

ONE LEADING THE PACK.

I DIDN'T WANNA BE SECOND WHEN I

KNEW FIRST WAS AVAILABLE AND

STEVE AUSTIN SURE AS HELL DIDN'T

WANNA BE SECOND WHEN HE KNEW

FIRST WAS AVAILABLE.

AND WHAT'S INTERESTING, IT WOUND

UP BEING ARGUABLY THE GREATEST

RIVALRY IN THE HISTORY OF THE

WWE, AND THAT'S SAYING

SOMETHING.

[MUSIC]

THEY WERE OBVIOUSLY DIFFERENT

CHARACTERS, BUT AS MEN, THEY

WERE BOTH STRONG MEN THAT

BELIEVED IN THEMSELVES.

I'VE HEARD ROCK SAID HE WANTED

THE NUMBER ONE SPOT.

STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN WAS THE

NUMBER ONE SPOT, SO THE FIRST

THING THE ROCK'S GONNA DO IS

HE'S GONNA CHALLENGE HIM.

AND A GREAT COMPETITOR'S GONNA

ANSWER THE CHALLENGE.

IT'S JUST GONNA CREATE SOMETHING

SPECIAL AND THAT'S WHAT IT DID.

THE RIVALRY BETWEEN STONE

COLD AND THE ROCK WOULD

CULMINATE AT WRESTLEMANIA XV AND

WAS WITNESSED BY THE LARGEST

PAY-PER-VIEW AUDIENCE TO DATE.

EVERY GENERATION, IF YOU'RE

LUCKY, YOU'LL GET ONE SUPER

HUGE, MASSIVE SUPERSTAR.

AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THERE WAS

TWO, AUSTIN AND ROCK, AND THAT'S

WHY THEY WERE PITTED AGAINST

EACH OTHER BECAUSE STONE COLD

STEVE AUSTIN VERSUS THE ROCK,

I'M BUYING A TICKET.

IT WAS LIKE A HEAVYWEIGHT

FIGHT AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE

ONE.

[BELL RINGING]

[CROWD CHEERING]

LESS THAN THREE YEARS AFTER

HIS WWE DEBUT, THE ROCK WAS IN

THE MAIN EVENT OF THE COMPANY'S

MOST PROMINENT SHOW.

NO.

ONE MORE TIME, GOD, OH, MY

GOD.

WHAT EMOTION.

OH, GOD, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I

WISH YOU COULD ALL BE HERE.

[MUSIC]

WITH THEIR TWO TRANSCENDENT

STARS LEADING THE WAY, RAW WAS

IN THE MIDST OF A FIVE MONTH

RATINGS WIN STREAK OVER NITRO.

AND AS THE COMPANY CONTINUED TO

EMBRACE RACIER CONTENT AND

CREATIVE FREEDOMS DURING THE

ATTITUDE ERA, THE ROCK WAS

UNRELENTING IN USING THE

MICROPHONE TO CONNECT WITH HIS

GROWING FAN BASE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE ROCK SAYS TAKE YOUR

ENTIRE 33-POUND HEAD, HAVE IT

ROLL DOWN YOUR BACK, CATCH IT

WITH BOTH YOUR HANDS AND THEN,

UNDERTAKER, THE ROCK SAYS TAKE

YOUR OWN HEAD AND PROCEED TO

SHOVE IT DIRECTLY UP YOUR CANDY

-- .

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE ATTITUDE ERA ALLOWED A

PLATFORM FOR ME TO ENGAGE

AUDIENCES AND GO OUT THERE AND

DO AND SAY ANYTHING I WANTED TO.

[CROWD CHEERING]

AND THEN AT THAT POINT,

BILLY, YOUR HOUSE STARTED TO

SHAKE, THE HEAVENS OPENED UP,

AND GOD HIMSELF SPOKE TO YOU AND

SAID THIS, "BOB?"

"BUT MY NAME IS BILLY."

"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR

NAME IS."

[CROWD CHEERING]

WHAT SET HIM APART FROM

EVERYBODY ELSE WERE THOSE

INTERVIEWS.

THE THINGS THAT HE SAID AND THE

WAY HE SAID IT.

THEY ARE CHANTING THE ROCK'S

NAME.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WHAT?

[MUSIC]

HE JUST HAD A WAY OF COMING

UP WITH THINGS THAT WERE CATCHY.

HE HAD SO MANY GOING

SIMULTANEOUSLY AND KNEW WHEN TO

REMOVE ONE, WHEN TO REPLACE IT.

TRIPLE H, YOU'VE GOT FIVE

SECONDS AND THE ROCK MEANS...

[CROWD CHEERING]

TO COME OUT HERE AND FACE THE

ROCK OR THE ROCK WILL GO BACK

THERE AND WHIP YOUR MONKEY --

ALL OVER THE FLEET CENTER.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WHAT HE DID WAS HE GAVE THEM

HIS HAND AND HE SAID, "COME ON,

WE'RE GONNA GO ON A RIDE."

AND HE DID IT WITH THESE

CATCHPHRASES.

SO EVERY WEEK, YOU COULD BRING

THAT AGGRESSIVE ENERGY, BUT THEN

AT THE SAME TIME, HE CAN MAKE

YOU LAUGH.

WHO DOESN'T LIKE A GUY THAT?

THE ROCK TALKS TRASH IN HIS

SLEEP JUST LIKE THIS, "ROODY POO

CANDY -- .

LAY THE SMACKDOWN ON YOUR CANDY

-- ."

I WAS FLYING BY THE SEAT OF

MY -- PANTS AND I MEAN THAT IN

THE BEST WAY.

I WAS EVERY NIGHT EXCITED.

I WAS PISSING VINEGAR.

I WAS READY TO GO OUT AND

ELECTRIFY.

[MUSIC]

BY AUGUST OF 1999, WWE WAS

THRIVING.

AND THE COMPANY LAUNCHED A

SECOND PRIMETIME SHOW AIRING ON

THURSDAY NIGHTS INSPIRED BY

THEIR ELECTRIFYING SUPERSTAR.

ARE YOU READY FOR SMACKDOWN?

ARE YOU READY FOR THE WORLD

WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT?

[MUSIC]

AIRING DIRECTLY OPPOSITE

WCW'S OWN THURSDAY NIGHT SHOW,

THUNDER, WWE'S SMACKDOWN HAD

EFFECTIVELY PROVIDED WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING WITH A

TASTE OF THEIR OWN MEDICINE AND

WOULD DOMINATE THURSDAY NIGHTS

FROM THE ONSET.

THURSDAY NIGHT THUNDER WAS A

JOKE.

NOBODY WANNA BE ON IT IN WCW.

SMACKDOWN WAS SOMETHING FRESH,

NEW, AND HAD THE FIRST 10 GUYS

ON IT.

HOW DARE YOU LITTLE JABRONI

COME ON TO THE ROCK'S SHOW, COME

ON TO THE PREMIERE SHOW,

SMACKDOWN?

SMACKDOWN WAS THE ROCK'S

SHOW.

HAVING TWO MAIN WWE PROGRAMS ON

THE AIR IN RAW AND SMACKDOWN, I

MEAN, THE EXPOSURE WAS

INCREDIBLE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WITH RAW AND SMACKDOWN

MAINTAINING THEIR POSITION ATOP

OF THE SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT

RATINGS, WWE WAS IN FIRM COMMAND

OF THE INDUSTRY, BUT AS THE

COMPANY WAS EXPERIENCING ITS

GREATEST SUCCESS TO DATE, THE

ROCK'S CAREER PATH WOULD TAKE AN

UNFAMILIAR TWIST BY TEAMING UP

WITH AN UNLIKELY PARTNER.

THE ROCK AND SOCK CONNECTION.

[MUSIC]

THE ROCK AND SOCK CONNECTION

MADE A GREAT TEAM, BECAUSE THEY

WERE TWO LEGITIMATE WORLD

TITLEHOLDERS, HUGE STARS IN

THEIR OWN RIGHT, BUT YOU HAD

THIS ONE HOLIER THAN THOU TYPE,

I'M VERY COOL AND EVERYBODY ELSE

IS BENEATH ME AND MICK WAS LIKE

THE BUFFOON.

YOU ARE EXACTLY 20 MINUTES

AWAY AND THE ROCK MEANS...

THE ROCK MEANS 20 MINUTES.

OH, YOU IDIOT.

DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN,

JABRONI .

IT WAS A NICE DYNAMIC BETWEEN

US.

MICK WAS STILL ABLE TO EXERCISE

THOSE COMEDIC TIMING MUSCLES AND

THOSE ENTERTAINING MUSCLES, AND

IT WAS A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH

HIM AND TO BE HIS PARTNER.

WHAT MADE THE ROCK AND SOCK

CONNECTION SO ENJOYABLE WAS THE

FREE REIGN WE HAD.

IF ANYONE HAD WRITTEN DOWN THE

STUFF, IT WOULDN'T HAVE WORKED

AS WELL.

EVERYTHING THAT TOOK PLACE WAS

ORGANIC.

IT CAME OF AS BEING SPONTANEOUS

BECAUSE IT WAS.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE SPONTANEITY OF THEIR

PARTNERSHIP WOULD RESULT IN ONE

OF MONDAY NIGHT RAW'S MOST

MEMORABLE SEGMENTS AS MICK FOLEY

PAID TRIBUTE TO WWE'S MOST

CHARISMATIC SUPERSTAR.

THIS IS BIG, ROCK.

THIS IS YOUR LIFE.

[MUSIC]

WHAT?

WHAT DID HE...

THIS IS THE...

WHAT DID HE SAY?

WHAT?

I LAUGHED AND I SAID, "THIS

COULD BE REAL GOOD."

I NEVER THOUGH IN A MILLION

YEARS IT WAS GONNA BE AS GOOD AS

IT WAS.

THE ROCK'S HIGH SCHOOL

SWEETHEART.

THEY HAD BROUGHT IN PEOPLE TO

PLAY THESE PARTS.

AND THEY ASKED ME, YOU KNOW,

WHAT WAS EXPECTED.

AND I SAID, "WELL, YOU'LL COME

OUT, THE ROCK WILL SAY

SOMETHING, I'LL SAY SOMETHING."

LIKE IT DIDN'T--NO, WE DIDN'T GO

OVER A SINGLE THING.

TO SEE YOU STAND NOW BEFORE

THE ROCK, LOOKING AT THE ROCK,

GAWKING AT THE ROCK, WANTING TO

GO ONE-ON-ONE WITH THE GREAT

ONE.

SHE'D LIKE IT.

WE HAD SO MUCH FUN DOING THIS

IS YOUR LIFE.

IT WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST

NIGHTS.

AND NOW IN FRONT OF ALL THE

ROCK'S FANS, YOU WANNA SERVE THE

ROCK A GREAT BIG PIECE OF THAT

POON-TANG PIE?

OH.

[CROWD CHEERING]

NOW...

I WAS UPSET, BECAUSE THE

SEGMENT WENT FOREVER.

ROCK, SAY HELLO TO COACH

EVERETT HART.

AND I THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD,

BUT I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS THAT

GOOD.

THE ROCK WOULD LIKE TO TAKE

THAT WHISTLE YOU GOT, SHINE IT

UP REAL NICE, TURN THAT SON OF A

-- SIDEWAYS AND STICK IT

STRAIGHT UP YOUR CANDY -- .

I KNEW HOW VINCE WAS WITH

TIME, SO AS THIS THING IS GOING

ON AND ON, HE FINALLY CALLS ME,

"WELL, HOW LONG IS THIS GONNA GO

ON?

ARE YOU NUTS?

THEY'RE OUT THERE 20 MINUTES."

I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE I

KNEW HE WAS PISSED OFF, BUT I

KNEW IT WAS GOOD.

NATURALLY, THE ROCK IS

APPRECIATIVE TO ALL OF HIS FANS,

BUT TO YOU, THE ROCK'S BIRTHDAY

IS MAY 2ND, YOU STUPID SON OF A

-- .

IT WASN'T UNTIL THE NEXT DAY

THE ROCK TAPPED ME ON THE

SHOULDER AND HE SAID, "DID YOU

HEAR ABOUT THE RATING?"

AND I GUESS WE ALL PAID

ATTENTION TO THE RATINGS GOING

HEAD TO HEAD WITH WCW, AND I

SAID, "WHAT?

HOW DID WE DO?"

AND WHEN HE GAVE ME THE NUMBER,

IT DIDN'T SEEM POSSIBLE.

THE ROCK AND I BOTH SOUGHT OUT

VINCE MCMAHON.

WHEN WE FOUND HIM, HE WAS LIKE,

"ALRIGHT, YOU CAN DO WHATEVER

YOU WANT FROM NOW ON."

WATCHED BY OVER 9,000,000,000

VIEWERS, THIS IS YOUR LIFE WAS

ONE OF THE HIGHEST RATED

SEGMENTS IN THE HISTORY OF

MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

HOWEVER, THE CELEBRATION OF THIS

HISTORIC NIGHT WOULD BE

SHORT-LIVED.

A RECURRING INJURY TO STONE COLD

STEVE AUSTIN WOULD KNOCK WWE'S

FLAG-BEARER OUT INDEFINITELY.

IT WAS NOW UP TO THE ROCK TO

CARRY THE COMPANY ON HIS

SHOULDERS IN ORDER TO ENSURE

BOTH HE AND THE COMPANY COULD

REMAIN NUMBER ONE.

WELL, AT THAT TIME, STONE

COLD WAS THE NUMBER ONE GUY,

THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.

[CROWD CHEERING]

AND WHEN HE COULDN'T WRESTLE,

IT'S YOUR MOMENT NOW.

IT'S UP TO YOU TO CARRY THE

LOAD, AND THAT'S A BIG LOAD TO

CARRY.

[CROWD CHEERING]

EIGHTEEN THOUSAND ON THEIR

FEET.

WHEN STEVE GOT HURT AND WAS

GONE, ROCK--IT WAS ALL HIS AND I

THINK HE THRIVED ON THAT.

THE PEOPLE'S ELBOW.

AND HE ROSE TO THE CHALLENGE

AND HE WAS THE MAN.

ONE, TWO, THREE.

[BELL RINGING]

[MUSIC]

THE ROCK IS THE CHAMPION.

THE ROCK IS CHAMP.

AT THAT TIME, I CONTINUED TO

ASCEND, I CONTINUED TO DO A

PRETTY GOOD JOB IN TERMS OF

CARRYING THAT BALL.

EVERY SINGLE WWE SUPERSTAR IS

SURROUNDING THE RING WITH THE

PEOPLE'S CHAMP IN THE MIDDLE.

THE ROCK IS THE MOUTHPIECE

FOR ALL THE WWE SUPERSTARS.

ROCK IN 2000 WAS RIGHT THERE

TO TAKE THE LIMELIGHT AND THERE

WAS NO BIGGER STAR THAN THE

ROCK.

DESPITE THE ABSENCE OF

AUSTIN, MONDAY NIGHT RAW WAS

ABLE TO NOT ONLY MAINTAIN, BUT

INCREASE THEIR RATINGS

DOMINANCE.

WWE CONTINUED TO GAIN MAINSTREAM

RECOGNITION AS THE ROCK HAD

BECOME ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR

FACES BOTH IN AND OUT OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT.

THE ROCK WAS AT THE PEAK OF

HIS GAME WHEN IT CAME TO

MAINSTREAM ATTENTION.

HE WAS ABLE TO CAPTURE A LARGER

SHARE OF THE MAINSTREAM AUDIENCE

IN A WAY THAT NOBODY ELSE BEFORE

OR LIKELY EVER WILL.

[MUSIC]

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE

ROCK.

NOW, ALTHOUGH THE WWE IS

STILL MY FIRST LOVE, IT TURNS

OUT THAT I'M ALSO PRETTY GOOD

AND A NATURAL AT COMEDY.

[MUSIC]

HE WAS KIND OF ON THE BRINK

WHEN SNL CAME, THAT WAS ALL HE

NEEDED, BECAUSE HE KILLED IT.

HE WAS AMAZING.

WE SAW HIM ON SATURDAY NIGHT

LIVE, THE ROCK WAS BIGGER THAN

WRESTLING, HE WAS LARGER THAN

LIFE.

IF YOU WEREN'T A WRESTLING

FAN, CHANCES ARE YOU STILL KNEW

WHO THE ROCK WAS.

AND YOU BECAME A WRESTLING FAN

BECAUSE YOU BECAME A ROCK FAN.

JUST TO THINK, THERE'S GONNA

BE A BILLION PEOPLE OUT THERE

THAT'S GONNA GET A CHANCE TO GET

A LOOK AT THE GREAT ONE, THE WWE

CHAMP, THE ROCK.

ANYTIME YOU CAN BRING THE WWE

PRODUCT TO NEW EYES, IT'S A

POSITIVE.

THEY'RE LIKE, "WHO DOES HE WORK

FOR?

WWE?

OH, OKAY, I'LL TUNE IN TO RAW

NEXT WEEK."

THERE IS ONE ROCK FAN HERE

TONIGHT WHO SOME OF YOU MAY

KNOW, AND HIS NAME IS WADE

[MUSIC]

[CROWD CHEERING]

FEATURE HALL OF FAMER, GREAT

BASEBALL PLAYER.

THREE THOUSAND HITS.

YOU'RE THE MAN, YOU'RE THE

MAN.

JUST LOOK AT THE RATINGS AT

THE TIME, ROCK INTRODUCED OUR

COMPANY TO A BRAND NEW AUDIENCE

AROUND THE WORLD, MOVERS AND

SHAKERS IN HOLLYWOOD.

HEY, LOOK.

BEN STILLER.

FANS THAT WANTED TO SAMPLE

OUR PRODUCT AND THEN STUCK

AROUND BECAUSE THEY SAW WHO THE

ROCK WAS.

WITH HIS APPEAL AT AN ALL

TIME HIGH, THE ROCK BECAME A

FACILITATOR IN NURTURING MORE

STARS, HELPING WWE ONCE AGAIN

CONTINUE TO BUILD FOR THE

FUTURE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

NO.

[BELL RINGING]

KURT HAS DONE IT.

KURT ANGLE IS THE WWE CHAMPION.

THE WINNER OF THIS BOUT...

THE ASSOCIATION WITH THE ROCK

REALLY HELPED OTHER PERFORMERS

BY GIVING THEM THE RUB OF THE

TOP STAR.

IF ALL THE ATTENTION IS ON THE

ROCK, ANYONE WHO'S SEEN ON

SCREEN WITH HIM, EITHER IN THE

RING OR TALKING TO HIM OR

INTERACTING WITH HIM IN ANY WAY,

KIND OF GETS THE BENEFIT OF HIS

SPOTLIGHTS AND HELPS MAKE THEM

LOOK LIKE A BIGGER STAR IN THE

PROCESS.

"GUESS WHO I'M WRESTLING

TONIGHT?

YEAH, THE ROCK?"

"HUH?

YOU'RE NOT THAT GOOD."

"I KNOW, BUT HE IS."

IT ELEVATES PEOPLE JUST BEING IN

THE RING WITH HIM, AND HE NEVER

HAD A PROBLEM WORKING WITH

ANYBODY AND THAT MAKES HIM EVEN

COOLER.

THE ROCK'S WILLINGNESS TO

SHARE THE SPOTLIGHT HELPED

CONTRIBUTE TO RAW'S OVERWHELMING

RATINGS LEAD DURING THE SPRING

OF 2000.

MEANWHILE, POLITICAL UNREST AND

THE LACK OF CREATIVE DIRECTION

CONTINUED TO PLAGUE THE

PLUMMETING WCW.

I'M CALLING THE SHOTS AROUND

HERE NOW, GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME.

INSTEAD OF EVERYBODY DOING

WHAT WAS BEST FOR THE COMPANY,

EVERYBODY WAS DOING WHAT THEY

BELIEVED WAS BEST FOR THEM.

WHICH,AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF

THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING

WOULD HAVE BEEN MAKING THE

COMPANY RIGHT, AND IT JUST GOT

TO BE A NEGOTIATION ON EVERYONE.

AND AFTER A WHILE, YOU GET TIRED

OF BEGGING GUYS TO DO WHAT

THEY'RE GETTING PAID MILLIONS OF

DOLLARS TO DO.

THAT ONE?

YUP.

IT'S AUSTIN AND KANE LEFT.

[CROWD CHEERING]

OH.

[BELL RINGING]

KANE IS OUT.

BY JANUARY OF 2001, STONE

COLD STEVE AUSTIN HAD RETURNED

TO THE WWE RING.

[MUSIC]

STONE COLD IS GOING TO

WRESTLEMANIA.

HIS RENEWED RIVALRY WITH THE

ROCK ONCE AGAIN GARNERED SUCCESS

FOR MONDAY NIGHT RAW, BUT WOULD

PROVE TO BE THE FINAL NAIL IN

WCW'S COFFIN.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

WOULD CLOSE ITS DOORS IN MARCH

OF 2001.

WWE'S VICTORY IN THE MONDAY

NIGHT WAR CAN BE CREDITED IN

LARGE PART TO THE ROCK'S

UNMATCHED CHARISMA AS THE

PEOPLE'S CHAMPION REIGNED

SUPREME DURING SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT'S MOST POPULAR

ERA.

ROCK WAS VITAL IN TERMS OF

TURNING THE TIDE BACK TOWARDS

THE WWE AND PUTTING THE BALL IN

WWE'S COURT.

WCW TRIED TO CREATE THEIR OWN

STARS, THEY JUST DIDN'T HAVE

GUYS LIKE THE ROCK IN THERE AND

THAT'S ULTIMATELY WHY WWE WON.

WCW--DON'T GO NOWHERE.

YOU'RE WEARING A WCW SHIRT.

THE ROCK WAS THE ONE--THE ROCK

WAS THE ONE WHO PUT WCW TO REST.

TAKE THAT SHIRT OFF.

TAKE IT OFF.

OH, MY GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY, PUT

THAT SHIRT BACK ON.

PUT THAT SHIRT RIGHT BACK ON.

HAVING LIFTED THE COMPANY TO

ITS GREATEST HEIGHTS, THE ROCK

LEFT WWE IN 2004 TO TAKE THE

NEXT STEPS IN HIS CAREER AS A

MAINSTREAM SUPERSTAR.

I HAD WAITED FOR SUCH A LONG

TIME TO BREAK INTO HOLLYWOOD.

I WANTED MOVIES.

I WANTED THE BIG SCREEN, THAT

WAS MY GOAL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE A BIG

RETIREMENT OR A BIG EXODUS.

AND WHEN I LEFT, I QUIETLY

WALKED AWAY.

[MUSIC]

[CROWD CHEERING]

AND AFTER A SEVEN YEAR

ABSENCE, THE ROCK RETURNED HOME

TO THE PLACE WHERE HE BECAME ONE

OF THE GREATEST SUPERSTARS IN

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT HISTORY.

FINALLY, THE ROCK HAS COME

BACK TO MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

[CROWD CHEERING]

I DECIDED TO COME BACK TO THE

WWE, BECAUSE THE TIMING WAS

RIGHT.

AND I ALWAYS KNEW THAT ONE DAY I

WAS GONNA COME BACK TO THE WWE,

BUT I JUST FELT LIKE THERE WERE

THINGS THAT I WANTED TO DO, AND

THAT I WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH

BEFORE I CAME BACK TO THE WWE.

HE IS THIS HUGE MOVIE STAR

AND HE CAME BACK HOME, AND I

THINK THAT WAS A REALLY COOL,

HEARTWARMING MOMENT FOR ALL THE

FANS.

[CROWD CHEERING]

IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT FOR

ROCK TO CONQUER ANOTHER WORLD

BEFORE HE CAME BACK.

THE STARS WERE ALIGNED.

AND HE WAS READY AND HERE HE IS,

AND HE WILL NEVER LEAVE US.

[MUSIC]

THE ROCK IS AGAIN THE

PEOPLE'S CHAMPION.

DWAYNE JOHNSON'S HOMECOMING

WAS A FITTING ENCORE FOR WWE'S

MOST SUCCESSFUL ALUMNUS.

THE ROCK'S RETURN WOULD

ENTERTAIN A NEW GENERATION OF

FANS AND GIVE HIS LONGTIME

FOLLOWERS ANOTHER CHANCE TO

WITNESS ONE OF THE INDUSTRY'S

ALL-TIME GREATS.

ROCK WAS VERY ICONIC IN THE

ATTITUDE ERA.

HE IS THE BIGGEST STAR TO

TRANSCEND WWE, GO OUT TO

HOLLYWOOD, BECOME A BIG FILM

STAR, AND NOT FORGET HIS ROOTS.

NOW, HE'S A BIG TIME

SUPERSTAR.

NOW, HE'S A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR

ACTOR NOW, BUT WRESTLING

IS--IT'S IN YOUR HEART, IT'S IN

YOUR BLOOD.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT REALLY NEVER

GOES AWAY.

AND I CAN EXPECT TO SEE ROCK

TRYING TO SNEAK IN WRESTLEMANIA

XXXX IF HE GET A CHANCE.

I'VE GOT WWE IN MY BLOOD.

THE ROCK WAS BORN IN WWE.

THE ROCK GOES BACK HISTORY WITH

THE WWE.

WITH THE ROCK--YOU KNOW, IT'S

REALLY SIMPLE, IT'S LIKE THIS,

50 YEARS FROM NOW, WHEN THE ROCK

IS 80 YEARS OLD, WHEN THE ROCK

HAS TO PUT IN THE PEOPLE'S

DENTURES, HE'S GOT TO USE THE

PEOPLE'S WALKER TO COME WALKING

DOWN THAT RAMP JUST LIKE THAT.

THE ROCK WILL STILL STEP RIGHT

IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS RING AND

SAY, "HEY, JUST BRING IT."

[MUSIC]

WE CAN ONLY HOPE AND KNOCK ON

WOOD THAT SOME DAY WE'RE ABLE TO

SIGN SOME MORE DWAYNE JOHNSONS.

BUT I COULD TELL YOU THIS, THEY

JUST DON'T GROW ON TREES, THEY

DON'T COME ALONG EVERYDAY.

ROCK BROUGHT SO MUCH TO THIS

INDUSTRY THAT IT CAN'T BE

MEASURED.

FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, I'VE

GOT ONE QUESTION, DO YOU SMELL

WHAT BARACK IS COOKING?

THE WORD SMACKDOWN IS IN THE

DICTIONARY.

IT'S USED ON NEW SHOWS, IT

DIDN'T EVEN EXIST.

HE INVENTED THAT WORD.

I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER

WRESTLER WHO'S DONE ANYTHING

REMOTELY LIKE THAT.

I THINK THE ROCK IS THE MOST

CHARISMATIC PERFORMER IN THE

HISTORY OF THIS BUSINESS, THAT'S

HIS LEGACY.

WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR

NAME IS.

[CROWD CHEERING]

DWAYNE "THE ROCK" JOHNSON IS

THE MOST SUCCESSFUL SUPERSTAR IN

WWE HISTORY.

WWE TO ME IS A FAMILY, MY

FAMILY, HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY

FAMILY.

WHEN I CAME BACK AND I SAID,

"I'M BACK AND I'M NEVER GOING

AWAY," I MEANT IT.

AND I'M NEVER GOING AWAY.

IF YOU SMELL--

WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING?