Top 5 Facts About Dwayne
Can you smell what The Dwayne is cooking? Welcome to WatchMojo's Top 5 Facts. In this installment, we're counting down the Top 5 Facts About Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
For this list, we'll be looking at some lesser-known fun facts about actor and former professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson.
Special thanks to our user Ashjbow for submitting the idea on our interactive suggestion tool: WatchMojo.comsuggest
#5: He Comes from a Family of Professional Wrestlers
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The Rock is one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time, but he’s not the only member of his family with a wrestling legacy. His family has produced 5 WWE Hall of Fame inductees, including the Rock’s own father and grandfather. As a result, he was billed as the “first third-generation Superstar” of the organization. The Anoa'i family, connected to the Rock’s line through a blood brother pact, have their own wrestling school that has produced a number of big names over the years. Even Dwayne’s grandmother has been active in the industry, working as a promoter throughout the 1980s. Looking at Johnson’s family tree, it becomes abundantly clear that these wrestling roots run deep.
#4: He Wanted to Be in the NFL
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Standing at 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing in at over 250 pounds, it isn’t hard to imagine Johnson running through defenders while making opposing quarterbacks cower in fear. And that’s exactly what he did. Before he stepped into a ring or walked across a Hollywood set, Johnson’s life revolved around football. He was recruited by the University of Miami as a defensive lineman but was unable to maintain a starting role on the team due to injury. After college, the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League signed Johnson to their practice squad, but he was cut after only two months. No worries, the WWF soon found a use for his unique skillset.
#3: ‘The Rock’ Was Not His First Wrestling Name
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The most electrifying man in sports entertainment deserves a title that conveys the same strength he showed as a magnetic performer, charismatic speaker and downright dirty trash talker. But it took him awhile to find it. When Johnson first got involved in wrestling, he did so under the name Flex Kavana. Upon joining WWF, he adopted the name Rocky Maivia, as an homage to both his father Rocky Johnson, and grandfather, Peter Maivia. Quite frankly though, neither of these earlier monikers roll off the tongue quite as easily as “The Rock” - nor do they have the same panache. Thankfully Johnson decided to make a change and the rest as they say, is history.
#2: He Was in a Gang
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With his hearty smile and laidback demeanor, it’s hard to picture Johnson as a teen hoodlum robbing tourists in Hawaii… but that’s exactly what his early years looked like. While living in Honolulu, Johnson became involved with a theft ring that targeted tourists in Waikiki, a beachfront district on the island of O’ahu. The gang operated by identifying and stealing expensive clothes, jewelry and cash from unsuspecting people visiting the area. Before his 17th birthday Johnson would be arrested numerous times for his involvement in the gang. Thankfully he managed to turn his life around, focusing his efforts on school and football.
#1: He Is Very Charitable
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It’s no secret that Hollywood leading men make a lot of money. If only they could all be as generous as Dwayne Johnson. Whether he is turning down promotional deals from Dunkin Donuts to keep his ego in check, donating $1 million dollars to his Alma mater - the University of Miami – or working with children through the Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation, which he founded in 2006, Johnson has proven time and time again that his sincerity and charity know no bounds. And yet, he somehow finds a way to fit it all in between film shoots, wrestling events, and working out… insane!
