During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, 2-time WWE Hall of Famer ‘The Immortal’ Hulk Hogan remembered his first meeting with Rocky Johnson – the father of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson – when The Hulkster ran into the stars of the Championship Wrestling From Florida (CWF) territory during the 70s, before even being a pro wrestler himself.
Hulk also revealed that Rocky then took him under his wing, when both were in the WWF in 1979.
Here’s what Hogan had to say about the late Rocky Johnson:
“Rocky Johnson was wrestling in Florida, and after the matches in Tampa, they’d all go to the Imperial Room. I bet Rock remembers the place because they lived right near it. I’d go just to mark out and see Harley Race and ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham on one side of the room, then Rocky Johnson on the other. This was back when I was in a rock and roll band.
I finally got the nerve to speak to the guys, and there was one time where I offered to drive Rocky Johnson to Tallahassee for his match. That was a five-hour drive, but I didn’t care, I was just so excited. I drove him in my girlfriend’s brand-new Ford Torino, and I was so proud to drive him. I ended up driving him a few times, and I’d be gone until the sun came up. Or, if he was on earlier, I’d break every speeding limit to get him back to the Imperial Room before last call. When I went to New York in ‘79 (to work for the World Wrestling Federation), he took me under his wing when he wrestled there. I never forgot that.”
Hulk Hogan then remembered going through his WrestleMania X-8 match with The Rock, while Rocky Johnson was watching them:
“I’d known Rocky Johnson for a long time, even before I started to wrestle. He was someone I looked up to. And that day, I can still remember standing in the ring talking with Dwayne, and all we could hear was Rocky Johnson yelling, ‘Dwayne, listen to Hogan!’.”
At the WWF WrestleMania X-8 pay-per-view, Hollywood Hogan faced off against The Rock in a historic showdown. This dream match pitted two of wrestling’s biggest icons from different eras against each other. The match was a clash of generations, with Hogan representing the WWF Golden Era and The Rock embodying the WWF Attitude Era.
The crowd was electric, torn between cheering for their childhood hero in Hogan and their contemporary favorite in The Rock. In the end, The Rock emerged victorious, but the match will always be remembered for the incredible atmosphere and the passing of the torch from one wrestling legend to another.
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