The Rock has managed to squeeze a lot into his 50 years. After graduating from the University of Miami in 1995, he signed with the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League. It was short-lived as he was cut from the team, however, perhaps that city was an omen for what was to come.
With The Rock’s own family lineage firmly entrenched in professional wrestling, his father, Rocky Johnson helped get him signed to the then-WWF where he was the first third-generation wrestler in the company.
Making his debut in 1996, he wasn’t an instant fan-favourite, but in just a few short years, that would all change. His natural charisma and ability to captivate the crowd saw him become one of the top superstars. After hosting Saturday Night Live in 2000, Hollywood began taking an interest in The Rock which led to him being cast in his first film, 2001’s The Mummy Returns.
The Rock’s sixth WWF Championship run ended at WrestleMania X-Seven when Stone Cold Steve Austin aligned with Vince McMahon. The following night on RAW, he was indefinitely suspended – in reality, he was actually off to film The Scorpion King.
The Rock returned to the WWF later in 2001 during The Invasion angle. His seventh and last title run – this time as the WWE Undisputed Champion – ended when he was defeated by Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2002.
The Rock was off again to film more movies, and only wrestled on a part-time basis through 2003 and 2004 – his matches and appearances have been few and far between since. In 2019, The Rock announced his retirement from wrestling.
A number of other wrestlers have followed The Rock into films, although none have managed to achieve the same success. In 2011, The Rock joined The Fast and the Furious film franchise as Luke Hobbs in Fast Five, and has since become one of the highest paid actors in Hollywood.
Behind the camera, The Rock established Seven Bucks Productions, his own production company, and has produced a number of films and TV series like Young Rock.
In his two decade long acting career, The Rock’s films haven’t been just in the action genre – there’s been adventure movies, comedies, animated feature films, and even the occasional family-friendly roles.
If you’re a Rock super-fan, you quite literally have enough substance to create an entire sleeve or back piece dedicated to his wrestling or film careers. You could, also, just get the one piece inspired by either his wrestling or acting roles, or even a combination of the two. Just promise me that you won’t be like those people who have copied The Rock’s Polynesian tattoo which represents his own family history.
What’s your favourite match of The Rock? Which film of his have you watched multiple times and never get sick of? Leave your answers in the comment section below.
The Tattooed Archivist 
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