Line #175 Wrestling/DwayneJohnson


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_rock_2.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:The Great One.\
3	The Brahma Bull.\
4	The People's Champion.\
5	The Final Boss.]]
6
7	->''"'''Finally... The Rock HAS COME BACK!... To Website/TVTropes! Which means...''''' '''FINALLY... THE ROCK HAS COME BACK!...''' ''...home..."''
8
9	%% One quote is enough. Others can go on the Quotes page.
10
11	Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972) is a former [[UsefulNotes/AmericanFootball football]] player-turned-[[ProfessionalWrestling professional wrestler]]-turned-actor, also known as "The Rock".
12
13	He was born into the Maivia WrestlingFamily on his mother's side, which has close ties to the [[Wrestling/SamoanDynasty Anoaʻi family]] (its members known for playing up the WildSamoan stereotype). Before going into professional wrestling, Johnson previously played [[UsefulNotes/CollegiateAmericanFootball collegiate football]] for the University of Miami as a defensive lineman and briefly played professionally for the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL. His father, also a pro wrestler, was Black Nova Scotian and former WWF Tag Team Champion Wrestling/RockyJohnson.
14
15	Dwayne's [[PlaysGreatEthnics ambiguous biracial features allow him to shift gimmicks at will]] without sacrificing his [[EvenTheGuysWantHim universal sex appeal]]. He first entered the [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} then-WWF]] as "Rocky Maivia", a LegacyCharacter (and something of a CreatorsPet) to both the Maivia family and his father, a perpetually-smiling {{face}} who drove the audience insane with how much he was pushed. He eventually fixed this XPacHeat by turning heel and restyling himself as a JerkJock-type villain; this evolution into "The Rock" freed him creatively and allowed him to show off his incredible talents on the microphone.
16
17	Within just a few years, using his natural charisma and skills as a wrestler, The Rock quickly ascended the ranks of the WWF and was soon competing with Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin for the top spot in the company, becoming his ArchEnemy and [[TheRival rival]]. He would also feud with Attitude Era's TheDragon Wrestling/TripleH, and the three-way feuds with Austin and Triple H would be a common running theme.
18
19	He's since become one of the most prominent examples of RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap in professional wrestling, exploding as a fan favorite and star. In a twist of fate, Johnson's entertaining, charismatic promos made it [[RootingForTheEmpire impossible for him to drum up heel heat]]; he reverted to a quasi-face, still stoking old feuds with the likes of Wrestling/HulkHogan and Steve Austin, which added variety to his angles.
20
21	When his contract with WWE ended in 2004, he started a full-time acting career. After leaving wrestling for several years, Johnson re-signed in 2011 as a part-time performer until 2013, before announcing his retirement from wrestling in 2019.
22
23	He also is a co-owner of the current iteration of the United Football League, created with the late-2023 merger of the 2020s iterations of the USFL and XFL. Johnson had led the group that bought the 2020 iteration of the XFL [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap out of bankruptcy]] after that league was one of the first victims of the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic through unfortunate timing, and relaunched that league in 2023 before its merger after that season.
24
25	The following year, Rocky became a member of WWE's Board of Directors. Soon after, he entered his first significant program as a performer in nearly a decade courtesy of his involvement in the story of Wrestling/RomanReigns and Wrestling/CodyRhodes, which also led him to cross paths with Triple H once again.
26
27	He is an 8x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-h.html WWE Champion]], a 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-h.html WCW World Heavyweight Champion]] (won during Wrestling/TheInvasionAngle), a 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/ic.html WWE Intercontinental Champion]] and a 5x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-world-t.html WWE World Tag Team Champion]], holding the belts 3x with [[Wrestling/MickFoley Mankind]] as the Rock N Sock Connection, once with Wrestling/TheUndertaker and once with Wrestling/ChrisJericho.
28
29	The show ''[[Wrestling/WWESmackDown SmackDown]]'' actually comes from one of his {{character catchphrase}}s, which caused him to call it ''his'' show. "Smackdown" is also [[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smackdown in the dictionary]].
30
31	For more about his acting career, see [[Creator/DwayneJohnson his creator page]].
32
33	Were you looking for the [[Film/TheRock movie]] directed by Creator/MichaelBay? '''[[CharacterCatchPhrase IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR!]]'''
34
35	-----
36	!! "The Rock says: KNOW YOUR ROLE AND READ MY TROPES, JABRONI!":
37
38	* TheAce: The Rock's force of personality, acting talent and following superstardom brought his in-ring persona to new heights never before achieved in wrestling and never achieved since. As far as a successful career goes, how many legends can claim to have achieved his level of superstardom both in wrestling ''and'' acting? The Rock's ability to captivate audiences was simply peerless; he literally told crowds to chant his name, and they did it. Even one of his catchphrases, "[lay the] smack down", became the name for the WWE program itself, with The Rock claiming it's "his show".
39	* AlwaysABiggerFish: The Rock's 2024 heel run, especially during the buildup to ''Wrestling/WrestleMania 40'', was one of dominance, doing everything as WWE's new resident CorruptCorporateExecutive -- [[RedBaron the self-proclaimed "Final Boss"]] -- to make Wrestling/CodyRhodes suffer. His intrusion in the main event match between Cody and Wrestling/RomanReigns was only briefly thwarted by [[BigDamnHeroes the unexpected help]] of Wrestling/SethRollins and Wrestling/JohnCena, and even they would end up getting [[TheWorfEffect easily repelled]] by Reigns and Rock respectively in a show of how threatening they were. [[DarkestHour Just when it seems like there's no one left to save Cody]], cue ''Wrestling/TheUndertaker'' [[StealthHiBye suddenly appearing in the ring]], chokeslamming The Rock, before disappearing and taking The Rock with him, presumably ''[[DraggedOffToHell down to Hell]]''.
40	* AmbiguouslyBrown: As he put it himself, he has "Black and Samoan in [his] veins." If someone didn’t know that, however, he’d be almost impossible to guess right.
41	** While gushing over a portrait a fan painted of him (yes, really), he praised a number of aspects of the painting, including getting his skin tone right, which he described as a "[[StarbucksSkinScale peanut butter complexion]]".
42	** ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' lampshaded this, calling him black, Hispanic, mixed, and "maybe a little Filipino" all at the same time.
43	** As did his opening monologue in the Season 42 finale of ''[[Series/SaturdayNightLive SNL]]'', where he's considering a run for President in 2020; he says he'll get the minority vote because every minority group assumes that he's whatever they are.
44	** Many probably thought he was a white man who had a Creator/GeorgeHamilton-esque tan when they first saw him.
45	%%Do not move the next entry to YMMV. If you're thinking about it, watch the video first. We'll wait.
46	* AmicableExes: His ex-wife is his business manager, and ''her new husband'' is his personal trainer.
47	* AngryBlackManStereotype: He made his FaceHeelTurn when he joined the black supremacist "Nation of Domination" PowerStable. Subverted when The Rock made it clear it had nothing to do with the color of his skin, but because of the fans booing him and chanting "Die Rocky Die". After he took over the stable, he changed it from an all angry black man group into one built upon his own "cool" image, and subverted it by adding the heel-turned TokenWhite Wrestling/OwenHart.
48	* AnimalMotifs: The Brahma Bull, which he has on his merchandise and tattooed on his right arm. It's also one of his {{Red Baron}}s.
49	* ArchEnemy: To his nemesis and archrival Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin as the two competed for top spot in the company and with the crowds. It was only Stone Cold that could really match The Rock in HamToHamCombat; The Rock became co-protagonists with Austin, their popularity almost the same from 1999 onwards. Being the top babyface naturally The Rock would feud with Wrestling/VinceMcMahon as the BigBad, but more importantly Wrestling/TripleH as TheDragon; The Rock, Austin, and Triple H were commonly caught in three-way feuds. Additionally, Wrestling/{{Mankind}}. Wrestling/JohnCena sees him as this in 2011-2013 for BrokenPedestal reasons, after the Wrestling/AttitudeEra.
50	* TheArtifact: He's never credited as "The Rock" in his movies (not since ''Film/TheScorpionKing'' anyway), and for trademark reasons, he's not referred to by the monicker in promotional material. It's possible that most people would be confused if you casually started a conversation with them about, "the latest Dwayne Johnson movie." But if you start talking about "The Rock" they know exactly who you mean.
51	* AscendedMeme: When The Rock returned to the WWE, he called Wrestling/JohnCena a "big fat bowl of [[Advertising/PebblesCereal Fruity Pebbles]]". Not long after, Post made a marketing deal with Cena for...you guessed it, Fruity Pebbles.
52	* AnAssKickingChristmas: On the December 20 (taped December 18), 2001 ''[=WWE SmackDown=]'', The Rock cut a promo on Wrestling/{{Test}} set to "The Twelve Days of Christmas.":
53	-->"On the night Test faces The Great One\
54	This is what he'll see\
55	12 Sharpshooters stinging\
56	11 Eyebrows raising\
57	10 Spines-a-busting\
58	9 Noggins knocking\
59	8 Kicks-a-kicking\
60	7 Punches punching\
61	6 Suplex smashing\
62	5 Seconds of the people chanting The Rock's name\
63	[Rocky, Rocky, Rocky]\
64	4 Rock Bottoms\
65	3 People's Elbows on your\
66	2 Buck teeth\
67	And an ass-kicking all over UsefulNotes/NewOrleans
68	* AssShove: One of his {{Catch Phrase}}s.
69	-->"Take [this/that] [noun], shine it up real nice, turn that sumbitch sideways and SHOVE/STICK IT STRAIGHT UP YOUR CANDY ASS!"
70	** Literalized, along with AssholeVictim, on the December 6, 2001 ''[=SmackDown!=]''. This was when Vince [=McMahon=] was running rampant humiliating people with his "Kiss My Ass Club". Due to a stipulation on ''Raw'' (The Rock and Wrestling/TrishStratus d. Vince and Kurt Angle), Vince would have to kiss The Rock's ass here. Rock changes his mind and first brings in commentator Wrestling/JimRoss. Then he brings in Trish, the one ass Vince probably would have wanted to kiss. Rock changes his mind a third time and brings in... '''Wrestling/{{RIKISHI}}!''' Vince objects and Rock forces Vince into a Rikishi [[AssKicksYou Stinkface]] to the cheers of the crowd.
71	-->'''THE ROCK''': "On behalf of ''The Millions,'' ''([[CrowdChant "And Millions!"]])'' The Vince [=McMahon=] Kiss My Ass Club is officially closed!"
72	* BadassBoast: '''ALWAYS!'''
73	** Worthy of note was that he said he wanted to be able to make one by feuding with John Cena; he wanted to be able to say he was the only man who had beaten Wrestling/HulkHogan, Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin, and Wrestling/JohnCena at Wrestlemania. Given the injuries and retirement of the former two, he is probably the only man who ever will be able to lay claim to the feat.
74	* BaldOfEvil: He completely shaved his head during his {{Heel}} run as "Hollywood Rock", and it was during this heel run that he let his newfound Hollywood fame go to his head and became a cocky heel once again.
75	* BarbarianLonghair: He was probably one of the most famous examples of this trope during his WWF days and in movies like ''Film/TheMummyReturns'', ''Film/TheScorpionKing'' and ''Film/{{Hercules\|2014}}''.
76	* BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame: At some point down the line, The Rock picked up a habit of using his opponents' FinishingMove on them. This included Pedigree-ing Triple H onto a table, chokeslamming Wrestling/TheUndertaker, putting Wrestling/KurtAngle in the ankle lock and giving Austin a Stone Cold Stunner at pretty much every opportunity he could... which was a lot. Naturally, this is inverted when his opponents give him a Rock Bottom back.
77	** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in multiple occasions with the People's Elbow: anyone who attempts it on The Rock are likely to receive a Rock Bottom for their troubles. Ironically, in his last two ''[=WrestleMania=]'' matches, he nipped up when Wrestling/RicFlair was going for it at ''[=WrestleMania=] 20'', and [[OutOfCharacter oddly enough]], Cena at ''[=WrestleMania=] 28''.
78	* BecameTheirOwnAntithesis: While he's been a Corporate heel before, The Rock's 2024 Bloodline heel character shows Rock shedding the image of the beloved hero to the masses and becoming a CorruptCorporateExecutive more in line with the Mr. [=McMahon=] of old whom he fought against, particularly when he starts talking about how he's the boss of Seth Rollins and that The Rock can and will use his executive power to take away Seth's world title if Rollins doesn't fall in line ([[ForTheEvulz or if he just feels like it]]).
79	* BigShutUp: "Know your role...and SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"
80	* BittersweetEnding: The Rock's ''[=WrestleMania=] 20'' tag-team match with Mick Foley against Wrestling/{{Evolution}}, which was losing effort for them both. Despite this, he didn't mind the loss and hugged Mick Foley after the match.
81	* BrokenPedestal: Cena saw him as this in-ring and in real life during their two-year feud.
82	* CaptainErsatz: In the Game Boy Advance ''Videogame/FireProWrestling''.
83	* CelebrationMiscalculation: Mick Foley throws a birthday party for him in the end of the "This Is Your Life" segment, but Rock bluntly tells him this:
84	-->'''The Rock''': The Rock's birthday is May 2nd, you stupid son of a bitch!
85	* CharacterCatchphrase: The man's so prolific at them, he has [[Catchphrase/DwayneJohnson his own page]].
86	* CheapHeat: His first "Hollywood" {{Heel}} promo in Toronto had him invoke this.
87	--> "...faster than a bear, stronger than a buck, the biggest thing to hit Canada 'cause the [[UsefulNotes/NationalHockeyLeague Maple Leafs]] suck!"
88	** During the first ever "Rock Concert" at Sacramento, he took a shot at the [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation Sacramento Kings]]:
89	--> "... but I'll be sure to come back when the [[UsefulNotes/NationalBasketballAssociation Lakers]] beat the '''[[LargeHam Kings in May]]!!!'''"
90	** "Finally, The Rock '''has come back'''...to (insert town name here)!"
91	** Subverted during his "Hollywood" {{heel}} run: The Rock would bastardize a city's name instead of complimenting them, and at times even mock the crowd for popping at their city being name-dropped:
92	--> "FINALLY The Rock HAS COME BACK to Toron... to Toron... [[{{Pun}} TORON HIS MOUTH]] ON ALL YOUR CANDY ASSES!"
93	--> "What, is this the first time you heard someone mention your city? "Yay, he said Toronto! Woo, yay! That's where we live, we live in Toronto, yay!" SHUT UP!"
94	** Upon joining the Bloodline, Rock would proceed the previous intro with "Finally... [[BaitAndSwitchComment Your life has meaning!]]" followed an insult to the crowd.
95	* ClusterFBomb:
96	** Surely enough he's got quite the foulmouth. His 2011-era run downplayed this slightly as although his promos are the most foul-mouthed, he doesn't use the actual F-word.
97	** ZigZagged within his 2024 run due to his status at TKO, where he's still censored on-air, but he's virtually the only wrestler who isn't restrained by WWE's social media rules, allowing him to say anything he wants online, and he surely has taken advantage of this with loads of F-bomb-ridden posts. On the 3/25/24 edition of ''RAW'', during his bloody, brutal beatdown of Cody Rhodes, he dropped the F-bomb on national television for the first time.
98	--->'''The Rock:''' This is what happens when you '''FUCK''' ''WITH THE FINAL BOSS!''
99	** According to Wrestling/StephanieMcMahon in her 2015 podcast with Wrestling/ChrisJericho, Rock got in trouble for actually dropping the F-bomb, which was because Stephanie could barely keep herself from laughing to the point that she was late in cutting him off in the promo.
100	* CommutingOnABus: Following his return to wrestling in 2011, due to his filming schedule, he would make a few appearances when time was given, and the fact he never said he would be there every single week. This was worked in to his feud with Wrestling/JohnCena for their ''[=WrestleMania=] 28'' match.
101	* CorruptCorporateExecutive: His 2024 heel turn has shades of this. With his position as a board member acknowledged by wrestlers and commentators alike, he tries to swindle Wrestling/CodyRhodes out of a rematch against Wrestling/RomanReigns by attempting to set up a Roman v Rock main event for ''[=WrestleMania=] 40'' at the kickoff, something that he described as a main event that was "bound by blood". This did not fly with Cody, who confronted Rock and declared that it was his right as the winner of the ''Royal Rumble'' to face Roman at ''[=WrestleMania=] 40'', noting that their family would be ashamed by what they attempted to do after Roman mocked Cody's father Dusty. This led Rock to slap Cody in the face and confront Wrestling/TripleH backstage along with Roman, telling Hunter that he needs to fix it or ''they'' would. Later, Rock states that he'll use his power on the board to guarantee Cody never gets another shot at the title should he lose to Roman in the upcoming match. This hits its apex during the Night One main event for ''[=WrestleMania=] 40'' where he and Roman face Cody and Wrestling/SethRollins in a tag match to determine the stipulations for Roman and Cody's match the next night. During the match, Rock continually abuses his authority as a TKO Board Member to blatantly cheat and threatening to fire the referee if he enforces the rules. At one point, the referee even has to apologize to Cody after Rock delivers an obvious low blow to his partner Seth, noting that while the Rock as his boss, the ref can't really do anything to stop him.
102	* CoolShades: Well, they started as normal shades, but considering that everything the Rock touched got a bit of his coolness, they ended up this way.
103	** They led to a great moment with him and [[Wrestling/MickFoley Mankind]] as tag partners. While putting Mankind down with his usual flair, he went to do his "If you smell..." bit but knocked his own shades off. He couldn't finish the bit without them but picking them up would have made him look like a putz. So, Mankind goes over, picks them up and hands them to him. The Rock then earnestly tells him, "The Rock thanks you for that." before going back into the bit.
104	* CostumePorn: There seemed to be a limitless wardrobe of flamboyant "500-dollar shirts" in 1998/1999/2000. Until they started making more and more merch for him, and then it all went away.
105	** The "500 dollar shirts" worked when The Rock's character was more emphatically that of a self-important {{Jerkass}}. After tagging with Mick Foley, a lot of his more jerk attributes went away so the loud, pointlessly expensive shirts didn't fit him anymore.
106	* {{Crossover}}: He's one of a select few truly "homegrown" WWF wrestlers who has wrestled a noticeable amount for other promotions while still under WWF contract. So they were seeking a developmental deal with IWA Puerto Rico and Wrestling/JerryLawler owned USWA but he's also popped up in Border City Wrestling and Memphis Power Pro Wrestling. While OVW would send guys out to other promotions fairly regularly, they were somewhat atypical and this was before then, obviously.
107	* CrowdChant: Integral to his role as the People's Champion was his interaction with his millions... (''AND MILLIONS!'')... of fans, often achieved by them joining in on his catchphrases. When he returned in 2011, the crowd's interaction was a little rusty, so he got them back into the mood:
108	-->[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome "No no no no, that's still not good enough! The Rock is the People's Champ, you are the backbone of The Rock! When we speak, all our voices are heard, we all say "I Bring It"! Anaheim, the world is watching, Anaheim, the world is listening! One more time: When the Rock... AND THE MILLIONS...]] (''[[ThirdTimesTheCharm AND MILLIONS!]]'')..."
109	* DareToBeBadass: His speech to Chicago about Team Bring It. See the [[Heartwarming/DwayneJohnson Heartwarming Moments]] page for details.
110	* DarkerAndEdgier: His 2024 heel run as the self-proclaimed "Final Boss" brings him back to the "Hollywood Rock" persona (complete with the return of said theme), but with a new twist. Combining both his Hollywood and Corporate gimmicks into something more vicious, cold-blooded, and villainous than ever before, as he and his family in The Bloodline became absolutely determined to make Cody Rhodes' life a living hell before ''[=WrestleMania=]'' 40.
111	* DeadpanSnarker: The Rock has displayed a very dry sense of humor when he isn't yelling and electrifying.
112	* DefeatingTheCheatingOpponent: Before their match at Backlash 2000, The Rock has the odds stacked against him. Not only was Wrestling/TripleH the WWF Champion, but Wrestling/VinceMcMahon had ordered a referee in HHH's pocket to oversee the contest. The Rock made "the promise of the promise" that he would still win anyways. And thanks to the timely intervention of Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin cleaning house with a steel chair, Linda [=McMahon=] intervening to play fair, and formerly-fired ref Earl Hebner doing the count instead, Rock managed to defeat HHH and win the title.
113	* TheDragon: To [[Wrestling/RonSimmons Faarooq]] in Wrestling/TheNationOfDomination after his initial heel turn. Though with his charisma he quickly rose to become DragonInChief, which of course eventually lead to him becoming a DragonAscendant, as he took over as leader of the Nation.
114	** The Rock was also TheDragon to Vince [=McMahon=] when he joined Wrestling/TheCorporation and became Vince's "Corporate Champion". This position was quickly discarded and he became a Face as no one could really hate him, with the position being replaced by Triple H. Also played straight during Rock's Hollywood heel run, as Vince would have him fight Wrestling/HulkHogan at No Way Out 2003, before Hogan took on Vince himself at ''[=WrestleMania=] XIX''.
115	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The wimpy nice guy Rocky Maivia was like a whole other person compared to The Rock. Even then, it took him some time to get the act down.
116	* EnemyMine: Despite pretty much hating each other, The Rock and Stone Cold were often forced into tag teams together against a team of whoever they were feuding with. Outside of maybe Mick Foley, Stone Cold was probably The Rock's most consistent tag team partner in spite of the fact that they hated each other.
117	** He teams up with John Cena at Survivor Series 2011. He lists his reasons as being because 1), the fans want it, and 2), he and his fans hate Wrestling/TheMiz and [[Wrestling/RonKillings R-Truth]] ''more''.
118	* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Downplayed. As a heel in 2024, he sang a disparaging song about Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. He eventually claimed that he'd make Cody "cry to [his] mama," then admitted, between verses, that "The Rock is a mama's boy."
119	* EvenTheGuysWantHim: At ''Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}} Young Lions Cup VI Night I'', June 13, 2008, "The Motion Picture" Ethan Page started his promo on his cell phone, saying that if "they" want him for ''Film/BrokebackMountain 2'', "they" better get Dwayne Johnson.
120	* EvilCostumeSwitch:
121	** The early part of his run with the Corporation saw him trade his standard wrestling trunks for athletic pants and shirts as if he wasn't even taking his opponents (usually Mick Foley) seriously anymore. He also started wearing his CostumePorn around this time.
122	** His 2003 heel turn saw him trade the merch shirt/athletic pants for leather pants and an open vest.
123	** As a heel in 2024, he began wearing loud, gaudy dress shirts ([[SleevesAreForWimps mostly with the sleeves cut off]]) reminiscent of his "500-dollar shirts" from the late 90s/early 2000s. As a babyface a little over a decade prior, they were nowhere to be seen.
124	* FaceHeelTurn:
125	** Johnson's first, going from Rocky Maivia to The Rock and joining up with The Nation of Domination, led to the boos being leveled at him turning from X-Pac Heat into Real Heat.
126	** After receiving boos as a face in some high profile matches (Austin at WM 17, Hogan at WM 18, and then Lesnar at Summerslam in 2002), the Rock took a hiatus to shoot a movie and then returned to the WWE as a full blown heel for his “Hollywood” gimmick with his arrogance and self-importance turned all the way up. Ironically, fans weren’t really all that interested in booing him full time to the point that when he had his last full time match against Goldberg, he finished the night dropping all Kayfabe and thanking the fans before heading off into the sunset.
127	** In 2024, The Rock would turn heel for the first time since 2003 when he sided with his cousin Wrestling/RomanReigns and slapped Wrestling/CodyRhodes, joining The Bloodline in the process.
128	* FakeInteractivity: Because of his hectic movie schedule, The Rock would sometimes have to tape himself from where he was filming (er, [[MemeticMutation "via satellite"]]), so whoever he was cutting a promo on, The Rock's promo would have to use this trope in order to make it seem like they were having an actual conversation. See him do this with Wrestling/HulkHogan [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNYDwBQ4XJ4&t=3m10s here]].
129	* FascinatingEyebrow: The People's Eyebrow. (as well as the image source for the trope)
130	* FinishingMove: The People's Elbow (the most electrifying move in [[ProfessionalWrestling sports entertainment]]!) and The Rock Bottom.
131	** Midway through his career, he added the Sharpshooter as a submission finisher as a [[ShoutOut tribute]] to his former stable-mate in the Nation, Wrestling/OwenHart.
132	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
133	** During his early days in the USWA as Flex Kavana, he gave the kind of promos and ring presence that would one day be signatures of The Rock.
134	** At the ''[[Wrestling/WrestleMania WrestleMania XL Kickoff]]'', when he presented the Samoan wrestling family tree, some eagle-eyed viewers noticed that The Rock would also be listed as "High Chief Seiuli." When he would later join the Bloodline, it's strongly implied that he was the new leader with Tribal Chief Roman Reigns now following ''him''.
135	* FriendToAllChildren: Jokingly defied in many fan meetups, where he'll gleefully exclaim that he doesn't like kids. Of course, in reality it's completely played straight, with him always making time for young fans in addition to being a very devoted father. Even during his 2024 heel turn, he made an effort to be nice to kids, even taking his time during one promo to basically apologize to kids who were caught on video having watched his infamous beatdown of Cody Rhodes and thought that he had ''actually killed Cody'' (while still justifying his beatdown).
136	* GentleGiant: Off-stage, he's said to be one of the nicest and most approachable men in the business.
137	* GlassesPull: During the oft-mentioned return to the WWE in February 2011, during his promo he took off his CoolShades, turned down the volume, and said he wanted to address the crowd as Dwayne. [[https://youtu.be/OgJSvWTionE?t=7m15s For about a minute he allowed his true personality to show and gave a heartfelt thanks to the fans for continuing to cheer despite his seven-year absence.]] And then the glasses went back on and the Most Electrifying Man in All of Entertainment reappeared in the ring.
138	* GoodIsNotNice: As a babyface. Even when playing the role of a hero, The Rock was quite rude and disrespectful to interviewers and other babyfaces. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WobLWcqaDAI Kevin Kelly]], in particular, was often his usual ChewToy.
139	* HamToHamCombat: The Rock and Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin, being the two biggest stars of the Wrestling/AttitudeEra, had some great instances of this. Too many to name, but special mention goes to the time they sang "Margaritaville" together.
140	** This was consistent with many of his rivals or erstwhile allies, such as Wrestling/ChrisJericho, Wrestling/KurtAngle, Wrestling/MickFoley and Wrestling/JohnCena.
141	* HeelFaceTurn: His turn after leaving Wrestling/TheCorporation was very much welcomed.
142	* HeelRealization: After his face turn against the Corporation, Rock was a face insomuch that the crowd loved him but character-wise was a still a self-absorbed asshole who would bully and boss around anyone who he could get away with doing it to, especially Mankind who he was Tag Team Champions with. Then, Mick gave Rock his new book as a present only to later find it in the trash. Mick then tore into the Rock in a huge TheReasonYouSuckSpeech where he laid out how selfish and ungrateful the Rock was. It would later be revealed [[spoiler:Al Snow had trashed the book]] but the Rock took this to heart and slowly turned into a more honorable character that mostly just bullied those who deserved it with their actions.
143	* HellBentForLeather: The Rock has a fondness for leather, especially during the Hollywood Rock era.
144	* TheHero: He and Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin are the main characters of the Attitude, [=InVasion=], and the first part of Ruthless Aggression Eras.
145	* HeroicBuild: The Rock is incredibly large and muscular.
146	* HesBack: To host ''[=WrestleMania=] XXVII''.
147	** And now, to wrestle John Cena in a legit dream match at ''[=WrestleMania=] XXVIII''.
148	** He's also back FOR REAL. Website/ThatOtherWiki confirmed that he has signed a contract with WWE, and he is signed to the [[Wrestling/WWERaw Raw brand]].
149	*** And now: finally The Rock is once again WWE Champion!
150	* HistoryRepeats: In a weird way: his cousin Wrestling/RomanReigns' career is starting to mirror the early parts of his (i.e., trying to get over with a squeaky-clean face character only to be rejected by fans). In fact, the parallels are so strong that many are beginning to wonder [[YouCantFightFate if fate is trying]] [[BecauseDestinySaysSo to tell Vince]] [[FaceHeelTurn something]], and Vince, without WCW at his back, is being stubborn and trying to fight against it. In 2020, this belief was vindicated: Roman finally turned heel, and promptly spent the next year becoming one of the most over performers in all of wrestling, and the company's most popular male star since Wrestling/DanielBryan.
151	* HotBlooded: Some of Johnson's promos veer right into this territory, and then he'd go out to the ring and back it up.
152	** Also, pretty much any time Rock puts someone in the Sharpshooter or any other submission move, he gives that look of insanity that Wrestling/KenShamrock would give.
153	* HowMuchMoreCanHeTake[=/=]NoHoldsBarredBeatdown[=/=]UnnecessaryRoughness: Johnson's "I Quit" match with Mick "Mankind" Foley at ''Royal Rumble 1999'' was all three of these - the second for the nature of the match, the first and third for the ''10 unprotected chair shots in a row'' Johnson delivered to Foley.
154	** Brutal enough to make Foley's wife and children leave their ringside seats in a crying, hysterical mess, as documented in the ''Film/BeyondTheMat'' documentary.
155	* {{Hypocrite}}: The Rock apparently took major offense to Cody bringing up Roman Reigns' and The Rock's families, stating that their grandfathers would be ashamed of them in the buildup to ''[=WrestleMania XL=]'', but the only reason Cody did that is because Roman claimed that Cody was "Irrelevant, just like [[Wrestling/DustyRhodes [his] dad]]."
156	* HypocriticalHumor:
157	** On the December 4, 2000 ''Raw'', building up to the big [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-h.html WWE World Heavyweight Title]] six-way Hell in a Cell match that Sunday at ''[=Armageddon=]'' where Wrestling/KurtAngle would defend the belt against Austin, the Rock, Triple H, the Undertaker and Wrestling/{{Rikishi}}, the Rock cut a promo verbally running down all his opponents, including affecting a wimpy, high-pitched voice for Angle where he talked about eating some milk and cookies. It qualifies because, essentially, Rock was portraying Angle as the same kind of lame, milquetoast character that Rocky Maivia himself had been.
158	** A similar case happened earlier, during the famed "God spoke to Billy" promo. Portraying fresh Wrestling/KingOfTheRing winner Wrestling/BillyGunn as a simpleton unable to win over the crowd in spite of his achievements calls back to rookie cookie-cutter titleholder Rocky Maivia's Scrappy run.
159	** During his 2003 program with Stone Cold, he’d mock Austin by referring to him as a “bald candy ass” despite Rock himself at this point being bald.
160	* ImpossiblyTackyClothes: Let's face it, nobody but The Rock could've made the Tearaway Track Pants/Gaudy Metallic Shirt ensemble look cool.
161	* InnocentInnuendo: His often-used tactic to bait subjects into the "You sick fffffffreak!" routine or even just to get a misguided reaction for his own amusement. Works every time, too.
162	* InsultBackfire: During his time in 2024 as a {{heel}}, millions of fans clamored for Cody Rhodes to get his rightful opportunity to face Roman Reigns at ''[=WrestleMania=]'', as opposed to The Rock stepping in from out of nowhere to face Reigns. The Rock referred to Rhodes' fanbase as "Cody Crybabies" on multiple occasions, but the fans eventually became ''proud'' to call themselves "Cody Crybabies," especially after an endorsement from Cody himself at 2024's ''Elimination Chamber'' event.
163	-->'''Cody:''' What is it that he calls fans of mine?\
164	'''Grayson Waller:''' ''[enthusiastically]'' Cody Crybabies, he calls them Cody Crybabies; it's pretty funny.\
165	'''Cody:''' Let me ask... are there any Cody Crybabies in here tonight?\
166	''[crowd roars in approval]''
167	* {{Irony}}: His most recent look (bald with a badass goatee) actually favors his old rival Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin somewhat.
168	* JerkJock: Even as a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold face,]] Johnson was the cool slick athlete that made fun of everybody. His interactions with [[ButtMonkey Coach]] were especially telling; the crowd still went nuts over him.
169	** It was the crowd-pleasing charismatic awesomeness with which he did this that convinced WWE to ''turn'' him face.
170	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: As a face, especially his friendship with Wrestling/MickFoley in later years.
171	* KickTheDog: On the March 25, 2024 episode of ''RAW'', he brutalizes and bloodies Cody Rhodes in the parking lot in the buildup for ''Wrestlemania 40''.
172	* LampshadedDoubleEntendre: Once used to great effect with Lilian Garcia, telling her if she gets wet... with perspiration, standing next to him...
173	** "If You Smell What The Rock Is Cookin'" is derived from this trope.
174	* LargeHam: Even as far as ProfessionalWrestling [[WorldOfHam goes]], Rocky's one of the largest.
175	* LastSecondWordSwap: He did this a couple of times, often drawing it out to heighten the effect.
176	-->'''The Rock''': You sick ffffffffffffreak.
177	* LegacyCharacter: Johnson was the first third generation wrestler in WWE history.
178	* LighterAndSofter: In 1999, the Rock was a flashy, flamboyant {{Jerkass}} that could spend ten minutes running down characteristics of his opponents. By 2000 he had turned face and his mockery was often left to Wrestling/MichaelCole and assorted backstage fodder, save one incredible promo about Rikishi, Austin, and others. His CostumePorn was replaced with basic gym pants and his merch shirt. As BadassDecay took hold, he nearly turned into The Scrappy, to the point where he was booed at a ''[=WrestleMania=]'' while fighting a guy who [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat hit him with a big rig]]. Now, said crowd was wearing NostalgiaGoggles for Hulk Hogan's first WWF outgoing in something like eight years, but still...
179	** By 2003, he got better.
180	** It took a couple years to get to that point, and it's not like he was taking heat. Hell, he was ''still'' the biggest face in the company ''during his entrance'' at that ''[=WrestleMania=]''. It wasn't until the match started that he drew heat, and the next night he was back on top. [[AvertedTrope Trope Averted]].
181	*** Both ''[=WrestleManias=] 17'' and ''18'' were a case of the Rock clashing with GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff. [[AllAmericanFace Hogan is somehow ridiculously over in Canada]], and there's no way you can fight Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin in ''Texas'' and not be the de facto heel.
182	** Subverted in his first promo in seven years, when he completely annihilated the TV-PG image the WWE has cooked up for itself in the past few years. ([[GrandfatherClause Ohnoes, he said sumbitch;]] [[SarcasmMode they're gonna take him off WrestleMania]]...)
183	* LightningBruiser: He wrestled a pretty straight power wrestling style, but was not slow at all; the guy could perform a kip-up, and the pop for that was always incredible.
184	* LonersAreFreaks: Part of the WWE roster's seemingly legit beef with the Rock backstage involves the words "he keeps to himself". He's admitted to it in his own book that he winds down better just in his room with something to read or watch.
185	* ManlyMan: The Rock was never really overly masculine during his initial WWF tenure in the late 90s/early 2000s, but he gradually became more intense and more enamored with weightlifting until he became the hulk of a man we know him as today.
186	* MeaningfulName: Johnson's first ring name, Rocky Maivia, was a tribute to both his father ("Soulman" Rocky Johnson) and grandfather ("High Chief" Peter Maivia).
187	* MistakenForRacist: Political journalist Margaret Carlson seems to have held some dubious views regarding The Rock at one point, as she called him a "white skinhead hateful wrestling guy" on ''Capital Gang'' and was in Time Magazine accusing him of being anti-black, among other things. If it needs to be repeated, The Rock is half-black, half-Polynesian (admittedly with a skin tone able to pass for "well tanned").
188	* MotorMouth: When he gets going on the mic, he goes full speed ahead, and it's as gloriously hammy as it sounds.
189	* MundaneMadeAwesome: The People's Elbow. It's really nothing but an elbow drop with theatrics, but damn if he doesn't make it look like it'll crack your ribs.
190	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Of NamesToRunAwayFrom/ThePerson variety.
191	* {{Nepotism}}:
192	** Actually subverted. Rocky may be the first third-generation superstar to have ever been in the WWE, and while that might have played into his initial push as "Rocky Maivia", the Rock is generally regarded as very deserving of his superstardom since he came into it with his own talent rather than relying on his family name. In his autobiography, Johnson related asking Pat Patterson (at that time one of Vince [=McMahon's=] "stooges", but also a creative executive) to watch him train, but quickly assured Pat that he wasn't trying to use his family connections to jump the line, he just wanted to know what Pat thought of his work.
193	** Played absolutely straight, however, in the WWE's attempt to get over Wrestling/RomanReigns by associating him with The Rock at every possible turn. Reigns is Rock's second cousin (through blood brotherhood), and the commentary crew never lets the audience forget this fact. This only died down after Reigns started improving as a performer and showing that he had legitimate talent in his own right; the damage his booking did to his character, however, was so great that ultimately he only really got over as a performer when he (ironically) turned heel like Rocky did in 2020.
194	** General agreement that this is the reason why Wrestling/NiaJax remained employed for so long, who is distantly related to both the Rock and Reigns but doesn't have a fraction of their talent. While she wasn't anywhere close to being as overpushed as Reigns was, the backlash against her was far more vehement as, despite her intimidating size and presence, she's not only a mediocre ring worker, but she's proven to be a dangerous performer, repeatedly injuring other women she had to work with. After she was finally released in 2021, backstage reports indicated that she actually had been criticized for her poor in-ring work by management, and that the only reason she stuck around for so long is because of her relationship with Rocky.
195	** Part of his heel work in 2024 is abusing his power as a TKO Board Member in order to protect his cousin, Roman.
196	* NiceGuy: Very sweet, sensitive and self-deprecating, and as a rule rather than exception these days plays exact opposites of his macho wrestling persona in movies.
197	* NoHeroToHisValet: His daughter [[https://ruinmyweek.com/entertainment/celebrities/the-rocks-jason-momoa-birthday/?utm_campaign=FdsNjE&utm_medium=social&utm_source=lqid&lsid=bqsmtazmzm&fbclid=IwAR0-5HJEAezPMdKPl5T6LYmvQJUZrRwDMrjj7zhzrQqCPE7g3TcWnofz9ic apparently prefers]] [[Creator/JasonMomoa Aquaman.]] Johnson joked that now he wants [[Characters/DCEUShazam Black Adam to beat him up.]]
198	* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: The 3/25/24 ''RAW'' saw him delivering one hell of a backstage beatdown onto Wrestling/CodyRhodes a mere two weeks before the latter's main event at ''[=WrestleMania=] XL''. Cody had already gotten into a fight against Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa backstage, leading The Rock to come in, drag Cody out of the stadium, and utterly clobber the guy with everything he had available around him, leaving Cody drenched in [[BattleInTheRain rain]] as well as his own blood.
199	* NoSell: Had a tendency to do this in his early days.
200	* NobleDemon: As part of his new heel persona in the Bloodline for 2024, The Rock is willing to go the extra mile in insulting different cities for their statistical vices, attack beloved babyfaces like Cody, and even insult Cody's dog. However, he showed restraint when it came to Memphis and didn't insult the city (the worst he did was poke fun at Memphis Grizzlies basketball player Ja Morant), as he was grateful to the city for giving him his start as "Flex Kavana" in the wrestling industry.
201	* OddCouple: His team-ups with Mick Foley, aptly labeled ''The Rock and Sock Connection''. The Rock went from being a JerkJock who consistently bullied Mick to slowly respecting and liking Mick to the point where, in his last match, he was acting as something like a big brother for Mick in regards to his feud with the bullies in Evolution.
202	* OhCrap: Night 2 of [=WrestleMania=] XL has him preparing to whip Wrestling/CodyRhodes while interfering on Roman's behalf when [[Wrestling/TheUndertaker a familiar gong plays]]. Cue shocked expression from Rock as he's taken six feet under with a chokeslam.
203	* OlderThanHeLooks: He's pushing 50 as of 2020. Aside from a little gray in his beard, there is absolutely nothing to indicate he is anywhere near that old.
204	* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: During his 2000 feud with Chris Benoit, who repeatedly attacked him from behind and put him in the Crippler Crossface, it was telling the usual jokes and insults towards his opponents disappeared, instead demanding Foley give him a chance to kick Benoit's ass with a seriousness and rage even Triple H rarely brought out. It eventually culminated in Rock cracking, repeatedly battering Benoit in the head with a steel chair and giving him the Rock Bottom on a car hood. Commissioner Foley had to make their title match so that the WWF Championship could change hands on a disqualification because he was so worried The Rock would just try and beat Benoit senseless.
205	* PopularityPower: The Rock was on another level of popularity, equaling and perhaps exceeding his archrival, Stone Cold. He became so popular that the audience would chant his name with or without him telling them to. One only needs to look up the videos of the Rock during 1999-2003 and they can see just how powerful a force he was. He was pretty much unstoppable and the audience loved him. The only reason anyone buys the People's Elbow as a finisher. Lampshaded by Wrestling/MickFoley in his autobiography ''Have A Nice Day'':
206	--> ''"It looked totally ridiculous, but its effect on a crowd was phenomenal."''
207	** Also seen in the fact that he's one of the few people that can get something to trend on Twitter simply by saying that it's trending on Twitter. Which in itself is an extension of how he's one of the few people that can get a crowd of tens of thousands of people chanting his name simply by saying they're chanting his name.
208	** Wrestling/TheBigShow had the misfortune of finding out in early 2000 that [[WhatTheHellHero calling out the Rock]], even on the grounds of being a disrespectful {{Jerkass}} towards the rest of the roster who were looking to him for leadership[[note]]Mick Foley was on his way to retirement, and Stone Cold and Wrestling/TheUndertaker were out with injuries at the time.[[/note]] against the [[Wrestling/StephanieMcMahon [=McMahon=]]]-[[Wrestling/TripleH Helmsley]] reign of terror, is an easy way to get the fans to reject you. It got to the point that, despite succesfully proving he was the rightful winner of that year's Royal Rumble and having ''The Rock himself conceding the argument'', it massively backfired on his attempt at getting the crowd on his side of the argument, as The Rock used the rest of the promo to mock the giant's inability to earn credibility.
209	* PowerStable: Wrestling/TheNationOfDomination; Wrestling/TheCorporation; [[Wrestling/SamoanDynasty The Bloodline]].
210	* ProductPlacement: In the Advertising/GotMilk commercial where he stars, he delays handling any problems around him - including a cat up a tree, bank robbers, and an AlienInvasion - so he can get milk for his kids. (The phrase he uses after he does, [[PreAsskickingOneLiner "Gotta go to work"]], would [[CallBack appear later]] in the movie ''Film/FuriousSeven''.)
211	* TheProtagonist: The Rock shared being the Protagonist with Austin in the later parts of the Attitude Era, outright replacing him in from late 1999 - late 2000 when Austin took time off to recover from surgery, with Triple H as the Deuteragonist/Tritagonist wrestling heel and TheDragon to BigBad Vince.
212	* RagdollPhysics: The Rock can oversell the Stone Cold Stunner in ways that made it impossible not to laugh, like how he sold it during his match with Austin at ''[=WrestleMania X-Seven=]''. Apparently, both men were reported to have an unspoken beer bet between each other as to how much Rock can sell the Stunner.
213	* RealMenLoveJesus: Is a devout Christian in real life, and, unsurprisingly, the 6'5', 230-plus-pound tank of a man has never been short on masculinity.
214	* RecognizableBySound: "Do you smell what The Rock is cookin'?", later changed to a much louder "IF YA SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKIN'!" Either way, it let everyone know The Rock was on his way to the ring.
215	* RedBaron: "The People's Champion", "The Most Electrifying Man In [[ProfessionalWrestling Sports-Entertainment]]" (which later became "In All of Entertainment" when he branched into acting), "The Great One", "The Brahma Bull", "The FinalBoss".
216	* ReformedButNotTamed: After leaving the Corporation, he remains the fully-blown trash-talker and still picks on the interviewers, commentators, and other officials, only stopping the insults directed towards the audience.
217	* RefugeInAudacity: Thanks to being wildly over with the fans, a big time Hollywood star, and generally being untouchable on the mic, The Rock can get away with things any other professional wrestlers would get fired (or at the very least punished harshly) for. Most notably, he actually made a phone call to CM Punk during a ''Raw'' after the show went off the air when the crowd started chanting his name. What makes this audacious was that this happened after Punk had very acrimoniously left WWE in 2014. Vince, Triple H, and management backstage were said to be extremely angry that The Rock did this, but couldn't do anything about it due to The Rock's high profile and WWE generally needing him around every so often to boost ratings.
218	* RhymesOnADime: All of his "Jabroni beating, pie eating..." rants end with him rhyming. Pretty impressive since most of his promos are improvised.
219	-->'''Rock:''' ...stronger than a bull, faster than a buck, the best thing to hit Canada 'cause [[CheapHeat the Maple Leafs suck]]!
220	-->'''Rock:''' ...step off the brakes, put on the gas, ready to come here and whip some candy ass!
221	* TheRival: Stone Cold is undoubtedly The Rock's archrival. The Rock shared a special relationship with Stone Cold Steve Austin both in character and out, with The Rock ascending and competing with Austin for top spot in the company, with the two pretty much neck and neck from 2000 onwards; Triple H to a lesser extent, as naturally he was TheDragon to BigBad Vince. Later Wrestling/RandyOrton indirectly, as he tried to duplicate the Rock's success as a "third generation superstar".
222	* RoguesGallery: Triple H, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, The Undertaker, Chris Jericho and most recently John Cena.
223	* TheRunnerUpTakesItAll: Though some wrestling aficionados would say that The Rock was the second biggest star of the Wrestling/AttitudeEra to Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin, there is a solid argument that The Rock is the greatest of all time. He has become one of the biggest, highest-paid stars in the world. No one from wrestling has come close to his achievements.
224	** Some argue that The Rock eclipsed Austin by the year 2000-2003, especially by his unmatched skills on the mic and the way he captivated crowds.
225	* RunningGag: In recent years, almost all of his characters either have a background as either an accomplished athlete or elite military background, justifying why even his more "normal" characters have such a massive build and ass-kicking skills.
226	* ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: As member of the board of directors of WWE, the Rock vowed to Cody Rhodes to use his power to not only screw him out of the Unified WWE Universal Championship but also make Wrestling/SethRollins' World Heavyweight Championship "disappear" from Rollins, implying heavily it will be forcibly absorbed into the UWU title or deactivated (or simply put Rollins into a disadvantageous match that would guarantee he lost the belt). This reached the peak during his tag team match with Wrestling/RomanReigns vs. Cody and Rollins at ''[=WrestleMania=] 40'', where -- [[OhCrap upon realizing his opponents might actually win]] -- stopped the ref from counting down, outright telling him "You count, ''you're fired!''"
227	* SelfDeprecation:
228	** He had once cringed briefly at his appearance prior to his College Football career, saying that he once looked like "the guy from 'Menudo'".
229	** On Raw's 20th Anniversary show, he came out to perform a "Rock Concert" similar to his feud with John Cena a year before. Before he started singing, however, he reflected on his debut with a picture of his past self on the Titantron.
230	--->'''Rock:''' Sweet moonwalkin' baby Moses... what was I thinkin'?
231	** Has also riffed down through some of his previous movie roles for laughs, particularly the likes of ''Film/TheToothFairy.'' In particular, after ripping John Cena about ''Film/TheMarine'' at the 2008 WWE Hall of Fame, Rock added he was only kidding:
232	--->'''Rock:''' Hey, you know what? I made ''Film/{{Doom}}.'' Did you see it? ''[{{beat}}]'' Yeah, no one else did either.
233	* SerialEscalation: He was very muscular as a wrestler and at the beginning of his acting career. Then he bulked up even more in preparation for Pain and Gain. Then he bulked up EVEN MORE to play Hercules. He's gotten so big that if it wasn't for his distinct smile, it's sometimes hard to tell that he's the same guy who entered the mainstream as the Scorpion King. This ''does not'' seem to be helping his wrestling career, oddly enough, as he received numerous injuries during his return work with John Cena, Wrestling/TheShield and CM Punk.
234	* ShoutOut: In his feud with John Cena, the Rock referred to Cena as a "[[WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones Yabba-Dabba Bitch]]".
235	* ShutUpHannibal: His "It doesn't matter" CatchPhrase, as perfectly executed during his derailing of Chris Jericho's debut.
236	-->"You come here to The Rock's show and don't even have the class to introduce yourself? What is your name? ... '''IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR NAME IS!'''
237	* SirSwearsALot: Despite The Rock coming to fame during the Attitude Era, where this was aplenty, this was surprisingly never part of his character.[[note]]One notorious aversion was during his feud with Booker T during the [=InVasion=], where (playing on Booker's [[VerbalTic propensity to call his rivals "sucka"]]) he called Booker's then-manager Wrestling/ShaneMcMahon a [[RhymesOnADime "silver spoon motherfucka"]])[[/note]] This was until his return to WWE in 2024. With his return came a renewed intensity and a much darker character than he had ever portrayed, along with a tendency to drop F-bombs left, right, and center.
238	* SmallNameBigEgo: His original heel concept. Then his new-found popularity started kicking in, and the writers were required to turn it into 'Big Name, Gargantuan Ego'.
239	* SmugSnake: The Rock's heel persona...and really his face persona during the [[Wrestling/MondayNightWars Attitude Era]].
240	* TheStarscream: And if you need evidence that you should deal with them early, witness the Rock take over the Nation of Domination.
241	* StillGotIt: 2011-2-14 Raw. He comes out to a deafening pop and cuts a promo starting at 10:55 and getting to go for almost 30 minutes (including a 20 minute run-over) that proves that he's STILL the best promo guy in the business EVER, even after being out of the business for SEVEN YEARS.
242	** And at ''Wrestling/SurvivorSeries 2011'', he proved that, yes, he can still go in the ring. The crowd agreed.
243	** And then at ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}} 28'', he proved that he can still go one on one in the ring.
244	** Then the angle and finally subsequent WWE title match with Wrestling/CMPunk. His TheatricsOfPain and WrestlingPsychology are still off the charts compared to the vast majority of today's wrestlers.
245	** His heel run with The Bloodline and Wrestling/RomanReigns shows he is just as venomous and hilarious on the mic as a trash-talking villain as he was over twenty years ago.
246	--->"Wrestling/CodyRhodes, from the bottom of my heart, man to man, ''fuck your story''."
247	** His tag team match with Roman against Cody and Wrestling/SethRollins at Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}} XL impressed a lot of people for how little ring rust he had compared to his matches with Cena and Punk a decade prior (where he famously got gassed fairly quickly and, at the end of his last match during that period against Cena, got injured), managing to hold his own for the match despite being in his 50s at this point.[[note]]This was made more poignant in that the match lasted ''45 minutes'', which actually made it the longest match in [=WrestleMania=] history after the Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels Iron Man match at [=WrestleMania=] XII (which by its own stipulation, went over 60 minutes).[[/note]]
248	* StrongAndSkilled: He tends to play a lot of these roles in film. Most of his action role characters have military or similar training on top of being built like...well, The Rock.
249	* StylisticSuck: When Rock sings. It's not that he's horrible, but he deliberately hams it up to be worse than it is. A series of "Rock Concerts" in 2003 amounted to acoustic performances about how awful the host city is.
250	* SuddenlyShouting: A majority of his promos veer into this.
251	* SweetTooth: He absolutely loves desserts and baking in general, wishing to one day open his own bakery. He's also a big fan of ''Series/TheGreatBritishBakeOff'' and has stated that, if he had the time for it, he would love to participate in the celebrity edition (Celebrity Bake Off) for charity. This all makes his constant references to loving to eat pie (which admittedly carried an innuendo that by "pie" he meant... something else) and to a lesser degree pancakes (even being used as a set up for an insult, having told more than one person to "pancake [their] ass outta here!") all the more hilarious.
252	* TakeThat: The Rock's first heel turn came when the fans [[HypeBacklash didn't buy in to his "chosen one" status]]. Not only did they boo him (as a babyface), they threw things at him and even crossed the line (he was once met with a ''"Die, Rocky, Die"'' chant). So he and Vince sat down and hashed out his heel persona and Vince told him to basically feed the crowd's hatred back to them in his unique style. So for most of his first heel run he vented his frustrations at the crowd and often held nothing back.
253	* TakingAThirdOption: After being barred from the Arena, on the last Raw before the Royal Rumble, instead of just abiding by the rules and wait or try and force his way in, Rock simply bought a ticket.
254	* TallDarkAndHandsome: And he knew it, and loved to remind Lillian Garcia.
255	* TallDarkAndSnarky:
256	--> ''"Know your role and shut your mouth, or The Rock will [[YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe layeth the smacketh down]] all over your roody-poo candy ass!"''
257	* TenMinuteRetirement: Averted; Johnson, who left WWE after ''[=WrestleMania=] 20'' to concentrate on his film career, didn't wrestle for another seven years.
258	* TheatricsOfPain: The Rock sells pain like few others.
259	* ThirdPersonPerson: In character, refers to himself almost exclusively as "The Rock" or one of his {{Red Baron}}s. You could probably count on one hand the number of times he's used the word "I" or "Me" on WWF/E television.
260	* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch: Heel Rock in particular liked to emphasize his statements by calling his opponent "bitch".
261	* ThreeChordsAndTheTruth: He wrestled this; the Rock does not have an incredible number of moves, what he does have is a such an incredible energy that electrifies the entire crowd.
262	* TookALevelInBadass: He started his career as a talented yet under-appreciated face, but after he turned heel, he began his rise as the "most electrifying man in sports entertainment".
263	* TookALevelInJerkass: The Rock didn't start out as the wisecracking, foulmouthed and muscular bad guy we all know and love. "Rocky Maivia" was a joyous and talented IdealHero but was pushed into villany by the fans.
264	* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Pie, lots of pie!
265	** He also loves cod and estimated that he eats TONS of it per year.
266	* TrashTalk: While it's common in pro wrestling, The Rock perhaps made this trope into a form of art. He even mentions that he talks trash in his sleep.
267	* {{Tsundere}}: Type A towards [[Wrestling/MickFoley Mankind]], during their time as The Rock & Sock Connection.
268	* UnderwearOfPower: For all The Rock's talk about his expensive suits and pants, this is all he wrestles in.
269	* UnnecessaryRoughness: Johnson was recruited by the University of Miami to play football, but injuries kept him out of the starting lineup for most of his college career. His biggest moment in a game was when he became involved in a bench-clearing brawl (Miami vs. San Diego State) and was shown on ESPN chasing the San Diego mascot screaming "I'll kill you!" Good times.
270	* UnscrupulousHero: The Rock is usually this type of hero when portraying a Face. The basic characterization of The Rock is that his ego is completely out of control, and this trait remains no matter what "side" he's on. The Rock doesn't care about anything other than himself. There are only two differences between a Face Rock and Heel Rock: a Face Rock is willing to earn his victory with his own wits and skill while Heel Rock is willing to [[EvilIsEasy take the cheap path to a championship]], and a Face Rock cares about having the crowd on his side. Still, both of these methods only happen to satisfy his ego; he does it just to prove he can do it. So, the one thing that keeps him from being a NominalHero is that, as a Face, he has a personal code of honor.
271	* UnusualEuphemism: Mentioning "Strudel" typically gets a pop out of the audience, regardless of context. [[DontExplainTheJoke Because he says it when referring to male genitalia]]. "Pie" is the female equivalent.
272	* VillainRespect: Despite vowing to end Cody Rhodes's story, when the latter defeated Roman Reigns to become the Undisputed Universal Champion at ''[=WrestleMania=] XL'', Rock sincerely congratulates Cody on the win and is looking forward to facing him again when he returns after a hiatus.
273	* VocalEvolution: The Rock started out smooth and slow, became increasingly hammier during his Nation and Corporation stints, became more high pitch during the "Hollywood" Rock era and switching back and forth after his 2011 return.
274	* WeWillMeetAgain: After giving Cody his VillainRespect on the ''Raw'' after ''Wrestlemania 40'' where Cody defeated Roman to become Universal Champion, The Rock told Cody that he would be going away for a while but promised when he came back, he would be coming after Cody again, whether he holds the title or not.
275	* WhatTheHellHero: Has been called out by John Cena for leaving the people that made him a superstar and that half his promos (at the time after his February 2011 return) had been via satellite. Rock addressed these comments the next week, and after that, things got [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QStBadC8P-o a]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fpa5winHx5A bit]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl6A5HkAkCE silly]].
276	* WhenSheSmiles: Gender-flipped. For all of his SmugSnake, {{Trash Talk}}ing, DeadpanSnarker tendencies that caused his character to borderline on TheStoic, he was always regarded as having a beautiful, enchanting smile. He played it up as he moved past his Attitude Era character until he eventually became what could be considered a {{downplayed\|trope}} PerpetualSmiler in the 2010s and onward.
277	* WhoAreYou: Employed a variant of this in his wrestling days: would often act nonplussed when being addressed by someone he viewed as inconsequential (which was pretty much everybody), waiting until they were finished before asking them, "Who in the blue hell are you?" or "What is your name?", then interrupting them after a couple of syllables with, "IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU ARE/WHAT YOUR NAME IS!"
278	* {{Workaholic}}: A huge part of his persona as an actor, due to the sheer number of projects he works on and his insane workout schedule. Taken to the extreme in his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DWUuKIl09Y ad for the Iphone 7.]]
279	* WouldHitAGirl: Johnson is willing to hurt women in the ring as much as men. for example, he gave Stephanie [=McMahon=] a Rock Bottom and followed it up with a People's Elbow at [=WrestleMania=] 2000 and hit Chyna on an episode of Raw.
280	* WrestlingFamily: Johnson is one of the many, many wrestlers in the Anoa'i family. He's not a blood relation, but [[Wrestling/TheWildSamoans the Anoa'i brothers]] were "blood brothers" to Peter Maivia (having grown up as Maivia fans in San Francisco, and he helped them get into the business). High Chief Peter Maivia, Johnson's grandfather, was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008, appeared in ''Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice'' and trained [[Wrestling/SuperstarBillyGraham "Superstar" Billy Graham]]. In 2020, one of his daughters, Simone Johnson, signed a contract with WWE under the ring name Ava Raine as part of The Schism.
281	* YoungerThanTheyLook: A notorious case of this in his youth, thanks to his large build. In interviews, Johnson noted that his classmates in high school frequently assumed he was an undercover NARC because, at 15, [[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/thumb/msid-71664338,width-1200,height-900,resizemode-4/.jpg he already looked like a grown adult]].
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284	->'''''IF YA SMELLLLLLLLALALALALA''LAO''!!!!! WHAT THE ROCK! IS! TROPIN'!!!'''''

Context Wrestling / DwayneJohnson