This was Vince McMahon’s idea, and it worked out so well. At first, he was just part of the Nation of Domination, but soon, he overtook the leadership and later became The People’s Champion. Considering the long history between Vince McMahon and The Rock, it shouldn’t be surprising that these two know each other quite well.

WWE Simply Forgot To Renegotiate With The Rock

• The Rock retired from WWE following his WrestleMania 20 match.
• The Rock was only 32 years old.
• Vince McMahon didn’t even know about his contract situation.

WWE has dealt with contract issues in the past as well. The last well-known was Aleister Black’s contract and they forgot to update its terms which is why he was able to debut in AEW after just about 30 days into the non-compete.

They’ve let their wrestlers’ contracts expire before as well, but only because they knew they’d renew it sooner or later when they were ready to return. That wasn’t the case with The Rock, however. He didn’t realize his contract had expired back in 2004, and neither did WWE.

The Rock Bought XFL From Vince McMahon

XFL Relaunched In 2023

• Vince McMahon first created XFL in 1999.
• This was another one of his failed endeavors as the original XFL shut down in 2001.
• Vince McMahon attempted a relaunch in 2020.

In 1999, Vince McMahon created XFL, a football league along with NBC. Only one season later, NBC was out and Vince had no choice but to shut the whole thing down. Now this wasn’t the only non-wrestling project he invested in and failed. Remember WBF or The World restaurant?

Nevertheless, XFL made a comeback years later. This time, COVID happened and it failed again. XFL announced bankruptcy, and The Rock was later able to buy it up for $15 million.

The Rock & Vince McMahon Have Been Close To Each Other

Both Made Each Other A Ton Of Money

• The Rock considers Vince McMahon a great mentor of his.
• Vince McMahon has had close relationships with some of the other faces of WWE like John Cena and Steve Austin.
• The Rock has publicly appreciated Vince on several occasions.

A couple of years back, The Rock said on Twitter that Vince McMahon was one of the “greatest business mentors” as well as a “father figure” for him. Considering how much money both have made together, this isn’t surprising. Other popular wrestlers shared a similar sentiment towards Vince.

Vince McMahon & The Rock Have Known Each Other Since The Latter Was A Kid

The Rock’s Father Used To Work For Vince McMahon

• The Rock & Vince McMahon have only said good things about each other.
• Rocky Johnson’s connection with WWE is likely what led to The Rock and Vince meeting each other.
• Vince McMahon would end up signing The Rock 15 years later.

It almost seems like The Rock and Vince McMahon were destined to work together someday. After all, The Rock’s entire family was in the wrestling business and they were successful. His father, Rocky Johnson worked for WWE and even his grandfather, Peter Maivia left a legacy in this sport.

Through their connections, The Rock also met with WWE’s former owner, Vince McMahon when he was 11.

The Rock Nearly Left WWE During The First Few Years

Vince McMahon Told Him To Take Time Off

• When The Rock first debuted, he was super unpopular among fans.
• Fans would boo him as a babyface.
• The “Die Rocky Die” sign made it to television as well.

There’s no simple formula to skyrocket your wrestling career. Some wrestlers find success after going through horrible gimmicks, while others work hard for years and years before the fans realize that they actually want that wrestler to become more prominent. It’s different for everyone.

The Rock’s journey began with him being a hated figure, not in kayfabe but in real life. And it nearly forced him to quit the company altogether, until he was sent back home by Vince McMahon and when he returned, he returned as a completely new person.

Vince McMahon Owned The Rock’s Ring Name

The Rock Didn’t Own His Ring Name’s Trademark Until Some Time Back

• The Rock’s movie debut took place with The Mummy Returns in 2001.
• He’s been part of some of the biggest movie franchises such as Fast & Furious.
• The Rock has been named the highest-paid actor in the world many times.

When we look at some of The Rock’s first few films, such as The Scorpion King or The Rundown, we notice that WWE was credited as one of the executive producers, the reason for that was they had trademarked “The Rock” ring name. So anytime Dwayne Johnson used The Rock in his films, WWE received a cut of the royalties. It wasn’t until The Rock joined TKO’s Board of Directors in 2024, that he received ownership of this trademark.

Vince McMahon Didn’t Allow Him To Choose His Own Ring Name Initially

The Rock Debuted As Rocky Maivia

• The Rock debuted at Survivor Series 1996.
• He was the sole survivor for his team.
• This ring name was a tribute to his father and grandfather.

Everyone knows that when The Rock first came up in WWE, he wasn’t known as The Rock, he was Rocky Maivia. Now what does Rocky Maivia mean? It’s just Rocky Johnson’s first name, and Peter Maivia’s last name.

Vince McMahon probably wanted The Rock to carry on his family’s legacy, but Rock also wanted his own identity. He wanted a unique ring name, and thanks to Pat Patterson, he became The Rock.

The Rock Convinced Vince McMahon To Hire WWE’s First Writer & It Earned Him Heat From Other Wrestlers

That Writer Was Brian Gewirtz

• Brian Gewirtz met The Rock while working with MTV.
• The Rock liked him and asked him to apply for a job with WWE.
• Stars like Triple H and Steve Austin weren’t fans of him.

Brian Gewirtz has worked closely with The Rock since the beginning of his career. He joined the writer’s team following a series of interviews, some of which went well, while others didn’t. Vince McMahon instantly liked him, however, and he became the head writer of WWE.

Brian was known as “The Rock’s guy” in the company because he’d write promos for him, and a lot of wrestlers weren’t happy with the product they came up with, but the fans loved it. He currently works for The Rock’s Seven Bucks Production company as its Senior Vice President of Development.

The Rock Just Wanted More Than What Steve Austin Was Making

• The Rock used to make around $150,000 per year when he first signed.
• He ended up becoming one of the highest-paid wrestlers of his time.
• The Rock still continues to make millions from WWE.

Back in the late 90s, The Rock started negotiating a contract with WWE. He had become the top star of the promotion after Steve Austin, and when the negotiation talks began, he simply asked Vince McMahon to pay him double what Austin was making. The Texas Rattlesnake was making $1 million (most likely in downside guarantee), and The Rock wanted double that.

Vince asked him to take some time to understand the business a bit more and how things work economically. The Rock took two weeks and came back with an answer. He asked for $1 million, just like Austin, because he thought he’d make WWE 50% more than what they’d pay him. Then Vince told him he’d not make just a million, but $15 million (h/t Fightful). And that’s how The Rock became one of the highest-paid wrestlers during the Attitude Era, as revealed during a conversation with Patrick Bet David recently.

Many Wrestlers Have Denounced Their Relationship With Vince McMahon After The Sexual Trafficking Lawsuit

• Janel Grant’s spokesperson called out John Cena and The Rock for staying in touch with Vince McMahon despite his controversy.
• The Rock has always called Vince McMahon a close friend of his.
• They were last seen publicly when The Rock joined TKO’s Board of Directors in January 2024.

Some months back, a spokesperson for Janel Grant called out wrestlers like The Rock and John Cena for continuing to be in contact with Vince McMahon. This came after a report published by NBC News, which revealed Vince was still in touch with Cena, The Rock, as well as Donald Trump.