Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson transformed stardom in the niche world of pro-wrestling into a full career as a Hollywood A-lister. With his films grossing over $12 billion worldwide, The Rock has repeatedly wondered “what if.”
While appearing on the “Joe Rogan Experience,” The Rock talked about just how close he was to leaving the WWE for a chance to compete in mixed martial arts in Pride Fighting Championships.
“In ’97, during that time, while I was still going out to L.A. and working out, we were crossing all the MMA guys. Pride just opened up in Japan so I was seeing all these MMA guys going over to Pride. … At that time I was making $150,000 wrestling 235 days a year. So do the math of that and how much you’re making per match. We start hearing, hey these guys over in pride are making 250, 350, 500 [thousand dollars]. And I thought then, ‘Well f***, I’m not going to make in WWE. People are booing me out of the arena. I can’t be myself. They’re telling me to f***ing smile…I start talking to Ken Shamrock at that time who’s wrestling with us. I ran into Mark Kerr and I start talking to him…I have this idea in my head, ‘Well maybe I should train MMA and go to Pride and make money, real money.”
Pride FC held its first show in October of 1997 was intended as a one-off event to pair Rickson Gracie against Nobuhiko Takada, however, Kerr did not compete under the banner until March of 1998. Shamrock’s debut in the Japanese promotion was not until 2000. It’s also worth noting that Shamrock temporarily left MMA in December of 1996 in favor of bigger paydays in pro wrestling.
While doubt can be cast on The Rock’s timeline of events, it was not the first time the Fast X star claimed to have entertained the idea of fighting in MMA.
On several occasions, including a 2016 appearance on the “UFC Unfiltered” podcast, Johnson stated that he contemplated a transition into actual combat and has since kept close to the sport as a fan and, as of 2022, UFC business partner through his Project Rock footwear sponsorship.
But let’s take a trip into this alternate reality where The Rock walks away from the world of elbow drops and turnbuckles in favor of putting on the iconic blue gloves. Who could he have fought? How would he have done?
Let’s comb through the lineup of Pride’s sole event in 1997 and speculate on how The Rock would have fared against the competition.
The Rock vs. Rickson Gracie
While Brock Lesnar reached the heights of the sport after leaving the WWE, he was also a decorated collegiate wrestler and leaned on those skills during his MMA run. To a lesser extent, the same can be said of Bobby Lashley who never earned a major title but ended his career with a 15-2 record.
The same can’t be said of The Rock. While his father, pro-wrestling great and Golden Gloves boxer Rocky Johnson, likely shared some pointers from his years of experience, it’s unlikely those informal lessons would translate into success in MMA.
With that in mind, this one seems pretty straightforward. It’s highly unlikely that an athleticism honed on the gridiron would have a chance against the godfather of modern submission grappling. Brute force with no foundation of real combatives is the perfect recipe to add to Gracie’s debatable 400-fight record. Plus, who wouldn’t want to live in a world where Bruce Banner’s BJJ coach defeated Black Adam?
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The Rock vs. Kimo Leopold
On paper, this one makes some sense. Before creating one of the UFC’s most memorable moments with his cross-bearing walkout, Leopold first made a name for himself in football, earning a scholarship as a middle linebacker for the University of Washington before earning All-American honors in junior college.
Unfortunately for Johnson, he wouldn’t be facing another football player who decided to make the leap into combat sports. While Leopold was excelling on the field, he was also a standout wrestler in high school with a taekwondo black belt.
That translates to a rough night at the office for The Rock. Even if he proved to be the superior pure athlete, the variety that offense Leopold could offer would render him a sitting duck.
The Rock vs. Dan Severn
Where Gracie submits him and Kimo shrugs off desperation takedown attempts before a knockout blow, Dan Severn would’ve unleashed a different level of brutality on The Rock.
With a similar stature and world-class accolades in wrestling, Severn would’ve undoubtedly gotten the fight to the floor and applied savage ground and pound. Out of everyone on the card, Severn probably does the most damage.
The Rock vs. Nathan Jones
This represents the most favorable match-up for the 1997 version of Dwayne Johnson. Prior to making his MMA debut at Pride 1 and eventually performing at Wrestlemania XIX alongside Johnson, Nathan Jones won the 1996 World Strongman Challenge after ascending the ranks of Australia’s powerlifting scene.
Two really big and strong men fighting one another without any real fighting background would’ve made spectacular entertainment with a front-row seat at a barstool, but it would’ve likely been a low point for the Pride’s inaugural card. But it also would’ve been the best chance for The Rock to earn a victory despite the significant size disadvantage.
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