‘Oh, that's not what I….’ - The Rock opens up about his first meeting with Vince McMahon in 1996

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson had not intended to enter the professional wrestling scene until 1995. He aspired to play football professionally and be an excellent player. But Johnson chose to pursue wrestling after getting passed up by his college football team because of a shoulder issue. Rocky Johnson, his father, was requested to help him prepare for professional wrestling.

Dwayne Johnson persevered, and ultimately his reluctant father consented to train him. In less than a year, Johnson was ready to enter the ring. He did, however, first have a meeting with Vince McMahon. The Rock talked candidly about his initial meeting with the former WWE Chairman on the "PBD Podcast." He claimed that Vince McMahon asked him what was essential to him right away. In response, The Rock informed McMahon that his priority was becoming knowledgeable about the professional wrestling industry.

"I said, 'I'd like to do it on my own. I don't want to be given anything just because my grandfather wrestled for Vince McMahon's dad in the '70s, [and] my dad wrestled for Vince McMahon [Jr.] in the '80s,” Wrestling Inc. quoted Vince McMahon.

The Rock claimed that McMahon then handed him the moniker of his WWE character, which he grudgingly took. "Okay, got it," McMahon said. Thus, you will go by Rocky Maivia, which is the last name of your grandpa and the first name of your father. "Oh, that's not what I was hoping for," The Rock retorted.

The Rock will appear in WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas

He debuted as Rocky Maivia, together with his father, during Survivor Series in 1996, as scheduled. But at first, his persona was jeered. "I might be a lot of things, but'sucks' isn't one of them," The Rock replied, taking the stage as the entire audience began to shout, "Rocky Sucks." The Rock only made a brief comeback to WWE in 2011 after quitting the company in 2004 to focus entirely on his Hollywood career. He no longer frequently appears at WWE events, but he is scheduled to appear at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas the following year.