We’re nonetheless ready for the behind-the-scenes documentary WWE promised us about WrestleMania 40, however we proceed to listen to about how the occasion’s two fundamental occasions got here collectively from the individuals concerned.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s function is the main target of a brand new piece from ESPN’s Mike Coppinger entitled, “How The Rock orchestrated a WrestleMania comeback for the ages”.
Considerably opposite to how the headline reads, Rock is fairly humble all through the piece (everybody else quoted within the article, together with Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch, Michael Hayes, and Paul “Triple H” Levesque, and Nick Khan, provides effusive reward for the Closing Boss). He confesses he was nervous heading into the tag match with Roman Reigns in opposition to Rhodes & Seth Rollins. After in-match accidents hindered his final ‘Mania fundamental occasion in opposition to John Cena in 2014, Johnson says he had only one factor in thoughts within the lead-up to April 6 in Philadelphia, a line from the unique Rocky: “I simply need to go the space”:
“I felt like that was a illustration and a mirrored image of what I used to be feeling as a result of as you understand, in professional wrestling, there isn’t any take two, you get one night time, one shot and one alternative,” Johnson informed ESPN. “ … Main up into WrestleMania, the coaching camp, the stress, the expectation, the deliverable, every thing, that quote saved coming again to my thoughts, which was, ‘I simply need to go the space’ and going the space meant I knew that we had nearly an hour deliberate, which as you understand, is a protracted f—ing time.
“I additionally had one thing to show to myself. … It’s all the time you vs. you. In order that’s one thing to show to myself that I can do it and put within the work and put within the coaching camp and depend on my dance companions within the ring in Cody and Seth and Roman as all of us relied on one another. However yeah, I simply need to go the space.”
Rock once more talks about his coaching camp for WrestleMania, and the way he reined himself in to stop struggling an harm earlier than he may even make his in-ring comeback. The problem of working with three males he’d by no means wrestled earlier than — and who’re at present among the many finest within the enterprise — is mentioned, with specific consideration paid to the execution of the spot the place Rhodes thwarted a Folks’s Elbow with a Cody Cutter.
However his nerves when away when Samantha Irvin introduced him, he felt snug from his first lock-ups with Rollins & Rhodes, and justifiably appears happy with how his comeback match labored out.
“I’ve by no means in my whole profession felt extra stress and extra warmth to ship than I did throughout this run,” Johnson mentioned. “ … No. 1 the concept of coming again and what meaning … after which being granted full possession of ‘The Rock’ and that whole trademark and every thing with it, there’s that stress.
“Then the stress of pivoting on a storyline that had been brewing for 2 years quietly and privately. … We all the time knew we had the mega match with Roman and I in our again pocket. … It feels extremely gratifying … to have the ability to ship the way in which that we did as a workforce is essentially the most gratifying factor about this complete journey.”
Happy sufficient that he’s persevering with to plant the seeds for his rumored return subsequent yr:
“We’re on the 1-yard line to create the largest WrestleMania of all time and the largest match of all time at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas,” The Rock mentioned. “I’ll simply go away it at that, Closing Boss fashion.”
Take a look at ESPN’s whole article right here.
