Dwayne Johnson's father, hall-of-fame wrestler, leaves the ring of life
Rocky 'Soul Man' Johnson was 75
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's father, Rocky "Soul Man" Johnson passed away Wednesday. He was 75.
The WWE Hall of Famer and former World Tag Team Champion began his wrestling career in the 1960s in the National Wrestling Alliance. His professional wrestling career blossomed when he joined the WWE in the early 1980s.
Rocky Johnson, WWE Hall of Fame member and father of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, had a long career which culminated with his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008. Credit: George Napolitano/MediaPunch /IPX
Soul Man was known for teaming up with many WWE stars, but one that gained him notoriety was his partnership with Tony Atlas under the team nickname "The Soul Patrol." They were the first African-American World Tag Team Champions in WWE history, according to the WWE.
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Soul Man retired from wrestling in 1991, but he stayed in the "community" by training his son, "The Rock."
Forbes released its list of the top 10 highest-paid actors in August 2019, and Johnson was at the top, having earned $89.4 million in the year between June 1, 2018 and June 1, 2019.
On Father's Day in 2019, The Rock posted a photo of him and his father on Instagram, crediting him for helping teach him how to be a dad.
"Happy Father’s Day to this hardly ever smiling OG bad ***. Little boys by nature, look up to and idolize their old man. They want to be just like em, do whatever they do and are always looking for their approval. Funny thing is the day I stopped looking for that approval was the day I understood what it meant to be man and more importantly, a father. That shift lifted me to a new level of gratitude for the tough love he always gave. Years later as a man and father of three girls, I know that tough love, is a helluva lot better than no love at all. I’ll take it. It’s made me who I am today. Grateful to the original Rock. #HappyFathersDay #KingStache #RockyJohnson"
WWE superstar Rocky Johnson attends "Unite in the Fight to Knockout Bullying" at the Hard Rock Cafe New York on Oct. 20, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)
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Soul Man was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by his own son in 2008.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson with his Father Rocky Johnson (left) at the WWE Hall of Fame Inductions on March 29, 2008 at the Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. Credit: George Napolitano/MediaPunch /IPX
"WWE extends its condolences to Johnson's family, friends and fans," the WWE said in a statement.