Defining moments.

If you were a kid growing up in the 80’s and 90’s then I’m pretty sure pro wrestling was one of the many television programs you tuned into on a weekly basis. The WWE, known as the WWF at the time, was one of the leading forms of entertainment in its heyday. The epic superstars like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, The Ultimate Warrior, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, and Brett Hart were all staples in my childhood. They were both stunt performers and actors rolled into one and could perform feats of incredible athleticism that kept my eyes glued to the television screen.

During the time known as the “Attitude Era” in the WWE – we were introduced to characters with a more sharp edge than their counterparts of the earlier eras. Wrestlers like Stone Cold Steve Austin who embodied the landscape of in your face, no hold barred, tough talking entertainment. Austin was perhaps one of the most recognized wrestlers from that era and is still well loved today by both wrestling and non wrestling fans alike.

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But there was another man that was born in from that era that has grown from undercard wrestler, to main event attraction, to universal super stardom. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wasn’t always planning a career in professional wrestling, but the sport had always been a major presence in his life even in his youth. With his father being a professional wrestler and his mother coming from famous wrestling family, it was easy to see that a transition into wrestling wouldn’t be that much of a stretch. It could be said that Dwayne Johnson’s transition into action super star is to wrestling what Arnold Schwarzenegger was to bodybuilding.

Much like any other athlete The Rock started off with humble beginnings before he was ever the household name that he is today. Much like an amateur bodybuilder looking to make his way up the rankings, obtain a pro card, and compete at the highest levels of the sport, The Rock had to start at the bottom of the totem pole in order to ascend to the ranks of the greatest and recently the superstar let his fans in on what his first experience was like inside the squared circle.

BIG DEBUT… crazy to share this with y’all.. so surreal to see this classic footage from of my VERY FIRST wrestling match in Memphis, for the #USWA (United States Wrestling Association). I just drove my truck up from Miami to Memphis, had no bank account to my name (just carried cash) and luckily found a very nice elderly couple living in a house on Union Avenue who was willing to rent out a room to me. I’ll always remember it was Union Ave because every day I would drive by the world famous #SunRecords where the likes of Elvis, Jerry Lee and Johnny Cash had recorded early in their careers. In a weird way driving by that studio everyday kinda kept me motivated to stay grinding. I was 23yrs old, making $40 bucks per match and NO CLUE of the long journey that lay ahead of me. But I was then, as I am today, extremely grateful for the opportunity and always willing to put in the work. Y’all keep working hard at your goals and creating opportunities for yourselves, always be humble and never, and I repeat NEVER wear sunglasses inside a TV studio like I did here. What in theeeee f*ck!?? ? #NaughtyByNature #ViolentByDecision #Huh? #ClearlyImStillLearningHowToCutAPromo #USWA #Channel5Studios #LiveEverySaturdayMorning #FlexKavana #HumbleAndHungry #TheHardestWorkerInTheRoom #LetsGoToWaffleHouse

A video posted by therock (@therock) on Nov 15, 2015 at 6:36am PST

You can watch the full match below.

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