Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Gets Emotional in Touching Eulogy at Dad Rocky’s Funeral

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is paying tribute to his father, Rocky Johnson in an emotionally stirring video shared to his social media on Friday evening. In the footage from Rocky’s funeral, Johnson begins his eulogy, interspersed with footage from Rocky’s life, slowly, but is seen holding back tears while speaking highly and lovingly of the late professional wrestling star.

“I wish I had one more shot to say goodbye, say I love you, say thank you, respect you, but I have a feeling he’s watching, listening,” Johnson said, later sharing the moment in when he found out his father had died. Johnson goes into detail about how his father was a trailblazer in the industry, fighting for racial inequality “at a time when it was needed” — like his grandfather, too.

Adding that he was the “hardest worker in the room, always working out,” Johnson later adds how his father taught him how to work out from a very young age. “Hard work, discipline, those are things and tenants synonymous with my dad’s name,” he said.

Before choking up, Johnson adds that the entire ceremony honoring his father and paying tribute to him was “very appropriate” and “good for the soul.”

“I wish your soul at rest and at ease. No more pain, no more regret,” Johnson said trying to hold back tears. “I’m sorry, just give me a second… I’m so happy he had friends, a place like this to come to.”

Johnson later added: “This isn’t good bye. This is just, I’ll see you down the road. We’ll see you down the road.”

When adding the post to his Instagram, Johnson shared more words about his father, admitting he had “lived a full and meaningful life.“

“You trail blazed and even harder, you changed people’s harsh behaviors toward a man of color,” he captioned the video, which has raked in more than 8.8 million views since it’s publication. “Paving the way for me, my family and generations to come. You loved us with the capacity of which you could – given all the givens. Raised me with an iron hand and a tough complicated love.

“A love that now, as a father and man, I’ve learned to refine as I raise my own children,” he continued. “I wish I had one more shot. To say one more thing. You were taken too fast. Slipped right thru (sic) my hands. But you were so loved, lived so full, defined culture and now you rest high. Peacefully.“

Johnson added that such a defining point “makes [his] heart smile.”

“I love you and now I have an angel to call by name,” he continued. “I’ll see you down the road, Soulman. Til we meet again.”

Rocky, the former professional wrestler and father of Johnson, died Jan. 15 at the age of 75 from a pulmonary embolism caused by a blood clot in his leg. Known as “Rocky ‘Soul Man’ Johnson,” the a WWE Hall of Famer and former World Tag Team Champion began in the mid-1960s as part of the National Wrestling Alliance. He later joined the WWE in 1983, which is where his most success was achieved.

Photo credit: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson / @therock