With the news of Rocky Johnson passing away on Wednesday, wrestling fans were left reminiscing about his greatest moments in the ring and the impact that he made on the sport. Most mentioned his tag team championship, but a few brought up a very unique moment. Johnson’s son, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, actually portrayed him on television.
There was an episode of That 70s Show in which Red Forman took his son, Eric, to a wrestling match. One of the bouts featured Rocky Johnson, who was played by Dwayne. The Formans made it backstage following the event and asked for an autograph.
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“You know, it’s really nice bringing your kid to a wrestling match,” Johnson says in the clip. “You know, I’ve got a son, and one day he’s going to become the most electrifying man in sports-entertainment.”
Rest In Peace, Rocky Johnson
As a small tribute, here’s the cameo from That 70’s Show where The Rock actually played his own father. Hope you are in a better place. pic.twitter.com/rZJBJYWoOt
— Elvis Dutan (@the_snickman) January 15, 2020
“The Rock once played Rocky Johnson on an episode of That 70s Show. Such a lovely little way to pay tribute to his father,” one user commented on Twitter.
Many were awestruck by this portrayal after stumbling upon the clip for the first time. Others were just happy that footage of this episode exists on the internet. They wanted to watch the clip over and over while mourning the longtime wrestler.
“I remember that episode. That must’ve been cool as hell for the Rock,” another user commented on social media.
Others noticed that Jeff and Matt Hardy also appeared as professional wrestlers during the Season 1 episode, which was titled “That Wrestling Show.”
The episode featuring Johnson did not feature Tony Atlas due to it taking place prior to the Soul Man joining the WWF/WWE. He was still working as a top contender in the National Wrestling Alliance and was in the midst of feuding with Terry Funk, Harley Race and Jerry Lawler. Johnson even took Lawler’s crown during this era.
It was only after being recruited to the World Wrestling Federation in the early 1980s that Johnson partnered with Atlas to form the Soul Patrol. However, they quickly made an impact while becoming the first African American tag team to capture the championship.
(Photo Credit: Josh Jacks/Star Max/GC Images/Getty)
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