Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Reflects Final Memories With Late Dad Rocky on Father’s Day

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson spent Father’s Day paying tribute to his father, Rocky, who died in January. The former WWE star went to Instagram to share a video of him from last year talking about buying his dad a house. Dwayne Johnson said his dad was “so nervous” but also said how proud he was of him.

“A few weeks after I posted this, my dad found his dream home.” Johnson wrote in the caption to the video. “3 months later he moved in. 8 months later he passed away. Died suddenly and I never got a shot to say goodbye.” Johnson went on to write the death of his father was a “real kick in the gut but I know I’m not alone, because it’s what we all signed up for in this unpredictable cycle of life.” He also advised his fans, writing, “Be present and squeeze every bit of juice out of life that we can, because we never know when our journey comes to an end. Live full, my friends.”

Johnson was able to get his start in WWE because of his dad. Rocky was a pro wrestler from 1964 to 1991 and spent three years in WWE. During that time, he won the tag team championship with Tony Atlas, making them the first Black men to hold a WWE title. When Rocky retired, he began to train to son how to wrestle, and Johnson made his WWE debut in 1996.

“Grateful that you gave me life. Grateful you gave me life’s invaluable lessons,” Johnson said just after his father died. “Dad, I wish I had one more shot to tell you, I love you, before you crossed over to the other side. But you were ripped away from me so fast without warning. Gone in an instant and no coming back,. I’m in pain. But we both know it’s just pain and it’ll pass. Now I’ll carry your mana and work ethic with me, as it’s time to move on because I have my family to feed and work to accomplish.”

Johnson is now known more for his movie roles, but his success in WWE led to his success in Hollywood. The Rock was a dominant Superstar in WWE, winning the WWE Championship eight times. He also a triple crown champion and was named Wrestler of the Year in 2000 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.