Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson considered transitioning from wrestling to MMA in 1997, but there are discrepancies in his claim and it is likely he did not seriously consider making the switch at that time.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson revealed during a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast that as early as 1997, he considered transitioning from wrestling to mixed martial arts and signing with Japan’s Pride Fighting Championship. He was reportedly enticed by the prospect of making more money and being able to compete without the pressure to conform to the WWE’s demands.
However, MMA historian Jonathan Snowden disputed Johnson’s claim, stating that Pride had only held one event in 1997 and that wrestlers like Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn made the move to WWE due to financial reasons. Additionally, Shamrock himself confirmed in a recent interview that he had to resort to wrestling for financial support due to the UFC’s financial struggles at the time.
Johnson’s recollection of the timeline and the amount of money supposedly offered to competing athletes in Pride has been called into question. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that he had previously considered training to become a UFC fighter after leaving the WWE in 2004 but ultimately decided to focus on his acting career.
Despite the discrepancy in Johnson’s claims, he has shown interest in the MMA world in other ways. He has supported the sport by presenting the “BMF” belt to Jorge Masvidal and donating a house to UFC welterweight Themba Gorimbo.