Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's Dad, WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson, Has Died at Age 75
Rocky “Soulman” Johnson, a WWE Hall of Fame wrestler who became better known as the father of actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, has died. He was 75.
WWE issued a statement on Johnson’s death Wednesday night.
Johnson and Tony Atlas became the first black world tag team champions in WWE history when they defeated the Wild Samoans on Dec. 10, 1983.
The statement didn’t provide details on the cause or location of Johnson’s death.
“A loss for every fan of @WWE, Rocky Johnson was a barrier-breaking performer. Our thoughts are with his family at this time,” WWE executive and wrestler Paul “Triple H” Levesque tweeted.
Terrible news breaking tonight. WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson, father of @TheRock, has sadly passed away, aged 75.
Alongside Tony Atlas, Johnson was one half of the first ever black WWF tag team champions.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. Rest In Power, Rocky ? pic.twitter.com/tnplMM5AwW
— Wrestling Travel (@WrestlingTravel) January 15, 2020
Johnson later helped train his son, who adopted the Rocky moniker from his father as he became a wrestling superstar. Johnson came to his son’s aid after a match at WrestleMania in 1997.
The Rock inducted his father into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008.
Former professional wrestler Brian Blair, another 1980s WWE star, was friends with Johnson for decades, and they went to church together in the Tampa, Florida, area.
Blair told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Johnson had complained of an unspecified illness of late and had missed church that he attended with Blair and other former wrestlers.
Blair said Johnson’s wife, Sheila, was distraught over her husband’s death.
“He was just under the weather, he thought he had the flu or something,” Blair said by phone.
“I said, ‘You, need to get checked out, Rocky.’ He said he’d be OK. Then he missed this Sunday, a few days ago.”
“When I talked to him again, he said he still wasn’t feeling good and he still missed church. He still didn’t get checked out. I talked to Sheila and she said he was just being stubborn. He died at home, today.”
Johnson was born Wayde Douglas Bowles and started his wrestling career in the mid-1960s.
Rest in peace, Rocky Johnson. #RIPRocky pic.twitter.com/WJhFBU0xtn
— WWE (@WWE) January 16, 2020
He spent the bulk of his career in the National Wrestling Alliance and later joined the then-World Wrestling Federation in the 1980s.
He formed a tag team with Atlas known as “Soul Patrol” and became of one the popular teams of the era.
Johnson retired in the early 1990s but helped introduce his son, a former defensive lineman for the University of Miami football team, to officials at WWE.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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