The father of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Rocky Johnson, has passed away at the age of 75.
Johnson’s career spanned over three decades, and he officially retired in 1991. He held over twenty championships with the National Wrestling Alliance between the years of 1964 and 1982. Although he never captured the NWA Championship, he did do battle with other legends such as Harley Race and Terry Funk. He also worked in the Memphis territory, often feuding with Jerry “The King” Lawler.
Following his time in Memphis, Rocky Johnson headed to the World Wrestling Federation in 1982, where he was one half of the first black tag team champions with Tony Atlas. “The Soul Patrol” were a huge influence on African-American tag teams for decades to come. Rocky was integral in The Rock’s career. His life on the road showed what the business was like to his son. Without Johnson, we might not have teams or wrestlers like: Harlem Heat, Booker T, The New Day, or Ricochet. He was a trailblazer for the sport.
Johnson was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008. His inductors were “High Chief” Peter Maivia and his son, The Rock. He is survived by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, as well as his other son, Curtis, and his daughter, Wanda. Our thoughts are with the entire Johnson family.
For more on WWE, Rocky Johnson, Dwayne Johnson, and any other general pop culture, make sure to check back to That Hashtag Show for more.
