The Rock Reflects on Facing WWE Legends with Real Combat Pedigrees

WWE legend The Rock picked Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar and Booker T as the guys he loved facing who had legitimate wrestling credentials.

The Rock Reflects on Facing WWE Legends with Real Combat Pedigrees

The Rock, Kurt Angle, Booker T and Brock Lesnar (via WWE)

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The Rock is without question the most electrifying man in all of sports entertainment, and his iconic WWE career stands as proof of that. Over the years, Dwayne Johnson has faced a long list of legendary opponents, from Vince McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin to John Cena. But during his initial run from 1996 to 2003, he also shared the ring with several stars who brought legitimate combat pedigrees to WWE.

Unsurprisingly, Johnson recently highlighted Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, and Booker T as three of his favorite opponents, crediting their elite wrestling backgrounds as a key reason he loved working with them. In an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated alongside UFC legend Mark Kerr, ‘The Final Boss’ elaborated on why these names stand out on his list.

According to The Rock, whenever people discuss an athlete’s gear, it reminds him of certain opponents he wrestled. He explained that he especially enjoyed competing against athletes who weren’t just supremely talented, but who also carried strong pedigrees from other sports or disciplines.

That was always Kurt Angle, insane athlete, as you know, pedigree in wrestling, gold medal at the Olympics, wins the gold medal with a broken neck. I mean, it’s just wild. You know, Brock Lesnar was the same. Just incredible pedigree athlete. You could go anywhere in the ring with him. You know who else was an amazing athlete? It was Booker T, who I love. Amazing athlete.

The Rock via Sports Illustrated

Johnson first highlighted Kurt Angle, often regarded as one of the greatest in-ring performers in WWE history. For those unfamiliar, Angle famously won an Olympic Gold Medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1996 Atlanta Games, while competing with a broken neck. His collegiate resume was equally impressive, as he was also a former NCAA Division I champion. 

Angle’s transition to WWE quickly made history, as he pinned The Rock at No Mercy 2000 to capture his first WWE Championship. Along the way, he delivered classics, including a dramatic storyline with Triple H at SummerSlam 2000 and another memorable singles bout against The Rock at No Way Out 2001.

Next, Johnson spoke about Lesnar, another NCAA Division I champion, who proved himself to be a once-in-a-generation athlete. Lesnar cemented his legacy early by defeating The Rock at SummerSlam 2002 to win his first WWE title.

After leaving WWE in 2004, ‘The Beast’ went on to carve out an equally dominant run in mixed martial arts, becoming the UFC Heavyweight Champion at UFC 91 after defeating Hall of Famer Randy Couture in just his third MMA outing.

Finally, Johnson mentioned Booker T. While Booker didn’t have the same decorated amateur or collegiate background as Angle or Lesnar, he is widely recognized as one of the most gifted natural athletes in wrestling history. 

A five-time WCW Champion, Booker clashed with The Rock during the infamous 2001 Invasion storyline, a feud that peaked with their high-profile showdown for the WCW Championship at SummerSlam 2001.

The Rock opens up about suffering a concussion during filming of The Smashing Machine

The Rock is finally stepping away from the action-hero mold that has defined much of his Hollywood career. Gone are the khaki shirts and over-the-top jungle adventures, and this time, he delivers a raw, transformative performance in The Smashing Machine. 

The A24 biopic tells the turbulent story of former UFC heavyweight tournament winner Mark Kerr, whose legendary career was derailed by painkillers and opioid addiction. Johnson undergoes a remarkable transformation, becoming nearly unrecognizable in the role. The gamble has paid off. 

The Rock in WWE and The Smashing Machine
The Rock in WWE and The Smashing Machine (via WWE and Venice Film Festival)

The buzz reached its peak at the Venice Film Festival, where his portrayal earned a thunderous 15-minute standing ovation, one of the longest of the year. From the very first promotional stills, it was clear that this would be the most challenging role of Johnson’s career. While some early reviews have been mixed, the consensus is that it’s his most powerful acting work to date.

On The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Johnson even revealed how far he went for authenticity. In one climactic scene, mirroring Kerr’s brutal fight in Japan against Kazuyuki Fujita, Kerr absorbs every blow despite clearly being out on his feet. Instead of faking it, Johnson insisted on taking real hits and ended up suffering a concussion in the process.

During filming, both Johnson and director Benny Safdie insisted that the actor playing Fujita hit him for real. Out of respect for The Rock, the actor initially refused. But the duo explained that Kerr’s real fight in Japan had gone down that way, and they wanted to honor his legacy as authentically as possible.

So you’ll see, in the movie, he’s rocking me over and over and over again. It was wild. So after that fight, you see me, and I look like I’m loopy. That’s cause I had a concussion…But it’s the thing you got to do, you realize, because if you’re going to make an MMA movie, you’ve got to go all the way. And that’s what we did with this. You have to man.

The Rock via The Tonight Show

That level of dedication is especially awe-inspiring given that Johnson is 53 years old. Reports also suggest he gained nearly 40 pounds to fully embody Kerr in The Smashing Machine. As for his wrestling future, fans shouldn’t expect him back in the ring anytime soon. 

His most recent WWE appearance came at Elimination Chamber 2025, where he played a key role in sparking John Cena’s shocking heel turn. Behind-the-scenes footage from that moment was even featured in the premiere of WWE’s Netflix series, WWE Unreal.

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