Story: Known as the - fairly cheesy - Flex Kavana during his formative months in the pro wrestling industry, Dwayne Johnson was tipped for success from the very start. Training alongside his father, Rocky Johnson at a private WWF training facility, the idea was that Flex would be a smiling babyface when he eventually made his debut. Instead, the man was renamed Rocky Maivia, an amalgamation of his father's name with his grandfather's, 'High Chief' Peter Maivia. Apparently, Johnson himself was none too keen on making the switch, feeling it would put unnecessary pressure on him to succeed, and that he'd struggle to emerge from his father's shadow. Why People Believe It: Any fears Johnson had would only be natural. A lot of second and third generation wrestlers dislike being called the same thing as their predecessors, because they feel it ruins their chances of making a good first impression, mainly due to fans looking to their family members who competed years ago. Should We Believe It: Yes, although in his 2000 autobiography, The Rock states that he was nonetheless honoured to be associated with his family. In the same breath, the guy pretty much says that it was both Vince McMahon and Pat Patterson who insisted on the moniker, wanting to give Rocky some history as soon as he entered the federation.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
