Watch as The Rock watches his first ever WWE match

The Rock made his WWE debut 20 years ago as Rocky Maivia.

Dan Gartland | Oct 4, 2016

Watch as The Rock watches his first ever WWE match /

Before he was a blockbuster movie star, and even before he was known as The Rock, Dwayne Johnson wrestled under the name Rocky Maivia. As the 20th anniversary of his first WWE match approaches, Johnson sat down to watch the match for the first time and share his memories of that night.

Johnson made his debut at a November 1996 pay-per-view at Madison Square Garden in an eight-man elimination match. Things mostly went swimmingly, with a few minor exceptions.

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It’s awesome to hear how much that moment meant to him. Sure, wrestling is scripted, but he still worked hard to make it as a star in WWE.

Published Oct 4, 2016

DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).