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Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Roasts Jalen Hurts, Eagles Fans at Event Before ‘WrestleMania 40’

Dan Gartland

Courtesy of WWE
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WWE fans have every reason to hate Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, but he gave them another on Thursday night.

Johnson is set to wrestle in the main event of Night 1 of WrestleMania 40 on Saturday night in Philadelphia, his first real match in 11 years. He’ll team with Roman Reigns in a tag match against Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins that will decide the stipulation for Sunday’s main event between Reigns and Rhodes. Reigns is the biggest villain in WWE today, and by aligning himself with him, Johnson has seized an opportunity to return to the heel persona that made him a megastar.

So fans who showed up to the WWE World pre-WrestleMania fan fest on Thursday in Philadelphia were never going to give him a warm reception—and they definitely weren’t going to treat him kindly when he showed up late for his appearance. But Johnson leaned into the hate by taking a shot at Philly’s most popular sports team, the Eagles.

“Are you sure you wanna know why The Rock was late?” Johnson asked the crowd. “He was watching YouTube, watching Jalen Hurts lose in the playoffs again. You booed because it’s the truth. Now, The Rock has shown up, you’ve got greatness in front of you. You stand there, shut your mouth and enjoy the ride that The Rock is taking you on.”

Dissing the hometown sports teams is the easiest way for a wrestler to generate some cheap heat. But it’s a classic for a reason. It works.

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Dan Gartland
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).

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