Dwayne Johnson Hasn't Said Goodbye To His WWE Career Just Yet

Very few names in the industry have successfully escaped from the shackles of their past personas quite like Dwayne Johnson, also known as The Rock. Once known as a formidable force in the wrestling ring, Johnson has managed to parlay his tenacity and charisma into a flourishing acting career, ultimately becoming one of the highest-paid actors in the industry. From his breakout role in "The Scorpion King" to his showstopping performances in the "Fast and Furious" series and the superhero flick "Black Adam," Johnson has made a lasting impact in Hollywood.

It hasn't been an easy transition, of course, with the star admitting that he was initially unsure if fans would take him seriously. His goal was career longevity, which proved to be a challenge despite his established status in the realm of wrestling. "I wanted to have a real, long-lasting career that had weight and had value," he said in an Instagram video addressed to fans. "And I wanted to become a real box office presence. I wanted to have a real box office cachet. And I wanted to be the #1 man in the world of Hollywood in terms of box office draw."

As we all know, Johnson's efforts paid off, and he's now one of the most respected actors in Hollywood. Even though he's successfully evolved from wrestling royalty to a Hollywood heavyweight, he remains open to the possibility of returning to the ring.

In the years since he launched his acting career, Dwayne Johnson continued to make periodic appearances in the wrestling ring, much to the delight of his devoted fans. In fact, it wasn't until 2019 that he officially declared his retirement from wrestling, a decision that was met with sadness. Still, he had always harbored a lingering desire to return, even when he was just starting out in Hollywood. "I appreciate where I came from and I appreciate the wrestling industry," he told E! News in 2002. "Even more so I appreciate the fans, and they've been there for me. And I don't ever want to leave that entirely."

Johnson went on to surprise everyone in September 2023 when he appeared on "Wrestlemania." Footage of his return garnered hundreds of millions of views online, which just goes to show how much he's been missed in the ring. And as it turns out, he's not opposed to returning to his body-slamming roots, provided that it's done in a manner that would surpass fans' expectations.

"The fans deserve something just incredible and unprecedented," he said in an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," noting that possible injuries and a disruption in his schedule aren't much of a concern for him. "Me going back to WWE and wrestling a match, it always comes down to the reason why and what can we create that's never been done before for the fans," he explained.

Fans have always assumed that Dwayne Johnson left WWE to pursue an acting career, but that's apparently only part of the reason. In another Instagram Q&A session in 2020, the wrestler-turned-actor explained that he had already fulfilled the entirety of his contract and made a deal with the company that he would return sometime in the future for an explosive comeback.

"My contract had expired, and the most important thing is that an agreement I have with anybody in the world, any company, any individual it's always important to me," he said. "This philosophy, if I could leave and become successful in Hollywood and become successful outside of the world of professional wrestling, of the world of WWE, and when I say successful, my ambition was I wanted global success. I wanted to have global influence in a very, very real and powerful way." The Rock did make a massive comeback in the early 2010s to pass the torch to John Cena. "I made John Cena Champion; the company made Cena Champion. And then he goes on to lead the company and be the man," he said.

Even though it's been a hot minute since Johnson participated in the match, his love for wrestling still runs through his veins. "Wrestling was my family's savior. I wanted to talk about it. And if I want to go back, I'm gonna go back," he shared in a "The Pivot Podcast" appearance. "If I want to call myself The Rock, I'm going to call myself The motherf***ing Rock."