The Rock is one of the most famous and most recognizable people on the planet. He rose to fame through the ranks of WWE, but now millions of people know him as Dwayne Johnson, the movie star.
He was at one point the highest paid actor in the world, and his movie career shows no signs of slowing down as he’s attached to several big franchises with upcoming releases.
But The Rock’s storied career started from humble beginnings, and on this day in 1996 he made his WWE debut as Rocky Maivia at Survivor Series.
Rock had a decent debut, but there’s absolutely no denying that he looked a little goofy. His outfit looked pretty ridiculous, and his haircut was beyond distracting.
The Rock’s first few years with WWE put him through the ringer as the fans let him know that they weren’t fans of him at all. But he embraced the negative reaction, refined it, and channeled it to create the character that we all know and love today.
Rock has come a long way since Survivor Series 1996, but he’s never afraid to look back on his past and make fun of himself. When his Survivor Series debut was brought to his attention, he used it as an opportunity to laugh at his fashion choices, and his pineapple haircut.
Wow what a @WWE rookie memory. I had the world’s WORST wrestling outfit EVER and so broke I used to cut my own hair (as you can tell by this beautifully f*cked up pineapple cut I used to give myself) yet…
NYC and Madison Square Garden embraced me like a son. #grateful. https://t.co/idS0lLZzXD— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) November 17, 2017
The former WWE Champion went on to create quite the legacy for himself, and even though there aren’t currently any plans for him to wrestle again, he hasn’t completely closed the door on a return in the future.
