Diamond Dallas Page recently spoke to Chris Featherstone of the Pancakes and Powerslams podcast about the first time he met The Rock and more. During the interview DDP revealed that he had a big idea for he and The Rock to feud over the title of “People’s Champion.” You can check out a few quotes below and listen to the full interview here.
“It’s ridiculous. First of all: I am the biggest Rock fan on the planet. I love that he is the biggest star in the world right now, because he’s one of us. I met him in either 1999 or 2000. [He and Big Show] were wrestling in Canada, and we had a pay per view in Canada the night earlier. I went to the show, which nobody ever did. No one ever goes to the other guy’s show in WCW or [WWE], unless you were looking for a job. I wasn’t looking for a job. I just signed a multi-million dollar deal so I wasn’t going anywhere. After the show, me and [Big Show] were getting ready to leave the building and he goes, ‘Do you want to meet The Rock?’ I said, ‘Sure. I’d love to.’ So we walked in the locker room and The Rock was there. We had a great talk. [He is] very humble. Rock has the ability to make you feel like you’re the only person in the room.
“I was quite a step or two over him, at that time, but Jake told me to keep an eye out on him, because is gonna be a huge star in our business; and that was when he was booked as Rocky Maivia in 1996. He said that this gimmick that he has right now is lame, but at some point he is going to break away from this and become a huge star. So I told Rock that story, and I said I’ve really been watching your career, and I love what’s happening with it, especially now. We shook hands, and as we were walking out, almost halfway down the hallway I hear, ‘Hey Diamond.’ Big Show gets out of my way, and I see him in the far corner of that locker room. He says to me – and I can see he’s rolling in the character – ‘Ya know, there’s only one People’s Champion.’ Big Show just about blew his guts out, he laughed so hard. I just stared at him. And I bet you I didn’t say anything for 15 seconds. And I said, ‘You know, Rock? You’re right. And you, my friend? Well, you’re looking at him!’ [Big] Show went, ‘Oh my God, you stuffed him! Nobody stuffs him!’”
Page went on to say that he had an idea for his WWE debut and that he woke up his wife Kimberly to tell her about it.
“I woke her up and made her listen to me talk about how I was going to debut in the [WWE]. This isn’t now, but I am going to work a WrestleMania. I am going to end my career in the WWE. That’s just the way it is. I’ve never seen it any other way. I said here’s what’s gonna happen: they’re gonna cut all the lights in the building, and everybody is going to be for sure that it’s [Chris] Jericho. But it’s gonna go 15, 20, 30 seconds, no one says anything, people are grumbling. Jim Ross is saying ‘Hold on! Don’t change the channel. We’ve got some technical difficulties!’ And then, for the first time ever in a [WWE] arena, you hear my voice. Blacked out building. ‘Who’s the real “People’s Champion”’? Spotlight hits me. ‘You’re lookin’ at him.’ Throw up the diamond cutter. Bang. I would have got boos, I would have got cheers out the building. Rock’s gonna be hurt, he’s gonna be out, so he can’t answer my challenge. But that’s how it’s gonna be. I’ll go to the ring, I’ll cut this promo on him and go on a rant until he gets there. Then we’ll start our promos. They’ll be unbelievable!”
