The Rock in top 100 Forbes list & embracing wrestling

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Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has made Forbes Magazine's list of the 100 most powerful celebrities in the world. Forbes.com has an article up looking at The Rock being one of the most bankable action movie star in the world (having grossed over $2.3 billion) and his reputation for saving movie franchises (Fast and Furious, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and now GI Joe).

Forbes estimates that The Rock made over $36 million over the last 12 months - and it doesn't specify if that includes the millions (and millions) he's made from working with WWE and main eventing their pay-per-view of all time, WrestleMania 28.

The article states that movie producers love The Rock's willingness to travel in order to promote his movie, which Rock credits to his wrestling background.

"That’s the wonderful part about being in this business. I love knowing the audience and listening to the audience. Oh, and kicking a little ass, too," Rock said.

Rock also noted he and his manager, ex-wife Dany Garcia, changed their approach to Rock's wrestling background. "It reached a point where I felt that *instead of me trying to conform to Hollywood, I needed to have *Hollywood conform to me and *embrace my past,” says Johnson.

The article states that The Rock's former management team forced him to stop talking about wrestling - and his decision to return to WWE included firing those same agents.

Knowing that he isn't ashamed of where he came from makes me respect him a bit more.

 

[Slyfox696]

I don't think it was a bad idea to try and put wrestling on the back burner while he was trying to get himself established in Hollywood. And I think it's great for wrestling that now he's established himself, he's trying to redirect some of that success back to pro wrestling.

 

[PlayTheGame]

He still made the decision to do so, so it does nothing for me.

It's weird his agent is his ex-wife. Just... weird.

 

[AwesomeRko]

Whatever people may say about Rock's initial attempt to distance himself from pro-wrestling (in my opinion he was entirely justified as a free man and someone wo made the industry great for 7 years), his renewed association with it far negates any negatives from the past.

He has just been listed in Forbes 100 most influential celebrities, is a major Hollywood movie star, appears non-stop in tv shows worldwide and is an international icon. His continued involvement and public praise for WWE has both raised the companies profile and helped attract fans new or old.

He is obviously trying to give back to the wrestling community and the fans who helped in his initial Hollywood success and is doing an extremely good job.