WWE fans have plenty of reasons to dislike Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, but he offered them more on Thursday night.
Johnson will compete in the main event of Night 1 of WrestleMania 40 on Saturday night in Philadelphia, his first meaningful match in eleven years. He’ll partner up with Roman Reigns in a tag match against Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins, which will determine the stipulation for Sunday’s main event between Reigns and Rhodes. Reigns is WWE’s top villain now, and Johnson has taken advantage of the opportunity to return to the heel persona that propelled him to superstardom.
So fans at the WWE World pre-WrestleMania fan extravaganza in Philadelphia on Thursday were never going to offer him a warm welcome—and they were certainly not going to treat him kindly when he arrived late for his presentation. Johnson, on the other hand, tapped into the vitriol by criticizing Philadelphia’s most popular sports team, the Eagles.
The Rock in Philly tonight dissing Jalen Hurts… pic.twitter.com/k7DPy68jbB
— Rob Hodge (@RobHodge_) April 4, 2024
“Are you sure you wanna know why The Rock was late?” Johnson asked the audience. “He was watching YouTube and saw Jalen Hurts lose in the playoffs again. You booed because this is the truth. Now that The Rock has arrived, greatness awaits you. You stand there, close your mouth, and enjoy the adventure The Rock is bringing you on.”
Dissing hometown sports teams is the simplest way for a wrestler to generate cheap heat. However, there is a reason why it is a classic. It works.
