In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson spoke about what it would take for
him to wrestle in a WWE ring again. He said his return as an event and payday
would have to be equal to or higher than his 2013 match. He said he will still
work with WWE from time-to-time but his real focus now is acting. Here are
highlights:
On having a hernia
after his injury: “I came in for a checkup and pulled my pants down,
and the doctor goes, ‘Oh! That’s a hernia’. Your abdominal wall gets weak and
your organs push through. The doctor said, ‘You need to lie down,’ and slowly
starts to push my intestines back in my stomach. He said, ‘I would really
recommend surgery.’ “
On making it as an
actor: “I was told that I had to conform to a standard in Hollywood
that would beget me more work, better roles. Which meant I had to stop going to
the gym, which meant I couldn’t be as big, which meant you had to distance
yourself from wrestling. You essentially had to deconstruct yourself. Then that
started to not feel good to me. It reached a point of, ‘I’m not feeling
authentic.’ “
On his time in
wrestling: “I loved it. I loved the showmanship, and I loved the
theatricality. It was so entertaining and over-the-top, and I was always
mesmerized by these guys.”
Regarding a WWE return, The Rock noted that the event
and the pay must be equal or bigger to his return in 2013 for him to consider
it. He spoke about how he continues to work with WWE from time-to-time, but that
his primary focus is his acting.
