How The Rock Nearly Walked Away From WWE To Become An MMA Fighter
Today, Dwayne Johnson is one of the biggest names in entertainment, but there was a time when the future WWE legend seriously considered leaving professional wrestling behind to pursue a career in mixed martial arts.
During a recent discussion about his early wrestling career, Johnson revealed that he came dangerously close to making the switch after becoming frustrated with his position in WWE and the money he was earning at the time.
According to The Rock, he was making around $150,000 a year while wrestling an exhausting 235 days annually. When he broke down the numbers, he began questioning whether the demanding schedule was worth it.
At the same time, the Japanese MMA organization PRIDE Fighting Championships was booming. The promotion was home to some of the biggest combat sports stars in the world and was paying elite fighters significantly larger purses than what Johnson was earning in WWE.
The future Hollywood superstar recalled seeing reports of fighters making between $250,000 and $500,000 for appearances in PRIDE. Comparing those figures to his own earnings planted a seed in his mind that perhaps MMA could offer a better future.
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A Career Crossroads That Changed Everything
The financial side wasn’t the only reason Johnson considered leaving wrestling.
At the time, he was struggling to connect with WWE audiences and believed his future in the company was uncertain. Fans were regularly booing him, and he worried that he might never become the star he dreamed of becoming.
Faced with that uncertainty, Johnson began thinking seriously about training for MMA and making the move to Japan, where PRIDE had become one of the hottest promotions in combat sports.
Looking back, it is remarkable how close combat sports came to gaining one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. While Johnson possessed an elite athletic background, including college football experience, transitioning to professional MMA would have been a massive challenge.
Ultimately, he stayed the course in WWE. That decision proved life-changing. Within a few years, The Rock transformed into one of the most popular wrestlers in history, becoming a multiple-time world champion and one of the faces of the industry during the Attitude Era.
Had circumstances been slightly different, however, the wrestling world might have lost one of its greatest stars, while MMA could have gained one of its most famous competitors. Instead of stepping into a PRIDE ring, The Rock remained in WWE and built a legacy that helped make him a global icon.
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