Dwayne “The Rock" Johnson's Eulogy to His Father

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And we continue with our American stories. A blood clot was the cause of death for Rocky, Soul Man Johnson, the WWE professional wrestling hall of famer and father of Hollywood actor Dwayne The Rock Johnson. Johnson died at the Florida home his son bought for him. He was 75.

Rocky began wrestling at the age of 16 and retired in 1991, but he went on to train his son to become a wrestler. Here's Dwayne The Rock Johnson paying tribute to his father. I wish I had one more shot you know just to say goodbye, say I love you, say thank you, respect you, but you know I have a feeling he's watching, he's listening. I know my dad will be saying kayfabe the tears. You know you try and you think about well what am I going to write and this is you know you don't yeah you don't know what to write for a eulogy it's your dad you don't expect it as you guys know you know he went very quick. I was on my way to work the other day on January 15th and I was just pulling into work and we were shooting that day and it was the very first day of production and then I get a call from my wife Lauren who said you know hey I just spoke to Cora it seems like something's going on with your dad and Lauren was with our she was she was with our babies she was with my mom and she said you know I really can't talk she goes I think you should call Cora though so of course I called Cora Cora you know she broke the news to me and I right when she broke the news I was literally just pulling in I'm looking at the whole crew hundreds of guys and women milling around and carrying equipment and waving at me in the truck and waving back and it all got really foggy and it seemed like it was just a big dream and you know how you have those moments you try and shake yourself out of it and you're like no it's not a dream my dad's gone and in that moment I just thought well what do I need to do what what's the next thing that I need to do and I heard a voice say um oh hey the show must go on and uh and that was my dad that was my old man who told me that you know this idea about the show must go on it just reminded me of you know what my dad was and what he represented to our business and to our wrestling business and something that you know we're all very proud of because many of us are in this wrestling business and it is in your blood once it's in your blood it never goes away the phrase of of um trailblazer is uh connected to my dad's name my dad rocky johnson trailblazer never been done when you do things that have never been done but but impactful things and things that actually move the needle in an industry and he did that and for my dad when he broke into the business in the mid-60s and throughout the late 60s and into the 70s in the united states where racial tension and and divide was very strong and in the 60s and the 70s you have a black man coming in it's a it's a all-white all-white audience there he is good-looking dude wouldn't you say all these small little towns that eventually i would go on to wrestle in but at that time changed the audience behavior and actually had them cheer for this black man a man that has been a top star all over the united states for the past decade introducing rocky johnson look at this rocky john is he excited or is he and not when he was wrestling against other black men because he was usually the only black guy in the territory he was wrestling against other white wrestlers and i thought that was really unique and i thought that was really powerful and i thought that it deserved to be said and that's what this man did you know we celebrated and we gave honor to dr martin luther king yesterday and um i woke up this morning and my heart of course is heavy but there was a lightness to it that i thought wow you know it's very appropriate because you know my dad fought for racial equality at a time where it was needed we are the first black tag team champions of the world ever thought dr martin luther king would be very proud of my dad when you think of my dad's name you think hard work you think barrier breaking you think you know that being the hardest worker in the room always working out taught me how to work out when i was a very at a very young age hard work discipline those are things and tenets that are synonymous with my dad's name what's amazing to me now after a day like today after we come here and we give our respects and our love he's galvanized he's responsible for galvanizing families now and families coming together just a bit closer because you know through processes like this and we all go through this we all go through this we've all lost loved ones but guaranteed when we walk out of these doors we're going to hold each other a bit tighter we're going to hug each other a bit harder we're going to kiss each other we're going to say i love you um and we're going to be a little bit more present and i think that's the beautiful irony about my dad and all the things that his name is synonymous with all over the years now his name is synonymous with the power of love and bringing people together it's very appropriate for the soul man i wish your soul at rest and at ease it's no more pain no more regret i'm sorry just give me a second i'm sorry just give me a second thank you for bearing with me just give me a second i'm so happy he had friends a place like this that he could come to and all of you who have been in his life and all of you have said really wonderful things all the messages that you sent me he would be very happy at this it would make his heart full this isn't goodbye this is just uh i'll see you down the road we'll see you down the road i thank you guys so much for your time and your love i love you all i thank you we love you all my family thank you guys very much and uh i'll see you down the road so man father and son rocking the house here ladies and gentlemen at rostle mania you carry the family name you carry your grandfather's name you carry my name and i sat in that crowd and i watched you and i was so proud my dad was a hero to me he was a hero to me he was a hero to me he was a hero to me he was larger than life legendary matches i witnessed as a kid he was able to cross all lines and become one of the most dynamic and formidable performers of his time it is my great honor to welcome congratulate and induct into the 2008 wwe hall of fame my dad rocky johnson johnson i would also like to thank my beautiful daughter wanda my son curtis and for duane for everything you've done for me you made me proud by continuing our family russell legacy by continuing our family rest and i know in the beginning i resisted you from entering the business because they knew it was extremely difficult and i only agreed to train you on one condition that i would not go on go easy on you and let me tell you i didn't i will tell you my little silly i will tell you a story that's not on this script he got sassy with me one time was about a mile and a half from home and and he wanted sympathy and it was pouring down rain and i said if you want sympathy go home to your mother and get it he said that's exactly where i'm going he took his bag and he left but i will say this from the bottom of my heart and i love him very much he's my son and he always will be and i'm very proud of him i would like to be remembered for helping pave the road for other black athletes but i'd also like to remember for paving the road for all athletes no matter race color or creed thank you and may god bless each and every one of you and a terrific job on the production editing and storytelling by our own greg hangler and you were listening to dwayne the rock johnson eulogize his father rocky soul man johnson in the end there you were listening to rocky soul man johnson himself a father and son love affair it's not a dream the rock said but it's not a dream it's not a dream it's not a dream affair it's not a dream the rock said dad's gone i heard a voice though the show must go on my dad taught me that he fought for racial equality breaking barriers hard work and discipline always working out always working hard that's what my dad taught me his name is associated though in the end with the power of love and bringing people together he would be very happy with this it would make his heart full and he closed with those words i'll see you down the road soul man dwayne the rock johnson's eulogy to his father here on our american stories from hobby farmers to weekend gardeners and everyone in between tractor supply trust 5g solutions from t-mobile for business to make shopping more personal together we're connecting over 2200 stores with 5g business internet and powering ai so team members can match shoppers with products faster you're all set this is enriching customer experience this is tractor supply with t-mobile for 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