Ken Shamrock: “I Was ‘The Rock’ Before Dwayne Johnson”

Former WWE superstar Ken Shamrock recently made a surprising revelation about his early days in the wrestling industry. In an interview with DJ Vlad of Vlad TV, Shamrock disclosed that he initially had “The Rock” as part of his nickname when he joined WWE in 1997.

Shamrock, widely known as “The World’s Most Dangerous Man,” explained that he had used “The Rock” earlier in his fighting career.

I was Ken ‘The Rock’ Shamrock when I came out to fight.

The former Intercontinental Champion added that this nickname was actually part of his initial WWE contract. He also shared an interesting anecdote about his interactions with Dwayne Johnson about it. Johnson of course who would later become globally famous as “The Rock.”

He had no clue, absolutely no clue that I was named ‘The Rock.’ In fact, when I came to him and I kind of joked about it, that I had that carved out in my contract. I kind of laughed about it. He was like, ‘Oh, what? Really?’ I was like, ‘Brother, don’t worry about it, man. It’s not a big deal. I don’t care.’ He made it more famous than me, right?

During the interview, Shamrock also addressed the misconception that wrestling is fake. He referenced a notorious chair shot incident involving himself and The Rock in 1998, challenging sceptics to watch that moment and still claim wrestling isn’t physically demanding.

When you see that chair shot, you tell me that the ending is predetermined. Tell me that this is stuff that happens in a wrestling match.

Despite the potential for conflict over the nickname, Shamrock and Johnson have maintained a positive relationship over the years. In a testament to their enduring friendship, Johnson even inducted Shamrock into the TNA Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2020.

Ken Shamrock Open To WWE Hall Of Fame Induction

During another recent interview, former WWE superstar Ken Shamrock said he was open to getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame if the call came along.

H/t to Fightful