The Rock Defied Vince McMahon To Wrestle Indie Event Days Before WWE Event

Despite being just days before a WWE event and injured, The Rock was determined to send fans home happy.

In May 1998, The Rock was a long way from the star that he would become, but he was Intercontinental Champion, and his rise to superstardom was well underway.

At Over The Edge: In Your House, Rock was due to defend the gold against Faarooq, but two days earlier he appeared on a Border City Wrestling card to team with D’Lo Brown, opposite Larry Destiny and Scott D’Amore. The same Scott D’Amore who went on to become President of IMPACT Wrestling.

Speaking in a new interview with Alistair McGeorge of The Metro, D’Amore recalled the match, revealing that The Rock was determined to compete despite being injured.

“On a bum knee after getting hurt six days earlier, [he] still showed up at Border City Wrestling when there was no reason he had to, and by just showing up, he had done more than can be expected of him,

Instead, he showed up and wrestled hurt, even though it was a day or two before a big pay per view – like, Vince McMahon had told him to stay home! And he actually kind of like half carney-ed his way into still being able to come to the show.

He wasn’t dishonest, but he wasn’t, full disclosure, saying “I’m going up there, and I’m gonna wrestle on on a show”. But he did that!”

D’Amore added that even after arriving at the show, Rock wasn’t meant to wrestle — even bringing Mark Henry as backup — but once he started meeting fans he was determined to get in the ring.

He grabbed me in the locker room and was like, “Well, what would you think if The Rock went out and wrestled?” I was thinking like, “What, why?” And then he’s like, “Well, I’m feeling it, you know?

Which I’m so grateful for now all these years later, but but part of me sits there and looks at it and goes, “Oh my God, why are we taking this chance?”

The Rock To US Presidential Run

By the end of 1998, The Rock was World Champion, and by the end of 2000, he was the biggest star in the wrestling world. Incredibly, he would go on to become even bigger, and he currently stands as one of the most famous actors on the planet. He’s so big, that fans are even calling for him to run for President of the United States.

Speaking in a new interview, The Rock has admitted he hasn’t closed the door on a career in politics.