The unselfish superstar: not only is the Rock the biggest name in WWE, he's the federation's best soldier - Cover Story

TALK ABOUT A CLASSIC mismatch. In one corner stood the Hurricane, a mid-card comedy wrestler sporting green hair and a matching cape. In the opposite corner for this episode of "Raw" was the Rock, the biggest name in sports entertainment, not to mention a bona fide movie star.

Conventional thinking says there's no way the "Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment" would "sell" the offense of a 190-pound wrestler clad in tights resembling Underoos, let alone lose to him. After all, a man in the Rock's position has the stroke backstage to nix any scenario that isn't to his liking.

Shockingly, the Hurricane not only held his own with the Rock, bringing the crowd to its feet with several near falls, but he actually pinned the "People's Champion" for the victory. Sure, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin distracted the Rock to set up the pin, but it didn't come across as a total fluke because the match had been even up to that point.

Upon further examination, though, the Rock's loss to the Hurricane really isn't all that surprising considering the People's Champion's track record of putting people over, whether they be main-eventers or mid-carders.

In fact, earlier on that "Raw" broadcast, the Rock allowed the wrestling superhero to get the better of him in an entertaining verbal battle. And the week before that, on the Rock's celebrated return to the program after a lengthy absence, he "did the job" to Booker T in a battle royal, helping to build Booker into a serious threat to the world title heading into WrestleMania XIX.

Make no mistake about it, in the cutthroat business of professional wrestling, where backstabbing, power plays, and creative-control clauses are as much a part of the landscape as headlocks, body slams, and drop kicks, Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson is an anomaly.

Rarely has there been a wrestling star of the Rock's magnitude who didn't concern himself with backstage politics or holding onto his spot--including dictating when, where, how, and to whom they will lose.

Hulk Hogan, for example, undeniably is an icon in wrestling, but his penchant for putting his interests above the company's--especially during his WCW tenure--and sequestering himself in his private dressing room is legendary among insider fans and those in the industry.

Decades before Hogan arrived on the scene, Lou Thesz, the top wrestler in the 1940s and '50s, had a reputation for refusing to put over certain wrestlers.

Austin, wrestling's biggest star during the recent boom period, became dissatisfied with the creative direction of his character last year and walked out on WWE--twice.

The Montreal Screwjob, one of wrestling's greatest scandals, in which WWE chairman Vince McMahon double-crossed Bret Hart out of the world title, came about because Hart invoked his creative-control clause and refused to lose the belt to Shawn Michaels in Canada, Hart's homeland.

Speaking of Michaels, perhaps the most dynamic performer of the '90s, he reportedly was as masterful backstage as he was in the ring. The "Heartbreak Kid" won numerous titles, but when it came time for him to lose them, he suddenly was unable to wrestle due to an injury or he had to leave the promotion to "find his smile." Michaels and his allies--Kevin "Diesel" Nash, Scott "Razor Ramon" Hall, Triple H, and X-Pac--were known backstage as The Clique, a group that wielded considerable power in the WWE locker room during the mid-'90s. If a wrestler got on the The Clique's bad side, it was career suicide because the faction had McMahon's ear.

Triple H, who was more of a follower than a leader in The Clique, obviously learned his lessons well, because no one plays the game better now than "the Game." Since having a world title created for him on "Raw," which completely undermined Brock Lesnar's push as the undisputed WWE champion, McMahon's future son-in-law has had programs with Rob Van Dam, Kane, Scott Steiner, and Booker T, and in each instance the challenger was made to look decidedly inferior to Triple H--the exact opposite of what a good heel champion should be trying to accomplish. Only Triple H's pal Michaels was allowed to defeat "the Game" for the title, and Michaels only held it for a month before Triple H regained the belt.

Consider also that on the same night in which the Rock lost to the Hurricane, Triple H first punked out Maven in a backstage vignette, then squashed him in a match in which the up-and-comer was allowed no offense whatsoever.

The difference between the Rock and some of his peers is that he appears to be totally secure with himself. What would annihilating the Hurricane achieve other than feeding the Rock's ego? It wouldn't help the Rock and it would only further bury another young wrestler in a company that desperately needs new stars. But the Hurricane's victory gave the fans a reason to get behind his character. And the Rock is still the Rock, regardless.

It's ironic that many fans turned on the Rock last year, labeling him a sellout because his Hollywood commitments limited him to a part-time role in WWE. But when it came time for the Rock to do what was right for business, he did so without hesitation.

While the crowd at Madison Square Garden cheered then-heel Lesnar and booed the Rock at SummerSlam last August, the Rock cleanly put over the young upstart right in the center of the ring. It was the kind of convincing win Lesnar needed to be taken seriously as the champion.

Lesnar is just one of several wrestlers the Rock has helped get to the next level. Prior to SummerSlam, when WWE was giving Chris Benoit a push and trying to establish the Crippler Crossface as a potent submission hold, the Rock tapped out like crazy to the maneuver during a televised match.

Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho, two wrestlers who never seemed to be able to defeat the all-powerful Triple H, each won their first world titles by defeating the Rock. Triple H, by the way, owes the Rock a measure of gratitude for helping to elevate him, as well, although the not-so-subtle digs Triple H gets in about the Rock during his promos--even when the two aren't involved in an angle together or are on separate shows--seem to indicate that he feels otherwise.

More recently, the Rock was the first victim for Goldberg when the former WCW star made his long-awaited WWE debut

Mid-card wrestlers such as Al Snow, the Big Boss Man, Mark Henry, and, of course, the Hurricane, have scored pinfall victories over the Rock in recent years. Even Stephanie McMahon once covered the Rock for a 1-2-3 in a post-match angle.

The Rock's willingness to put others over is a clear indication that he has kept his ego in check despite his incredible success. It also illustrates how he has refrained from getting involved in the messy business of backstage politics. While many of his peers are jockeying for position and refusing to do this or that, the Rock simply does what he is asked. Win, lose, or draw, the Rock knows that his job is to entertain in a manner in which he, the match, and his opponent get over.

His detractors will point to the fact that the Rock, WWE's first third-generation performer, didn't have to fight his way to the top because he had an easy "in." And that's true--the Rock was preordained to be a superstar from Day 1. But he deserves credit for making the most of his opportunity. The chance at stardom may have come easily, but it's his talent and work ethic that have catapulted him to unprecedented heights in the industry.

The Rock just makes it look so easy, and maybe that's why some of his contemporaries resent him. While they need to execute high-risk maneuvers to get a reaction from the crowd, the Rock simply raises an eyebrow and gets a bigger reaction.

However, the Rock doesn't rely merely on his charisma to get by. The Rock seems to take pride in having good matches every time he's in the ring. While not a master mat technician such as Benoit, the Rock has proved to bean above-average worker.

And unlike other top wrestling stars of the present and past, the Rock does his "working" in the ring, not backstage. He's never been in a clique, never refused to do business, and never walked out on the company.

That's why the Rock truly is the great one.

RELATED ARTICLE: A true class act.

THE ROCK HAS BEEN PORTRAYED AS EGOTISTICAL, mean-spirited, and condescending on WWE television. But Dwayne Johnson, the man behind the character, comes across as confident, good-natured, and accommodating.

The first time I met the Rock was in January 2000, when he and WWE were riding high as pop-culture phenomenons. I was scheduled to interview the Rock for a huge story I was writing about him in The Baltimore Sun. The meeting was to take place before a "Smackdown" taping at the Baltimore Arena.

Unfortunately, about two feet of snow fell on Baltimore that day, and "Smackdown" was rescheduled for the next day. When I arrived at the arena the following afternoon, tape recorder and notepad in hand, to interview the Rock, I was greeted by a WWE employee named Doug who seemed surprised to see me. When I told him that I was there to see the Rock, he replied that the interview was supposed to have been done yesterday, and that I didn't show up.

"But there were two feet of snow on the ground," I said, "and the show didn't even take place."

Doug sympathized, but he said it was out of his control. He said he would talk to the Rock about it. "For someone in his position, it's really up to him whether he wants to do it or not," he said.

I waited anxiously as Doug went backstage. He reappeared several minutes later with good news--the Rock had agreed to the interview. "But," he added, "you only have about 10 minutes."

Glancing down at the 30-some questions written on my notepad, I knew that I needed longer than that, but 10 minutes was better than nothing.

I was escorted backstage to the catering area, where the Rock was waiting for me at a table. After exchanging a few quick pleasantries, I got right down to business--after all, I only had 10 minutes.

The Rock gave thorough answers to each question, as we discussed his celebrity, acting, the evolution of his character, and more. At about the 10-minute mark, Doug came back in the room and stood several feet behind the Rock, giving me the signal to wrap things up. I hadn't even made it through half my questions.

The Rock noticed that I was looking over his shoulder, and he turned around to see what was going on.

"I guess we have to wrap this up," I said. "I'm getting the signal from Doug."

"[Screw] Doug," the Rock said with a laugh. "Ask me whatever you want."

At that point, Doug, looking a bit agitated, walked over to the table, Before Doug could say a word, the Rock told him that we weren't done yet.

I ended up doing about a 45-minute interview with the Rock. Remember, the story was running only in the local newspaper. It wasn't a cover story for Rolling Stone or Entertainment Weekly. And he had opportunities to either back out of it completely or cut it short. But that's not how he chose to conduct himself.

Several months later, I had another experience that put the whole thing in perspective. By this time, I had left The Baltimore Sun to work as the editor of WCW Magazine. I traveled to the live "Nitro" and "Thunder" events several times a month, interviewing wrestlers backstage before the programs began.

On one occasion, I approached a wrestler who will remain nameless--he was one of the top-level guys--and politely asked if I could have a few minutes of his time so that I could interview him for a cover story in the magazine.

"I don't do anything for the [bleepin'] magazine," he growled. "You guys can't even get my age right, so why should I talk to you?"

Other members of the magazine staff had warned me when I took the job that this wrestler was difficult and petty. It seems that in a previous issue of the magazine--before I had joined the company--the wrestler's age was listed incorrectly, making him one year older than he actually was. I tried to explain that I had nothing to do with that mistake and that no such errors would appear in this story.

He ignored me and then headed to the shower area of the locker room. "I'm taking a shower," he said, and I walked away as he began to disrobe. Nothing will chase me away quicker than a wrestler dropping his pants.

It was at that point that t recalled my interview with the Rock. How could it be that the biggest star in the business could be so generous with his time for a story in a local newspaper, while a guy who was nowhere near the Rock's level refused to give one second of his time for a story in the magazine published by the company that was paying him a seven-figure salary?

It made me respect Dwayne Johnson all the more.

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