"Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?" is an iconic phrase that even non-wrestling fans are probably familiar with. But, as famous as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is today, there was a time when he wasn't sure he'd cut it in the WWE. In fact, he was on the fringe of being booted off the wrestling promotion if not for some timely advice from Hulk Hogan, who, at the time, had switched over to World Championship Wrestling.
In its third season, NBC's Young Rock has moved way past Johnson's teenage years and it's starting to dive deep into his time in the World Wrestling Federation. The second episode, Rocky Sucks, in particular, sheds light on The Rock's heel turn that would forever change his career and perhaps even wrestling entertainment.
For years, fans thought that it was Vince McMahon who convinced The Rock to embrace his inner self. But, as it turns out, it was Hulk Hogan.
As the episode reveals, McMahon had lost faith in Rocky Mavia in 1997, which subsequently led to him losing screentime and the Intercontinental Belt to Owen Hart. It also didn't help that Johnson was injured, which compounded the problem. McMahon's plan to cast The Rock as a face in the WWF just wasn't working and Johnson had a hard time.
