Voicing the notion that “Dwayne Johnson is a normal person just like us” is sure to inspire lots of people thinking something is very wrong with you, but the idea isn’t completely off-base, at least within a very particular set of parameters. While most people reading this wouldn’t be able to healthily indulge on roughly 6,000 calories a day in the form of six full meals, and won’t be portraying a major DC superhero anytime soon, most of us can relate to looking like complete dorkuses in years past without having a single problem with it at the time. And the same definitely applies to Johnson.
Years before becoming one of Hollywood’s most affable and fun-to-watch blockbuster movie stars, Dwayne Johnson was one of the WWE’s most affable and fun-to-watch Superstars. But if you go even further back a few years, before he adopted the career-changing persona of The Rock, the future Jungle Cruise star made his high-profile pro wrestling debut as Rocky Maivia. And after a fan celebrated the athlete’s 25-year career with a throwback pic on Twitter, Johnson hilariously called out his wildly unique outfit, for lack of better descriptors.
How 🔥 is my arts & crafts ring outfit from Michael’s!?! Hey, if you’re gonna debut in your first match EVER for @wwe in the famed Madison Square Garden, you may as well DIY. What’s even more perplexing, is I actually looked in the mirror backstage and said, “fuck yeah” 😂🤦🏽♂️🙋🏽♂️ https://t.co/dcbAYIY1WZNovember 18, 2021
Truth be told, it’s hard to think of a more clever or direct way to poke fun at Dwayne Johnson’s WWE debut beyond what the future Hall-of-Famer already slammed himself with. Because that is certainly a...particular...look that Johnson was trying to pull off while in Rocky Maivia-mode, from top to bottom. His earlier-in-life hairstyles and style choices have long given fans reasons to chuckle sympathetically, with the comfort of knowing none of our embarrassing looks from our teens and 20s will be shared by millions of people on a yearly basis.
In any case, back to hammily joshing about Johnson’s budget-barn costuming, which doesn’t even necessarily look like it needed to have been sourced to Michael’s. I’m fairly certain I could pull off the same aesthetic after a keenly planned trip to a Dollar General. Regardless of where it came from, though, it at least looks good enough to be in the high school drama class production of Rocky Maivia’s WWE Debut, if not necessarily the actual debut itself.
I mean, we’re talking a televised arrival within Madison Square Garden during a heightened precipice of popularity for the WWE, which would imply everyone trying to look their best. And I guess Dwayne Johnson did just that when looking in the mirror, so it all works out. Maybe the joke is on all of us, and those Rocky Maivia duds will be the hottest fashion trend of 2022. Stranger things have ha...NO THEY HAVEN’T.
As someone who can instantly recall donning glittery white tights and furry snowflake costume for my kindergarten class’ Christmas-themed performance in the late ‘80s, I’d love to be able to say “Well, I went on to become one of the biggest entertainers in the world.” Instead of just “Well, I went on to split my pants in the second grade while trying to catch a Frisbee.” It’s all about the clothes, dear readers.
The Rock fans are waiting for the former champ to return to the ring in one form or another, even though his busy schedule of upcoming projects will probably keep that from happening for quite a while.
