I long thought it wouldn’t be long before The Rock, or “The Final Boss,” showed up at an upcoming WWE event, and he did just that after a six-month absence in the final moments of Bad Blood. While he wasn’t alone when standing on the stage, he wasn’t bringing in another member of the Anoaʻi family to flesh out The Bloodline or anything like that. Instead, he had that absurd People’s Championship belt draped across that $500 shirt of his like he was some returning warrior back from war.
You know what? I still can’t make sense of the People’s Championship, what it means to Dwayne Johnson (both the wrestler and “Franchise Viagra” box office hero), or how I’m supposed to feel about it. I thought the great American nightmare was over after Rocky’s strange run-in with Cody Rhodes following that ridiculous Mania main event, yet here I am, in the next chapter of this confusing and seemingly never-ending saga.
So, How Did The Rock Earn The People’s Championship In The First Place?
The Rock, who called himself the “People’s Champion” long before adopting his heel “Final Boss” persona in the lead-up to WrestleMania 40, was gifted the title by the widow of the late Muhammad Ali at the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. Watching the event, I thought this was going to be a ceremonial belt that he’d put in his office or his massive home gym, but that was far from the case.
The Rock is a member of the TKO board of directors and can pretty much do whatever the hell he wants in WWE. And yes, that means waltzing around with an absurd fake championship belt that he didn’t earn in a match, but was instead received as a gift – a very personal and tremendous gift, but a gift nonetheless. He didn’t win the belt, but that didn’t stop him from bringing it to the ring with him in the Night One main event or the post-match press conference.
I’m Pretty Sure The Rock Is Working Wrestling Fans By Carrying This Gaudy Belt Around
I’ve watched a lot of wrestling over the years, and I know a heel when I see one. The Rock, who has been a great villain in WWE multiple times over the years, is doing a fantastic job of working the crowd into a frenzy and making them boo him (which is no easy task for a beloved superstar like this). I’m pretty sure that’s the purpose of the Peoples Championship, and I’m pretty much convinced he’s doing this just to work fans by carrying this gaudy belt with him whenever he’s on TV.
There have been a lot of wrestlers who look utterly ridiculous, but this is on a whole other level of generating heat. I must admit that sort of respect him for that. The $500 shirts, leather loafers, designer sunglasses and million-dollar smiles pissed off millions of jabronis back during the Attitude Era, so he had to evolve, and evolve he has.
But I’m Also Not Convinced He Doesn’t Think This Is The Coolest Thing Ever
I’m not trying to put Dwayne Johnson down, as he’s been one of the most electric wrestlers to ever step in the ring or pick up a mic, but I’m not fully convinced he doesn’t think the People’s Championship isn’t the coolest thing ever. This makes the whole situation all the more confusing because I don’t know if this is a work or a shoot.
If The Rock legit thinks this belt is cool, then more power to him. I could see him rationalizing why it was given to him and not someone else, and I could totally understand why he would want to carry it around on TV and not just for some cheap heat by all those “Cody Crybabies” comments he made upon turning heel. When the lines between reality and kayfabe become blurred, wrestling becomes even more fun. Where the character ends and the man begins is something I’ve long tried to figure out with Dwayne Johnson.
Maybe The Rock Is Bringing It Around Because He Never Used The Custom “Brahma Bull” WWE Championship During The Attitude Era
One idea that I have been toying around with since the People’s Championship came around earlier this year is that The Rock wants his own personalized title after his “Brahma Bull” WWE Championship belt that was commissioned back in 1999 never saw the light of day.
If you’re not familiar with the “Brahma Bull” WWE Championship belt, The Rock and WWE basically made a custom title that featured the wrestler’s signature tattoo in place of the classic “Winged Eagle,” but it was ultimately not used because, as he told Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful on X back in 2018, it was too similar to Steve Austin’s “Smoking Skull” belt that was made first. Maybe he just really wanted that belt, as the two look remarkably similar.
Is It A Real Championship If You Don't Defend It?
There are a lot of champions in WWE right now, and for the most part, they defend their respective titles at least once a month, if not more frequently. But that’s not the case for The Rock and his People’s Championship, which brings up the question: is it even a real championship if don’t defend it?
I’m not saying that The Rock needs to defend the belt all the time, but I’m honestly surprised no one has challenged him for that gaudy, golden championship or incorporated it into a storyline. Maybe that’ll be the case in the leadup to WrestleMania 41 where it seems like we’ll finally get to see The Rock and Roman Reigns face off in the ring. But then, does that make the Original Tribal Chief the People’s Champion as well or will the belt go away with the Brahma Bull himself?
But It's Also Crazy How The People's Championship Is The One Belt You Can't Buy On The WWE Shop
WWE usually wastes no time making a quick buck off fans with merchandise, but at the time of this writing, you can’t buy a replica belt from the company. Sure, the original Brahma Bull WWE Championship is available on the WWE Shop, but not the new, improved, and flashier version The Rock had draped on his shoulders while staring down Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns at Bad Blood.
I just find this to be abnormal, as the official online store has so much merchandise, both good and absolutely terrible. Maybe it’s one of a kind or maybe WWE is even confused about the title but afraid to say something.
Am I confused about the People’s Championship? Yes, very much so. But am I excited to see what The Rock does now that he’s shown his face again? You bet! And with Raw moving to Netflix in early 2025, I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more of Dwayne Johnson and his absurd belt.
