Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has always deeply loved and respected his late father, the wrestling legend Rocky Johnson. “The Great One” recently showed these strong feelings after getting a very thoughtful birthday gift that moved him to tears.
The Rock shared this emotional moment on his Instagram page for all his followers to see. He posted a video of himself reacting to the present that clearly meant so much to him.
The gift was an actual ticket stub from a wrestling show he went to as an 11-year-old boy. At that particular show, he had the special experience of watching his own father, Rocky Johnson, perform in the ring.
This specific ticket was from a WWF event that took place on March 17, 1984, in Springfield, Massachusetts. It marked a cherished childhood memory of a young Rock seeing his dad wrestle.
Known also by his powerful nickname “The Final Boss,” The Rock stated this was one of the most meaningful gifts he had ever received in his life. Holding the old paper ticket again brought back very powerful emotions and a deep wish for just one more moment with his father.
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He explained that this longing to simply say hello or goodbye one more time was what made him cry. The Rock then remembered his childhood, which was often spent on the road with his dad due to his wrestling career.
He recalled that Rocky Johnson was frequently tired and sore from the tough schedule and physical nature of wrestling, and because of this, he rarely smiled. However, his father often found a sense of peace and enjoyment when he was inside the squared circle, as The Rock pointed out with a slight smile visible on his dad’s face in footage from that 1984 match.
The Rock also admitted that he knows he is a hard person to shop for when it comes to gifts. This made the kind and thoughtful surprise from his family members even more special and precious to him.
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He made sure to thank his brother Brad and his sisters Maya and Mere for giving him such an emotional and powerful gift. The ticket brought back a very strong and touching memory from his youth.
In his Instagram post, The Rock wrote directly to his fans and family, “Opening a birthday gift – one of the most meaningful gifts I’ve ever received. A ticket 🎟️ to a wrestling show I attended when I was 11yrs old to watch my dad wrestle. Who would’ve thought years later I’d hold this ticket, and wishing I had one more shot to say hello (or goodbye) to my old man.”
He went on to share more of his feelings in the post, “As a kid, we were always on the road and I don’t remember my dad smiling much, as he was always mentally tired and his body banged up and in pain from the nightly grind – but he did find moments of PEACE when he was wrestling in that squared circle.
Even in this video, you see my dad attempting a SLIGHT SMILE 🙂 I know I’m not easy to buy gifts for, so VERY thoughtful gifts like this mean the world to me from my loved ones. Mahalo brother Brad. And my sistas Maya & Mere too.”
Rocky Johnson passed away in 2020.
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