Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s standard for a top-tier in-ring opponent prioritizes legitimate athletic background over pure box-office draw, a philosophy he recently articulated by naming the three rivals he most enjoyed working with in WWE.
In a Sports Illustrated interview, Johnson identified Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, and Booker T as his preferred opponents, highlighting a common thread of elite athleticism and credible pedigrees established outside of professional wrestling.
Johnson specifically pointed to the Olympic gold medalist’s background as a key factor. “I loved wrestling guys who are just insane athletes who had a pedigree at other things. And that was always Kurt Angle – insane athlete as you know, pedigree in wrestling, gold medal at the Olympics – wins the gold medal with a broken neck, it’s just wild,” he said.
He extended that same praise to Brock Lesnar and Booker T. “Brock Lesnar was the same. Just incredible pedigree, athlete, you could go anywhere in the ring with him,” Johnson remarked. He also cited Booker T as another standout performer, stating, “You know who else was an amazing athlete, was Booker T, who I loved wrestling. Amazing athlete.”
Johnson’s focus on authenticity and physicality has translated directly to his current work in Hollywood. While filming his upcoming Mark Kerr biopic, The Smashing Machine, Johnson sustained a legitimate concussion. The injury occurred during a fight scene where he and director Benny Safdie insisted on using real strikes to achieve maximum authenticity for the film, which is scheduled to premiere on October 3.
Johnson confirmed that the on-camera result of the impact was genuine. “After that fight, you see me looking groggy — that’s because I had a concussion,” he stated. “But that’s it, if you’re going to make an MMA movie, you gotta go all the way. And that’s what we did.”