Rocky Johnson: Watch a young Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson cheer for his dad from ringside

WWE Hall of Famer Rocky "Soulman" Johnson passed away at the age of 75. His death was sudden and the news shocked many wrestling fans all over the world. In the honour of his passing, WWE shared many videos to pay tribute to the wrestling legend. In one of the videos, fans can see a young Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson watch and cheer for his father Rocky Johnson from the ringside. The video is from a 1984 Tag-Team match between then champions The Soul Patrol (Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas) versus a local team.

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In the video, Rocky Johnson can be seen punishing his opponents and showing his high flying moves despite a great physique. According to WWE, Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas defeated the local team and retained their Tag-Team championship. After making a name for himself in NWA, Rocky Johnson joined WWE (then WWF) in 1982. Since his debut, he feuded with wrestling greats like Don Muraco, Greg Valentine, Mike Sharpe, Buddy Rose, and Adrian Adonis. The next year, he teamed up with Tony Atlas and formed ‘The Soul Patrol’. The same year they defeated Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika) and became the first black WWE Tag Team Champions.

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Tony Atlas reveals how Rocky Johnson inspired him

After the death of Rocky Johnson, Tony Atlas was interviewed by Hannibal TV, where the Hall of Famer revealed how Rocky Johnson inspired him to become a wrestler. When asked about how he feels about the news, Tony Atlas said that he feels really sad as Rocky Johnson was a great friend. He then said that when he started wrestling in the 1970s, he faced a lot of racism. He wanted to leave the profession and go back to his hometown, but Rocky Johnson stopped him and inspired him to become a wrestler.

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