Whoa! (Chuckles)
So, I can sit anywhere?
Ooh, can I lie down?
Oh, not for takeoff, sir.
Oh, right.
Oh. (Grunting)
This is so much better than the plane
we took to upfront. (Chuckles)
Oh, cashews. Fancy. (Chuckles)
Senator taft: Give it up for a true American hero.
Someone who is not afraid to speak truth
to power, Dr. Julien echo. (Crowd cheering)
On. (Laughs)
Thank you very much, future president taft.
When one victim is heard.
(Shouts) All victims are heard.
(Crowd cheering) (Tablet beeps)
Ugh.
He is. He's the worst.
You know, I can't believe he's speaking at taft's campaign rallies like this.
Thousands and thousands of people
are listening to this joker.
We should've taken him out when we had a chance.
Take it easy, trigger-finger.
Look, I grew up with a kid like Julien, too.
Her name was Anastasia.
And if I could destroy her today?
I would.
Okay, um...
While Sandy plays out his revenge fantasies,
I think we should just stay the course.
Forget about Dr. Julien,
let's focus on winning the election.
Sandy: We're only one week out
and this is affecting your your polls, sir.
People are feeling that you engaging
in a public feud with an average American,
isn't very presidential.
Hmm, seems like you're at a real crossroads.
Adult Dwayne: I was thinking the same thing, Randall.
Reminds me of the time I had to move in with my parents back in tampa,
when I got cut from the cfl.
Uh, this is a timely issue, candidate Johnson.
We should really make a decision quickly.
And we will, Casey, you know.
But sometimes you gotta talk things out.
I agree.
So, you were telling me when you got cut from the cfl,
you had your seven bucks moment.
Yeah. That's right.
Afterl had dedicated my life to football,
that as all I had to show for my hard work.
I went back to tampa and started working as a trainer.
Not wanting to get into what happened in calgary,
I told my boss that I had signed
with the Washington red skins,
and this was my off-season job.
Have a good day, honey. You too, mom.
See ya, son.
(Sighs angrily) (Door shuts)
What did I do? This isn't for you.
This is for the football Canadians who hurt him.
Adult Dwayne: When people signed up for new memberships,
they also got a free training session.
So I trained those new members
the only I knew how. Way too hard.
You got this, Pam. You're gonna look so good
in your new sarong.
Can't wait to make my sister-in-law so jealous.
Mary Ann is gonna wish she never booked that cruise.
(Grunting)
Yes! Come on.
Adult Dwayne: It had been weeks since my conversation with dany,
and I kept replaying it over and over again in my mind.
So, what do you wanna do?
Maybe I should give wrestling a try.
Adult Dwayne: As a kid, I told everyone
I wanted to be a wrestler.
But this was the first time I said it as an adult,
and only to dany.
I hasn't told anyone else.
(Softly) Sir. Sir! (Voice shaking)
Oh, oh, sorry about that, ma'am. (Groans)
Good set, good set.
Hey, when do the muscles happen?
Hey, uh, any chance you need a camcorder for your vacation?
Adult Dwayne: Ialso got in on my dad's circuit city hustle.
I started selling slightly damaged electronics
instead of turning them over to the repairs department.
Let me get this out of the way.
I'm not sure ifyou're a wrestling fan,
but Tony atlas and I were tag team champs.
I can't feel my arms.
Um, can you get my checkbook for me? Should be on the bottom.
Adult Dwayne: Telling my family I wanted to wrestle was hard,
because I was coming off the greatest failure of my life.
My football dream was over,
and I wasn't ready to say another big dream out loud.
My mom was still plugging away,
selling vacation packages...
The seven days and six nights...
Adult Dwayne: And my grandma was glued to the oj. Simpson trial.
She watched on the big screen TV
I bought my parents back when I thought that was just the beginning.
That trial really cut into my mom's soap opera schedule.
(Sighs)
I was really struggling with what to do,
so I exerted control over what I could
and I cleaned that apartment from top to bottom.
Randall: Honestly, not the worst way to deal with stress.
In fact, you're doing the exact same thing right now.
What?
(Chuckles) No, I'm not.
Look.
(Exhales)
Theylook befierhkethb.
Of course. (Chuckles)
My mind was going a million miles an hour,
and I had a lot of stuff to sort out back then,
and I'm not ashamed to say that I needed a little boost.
So I went to a sports bar and I wore my old Miami hurricanesjersey.
Oh, okay. Thank god, I thought drugs.
I was hoping it was drugs.
(Crowd cheering, clapping)
What can I get ya?
You got any drink specials on the board for a former Miami hurricane?
Sorry, we only do specials for Gulf war vets.
It's hard to push back on that.
Man 1 on TV: And a stop by Warren sapp...
(Exhales)
Best value on our menu is a shipwreck shot.
It's every kind of liquor mixed with Pepsi.
Man 2: Dude!
Yo, Carlos!
Adult Dwayne: I hadn't seen my old teammate, Carlos, in a minute.
So I invited him out to watch the game.
(Both chuckling)
Almost didn't recognize you with your shirt tucked in.
Well, I recognized you immediately.
Since you're wearing your own Jersey.
(Laughs)
Oh, man!
Mmnpmnm. Sapp.
Carlos: He's in his first year, and he's already dominating.
Hey, we knew he would.
So, uh, what you got going on here? What?
Oh, state farm.
Your boy is a career man now,
on track to being an agent by 26.
Hey, so how'd it go up in Canada?
It went well, it went well.
I got cut, though.
It's kind of a numbers thing.
So, you know, just staying ready,
waiting for that next call.
And when the right opportunity comes, sky's the limit.
Hey, hang in there, bro.
If football doesn't pan out,
youwlfind your state farm.
Man 1 on TV: Oh, fumble!
(All cheering) Oh! (Laughs)
Adult Dwayne: My conversation with Carlos
just made me think even harder about my own path forward.
(Indistinct TV sounds)
Man 3 on TV: A dangerous dark rage burns within...
The undertaker.
Undertaker: (On TV) I will fulfill my destiny.
Man 3 on TV: Bret "the hitman" hart...
Adult Dwayne: The universe was sending me a message and it was getting louder.
Man 3 on TV: Live on pay-per-view.
Dwayne, did you see there's a football league in Europe now?
There's a team in Hamburg.
You love hamburgers.
(Telephone ringing)
Hello. Hello, Dwayne.
Coach buono, calgary stampeders.
Oh, coach.
How you doing? Coach buono: Not too bad.
Listen, I'm calling with good news.
We got a spot for you next season.
What? Coach buono: Maybe on the game day roster
if things shake out the right way.
I can arrange a plane ticket,
get you back up here in a few days.
Adult Dwayne: This was the call I had been waiting for... (Sighs)
Adult Dwayne: Because it forced me to make a choice.
Coach, uh_.
I appreciate you calling, but I think it's a no.
I think football's done for me.
Coach buono: Really?
Yeah.
Wait. You turned him down?
Ah, oh!
But he was offering you another chance to play pro football.
He was throwing you a lifeline for your dream.
Yeah, I was surprised, too.
But in that moment, I just felt like
this was a confirmation of everything
that I had been thinking about.
So I made a choice,
and I knew it was the right one.
Unfortunately, my dad didn't feel the same way.
It's the dumbest decision of your life.
I thought you were gonna give football another shot.
I've been thinking about it, but I'm done.
Football isn't my state farm.
What the hell does that mean?
I want to get into the business.
What business?
The wrestling business.
(Gasps) I knew it.
I always knew it.
(Giggles) I better tell mom.
Oh, and maybe open my own psychic business afterthat. (Giggling)
And I need you to train me.
(Distant laughing)
Wake up, Peter.
It's finally happening, high chief.
The boy is fulfilling his destiny
and we won't ever have to see an oblong ball again.
What's going on? I'm your son,
and you're gonna train me.
What you think you got to offer?
I don't know. Hmm?
Maybe I'll suck.
But I'm giving this a shot.
Ata: You're not going to suck.
You're going to make it.
This is your calling.
You say you won't train my grandson?
I'm getting my slapping gloves.
If you don't train me, I'll find someone else.
Either way, I'm doing this.
So you gonna help me or not?
(Sighs)
Okay, I'll train you.
You will? Oh, good.
Don't have to use these.
But this is gonna be the hardest thing you've ever done.
All that football training is gonna be a walk in the park compared to the pain
I'm gonna put you through. I'm ready.
We can start right now, if you want to.
Can't right now. I gotta go to work.
Plus, you ate so much breakfast, rocky.
No one could exercise after that many poached eggs.
Adult Dwayne: Of all the things that my dad said to me,
the thing that really kicked me in the gut
was when he said, "what do you think you have to offer?"
Because what he was really saying was...
"I don't see what you have to offer."
Well, why did he react like that?
That's what my mom wanted to know, too.
Hey, man, what's your deal?
Hey, man? (Scoffs)
Our son is finally chasing his dream.
The right dream this time. You don't wanna help him?
Said I'd train him, didn't I?
Reluctantly.
Is this his dream or yours?
Of course it's my dream.
It's been my dream for him since he was born.
What's your dream for him? Selling laser printers
out of a Van in a parking lot? Hey, look around.
Look at where we are.
30 years in this damn business,
and this is all I got to show for it.
Maybe I don't want that life for him.
Just because that was yourexpenence,
it doesn't mean it's going to be Dewey's.
Wrestling is in his blood,
from my side and yours.
He's going to be great.
Maybe you'll train the greatest champion there ever was.
He's not gonna be greater than me.
Ichanged the boy's diapers.
(Scoffs)
You changed his what now?
The pee ones I did.
Adult Dwayne: That moment I fantasized about as a kid,
being in the wrestling ring was actually happening.
Just wasn't a wrestling ring.
It was a boxing ring.
Randall: What's the difference?
Adult Dwayne: Well, the mat is a lot stiffer, and it's got no give.
Getting sup/exed on that was like getting sup/exed
on your living room floor,
which meant big moves were out,
but it was the only option available,
so that's where my training began.
Okay, first things first.
You got to learn how to fall.
You wanna thrust your hips, tuck your chin, legs up
and land right there, upper back,
and smack the mat so hard the audience can feel it.
(Grunts)
What the hell was that nonsense?
Just trying to pump up the crowd.
Fancy moves don't win the crowd over.
It's psychological.
People can't feel your pain. They can only see it.
You've gotta make them feel it.
Do it again.
(Thuds) Protect your head.
(Thuds) Tuck you chin.
(Grunts) Will you do it how I showed you?
Again. (Grunting)
Not selling.
(Grunflng) Nope.
Again. Again. Again.
You want this or not? Again.
My dad was just trying to prove a point
by pushing me this hard, and if I was gonna become a wrestler
then I was gonna have to earn it just like he did.
And all those old-school trainers backthen,
their job was to break the wrestler.
And if you came back after everything they put you through,
well, you've proven yourself.
It is. That's so intense.
There's a famous hulk hogan story
where his trainer, the legendary hero matsuda,
went bone to bone and broke hulk hogan's ankle, on purpose.
But weeks later, hulk hogan came back,
and that's when they knew this kid's for real.
Hmm, you know,
I had to act like I broke my leg
on a wild sea horse in aquaman 5.
Oh, brutal. (Exhales)
Brutal, brutal. Wow.
Well, even though my dad wasn't gonna break my leg,
he was gonna beat my ass.
Adult Dwayne: And that's exactly what he did.
He made sure that I earned it.
(Grunts)
Do it to me.
(Grunts, cries)
(Crying)
You've got to make sure everyone who's not inside this ring,
feels how bad you're hurting.
(Yells, grunts)
Better.
This is your opponent.
Punch as close as you can without moving the string.
If you break this string's nose, you get fired
and you get your ass whooped in the back.
Ata: Dewey.
You're squaring up too much on your punches.
Angle your stance.
Rocky: Wrestling is all about trust.
You don't trust youropponent
neither of you will put on a good show.
(Young Dwayne grunting) There's another lesson for ya.
Can't trust everyone.
Now get up.
Adult Dwayne: Even though my dad's training was monotonous and punishing,
I fell in love with wrestling like I was a kid again.
There's Vince and pat.
Man, I haven't seen those guys in forever.
Two men with great hair.
One's is better, but I won't say who.
Pat: One of the most exciting events in wrestling...
Oh, you. Come here, come here.
Hey, hey, look, look, look, look.
That is your cousin, Rodney.
Yokozuna, Japanese sumo wrestler.
Kid's from San Fran. He loves chicken nuggets.
And he makes one hell of a wwf wrestler.
Wait, he's about to do the family move. Watch.
(All cheering, whooping)
Samoan drop. Oh, this pinches mynbsmn
makes me feel fat.
I miss you, my Peter.
For every Samoan drop is a violent love letter to you, high chief.
Somebody Samoan drop me!
Justonce.
Acknowledge me.
Adult Dwayne: By the way, that's my cousin, Joe,
who would later go by Roman reigns.
Future wwe champion.
Randall: Lhave a cousin Joe too,
but he's unemployed.
Come on, Dewey. Let's wrestle.
(Softly) No.
The world's not ready.
A match that big can only happen at wrestlemania.
Mmm-hmm. Ata: It's gonna be you
Samoan dropping somebody on TV pretty soon.
Dewey, how's wrestling training going?
Yeah, it's going good, uncle Tonga.
It's mostly falling down naked.
I feel like I'm at sexy clown school.
(Laughs) I've wrestled sexy clown before.
Sohdghnnflck itnbuhmnghun afoundafion.
You can't build a house with just fancy moves. Need a base.
You guys get me, right?
Yeah. Yeah. Foundation. Yeah. Like carbs in the food pyramid.
(All whooping)
Uh, see these new kids
don't know how to wrestle anymore.
It's all about flash, no substance.
And believe me, I love flash,
but not without substance.
Well, maybe there's a version where I do both.
Combine the old school with the new school?
No, there's only one school,
the right school.
Who wants popcorn chicken?
Tonga.
(Uncle Tonga laughs)
Adult Dwayne: I was doing everything my dad said.
But I was frustrated.
I still had no idea if! Was any good.
Rocky: I can't hear your reaction.
Sit closer, then.
I can't sit closer.
You know why?
Because, I'm little Jeffy
all the way up in the rafters.
This is my first live wrestling match,
and the only tickets my parents could afford
were the worst ones in the house.
Now, do you want to tell little Jeffy
the reason he can't feel your pain
is because he's too poor?
Little Jeffy drinks gin at noon?
Do it again. Louder.
We've been training for two months
and you've barely taught me any moves.
All I'm doing is falling and selling, falling and selling.
You wanna quit?
No, I don't wanna quit.
I'm tired of punching a string and falling on my ass.
Can we at least try and find the real wrestling ring?
Bring in other guys so I can see if I'm ready?
I'll tell you when you're ready.
Now do it again.
How can you not know you are good?
I... oh, thank you, Eileen.
You're the rock.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah, but I wasn't the rock yet.
Plus, I was coming off the biggest failure of my entire life.
Hmm. I mean, I just didn't know, man.
Hmm. (Glass clinks)
Nice shot. Thank you.
Adult Dwayne: Lhad a feeling that I could be good,
but with my confidence so low, I needed to know for sure.
(Ringing)
Pat Patterson. Oui, hello.
Oh, hey, Mr. Patterson. It's, uh, Dewey. Dwayne Johnson,
rocky's kid. Dewey.
You... you know who was just talking about you?
Vvho? Nobody. (Laughing)
Adult Dwayne: Pat still loved telling that joke.
The, uh, reason I called is because, um,
I'm getting into the business.
What business? The wrestling business.
Why the (bleep) Would you wanna do that?
Well, my dad's been training me here in tampa,
and, uh, I was wondering if you'd maybe come out to see me wrestle.
Are you any good?
That's the question I'd like you to answer for me, sir.
All right, let's do something new.
Today, we're gonna work on selling the sleeper...
Pat Patterson? Rocky. Hey! (Laughs)
What are you doing up in my gym?
(Stammering) B... backup gym.
Real gym's being used for a Miami sound machine music video.
(Laughs) Did Vince send you here
to being me back as a heel?
Watch out now. I'm expensive.
Actually. I'm here to see the kid.
Thanks for coming, Mr. Patterson.
You called him.
Just wanted to see if I'm any good.
I have to know.
Where's the ring?
This is the ring.
It's a (bleep) Boxing ring.
I know, I know. I can't do any big moves,
or go off the ropes, but I'll still show you what I can.
(Sighs) All right, let's get this over with.
Are we good? You wanna show pat?
Let's show pat.
Were you concerned rocky was gonna tank your audition for pat?
No, I mean, to my dad's credit,
he never brought any of that into the ring.
Hmm.
Almost. Sometimes I miss on purpose.
It keeps you humble, you know? Mmm-hmm. Sure.
Adult Dwayne: And I did what he'd been teaching me.
Ah!
(Grunting, yelling)
Adult Dwayne: I showed pat the psychological side of wrestling.
Most guys, when they audition, they try to get all their high flying moves in.
(Screaming)
Since I couldn't do any big moves,
I had to sell my intention and my emotion.
(Yelling)
I sold my pain and made the audience feel what I felt.
All right. Stop, stop.
Let me ask you something.
Can you work as a heel?
Yeah, sure.
(Rocky groans)
(Rocky coughing)
All right, all right. I've seen enough.
(Panting)
So, what'd you think, Mr. Patterson?
Keep working, kid.
That was it? "Keep working."
That was it. That was all I needed.
I was at a crossroads in my life.
I just needed a little validation to let me know
that I was on the right track, doing the right thing,
and to not give up. Hmm.
Which is why we need to stay the course.
I'm not gonna meet with Julien and stoop to his level,
but I'm also not going to attack him.
And look, if people think that my behavior
hasn't been presidential,
then they haven't been paying attention to this entire campaign.
That's right.
You know, I've been in situations a lot tougher than this, Randall,
and I've gotten through them by putting my head down,
working hard and believing in myself.
I mean, iwent from having seven bucks in my pocket,
to less than a year later,
getting the phone call that changes my life.
(Telephone ringing)
Spmncomes from the can... Hello, Johnson residence.
Kid, it's pat Patterson.
Mr. Patterson, hi.
Uh, thank you again, for coming in... pat: Yeah.
Yeah, listen do you know who was just talking about you?
Uh, nobody?
No, me... to Vince.
He wants to take a look at you in a match.
You ever been to corpus christi?