Dwayne, the country needs you
in this moment of crisis.
Of course, Mr. President.
You mentioned the national emergency.
Yes.
America is in a difficult position
right now. We--
Oh. Sorry.
It's Chatterbox.
They want me to go to the zoo
and cover the birth of a baby seal.
Ignore.
I thought you said he wasn't part of the press anymore.
Well, Randall is here as my good friend,
my very quiet, good friend.
You gonna throw that key away?
- Oh. - Just throw it--yeah.
- There you go. - Okay. Well, as you know,
the global coffee shortage is getting worse.
The people want a scapegoat,
so my approval rate is plummeting.
But there is a fix.
Are you familiar with the country of Gjelgjiughm?
Oh, took home to gold, silver, and bronze
in skeet shooting during the 2028 Olympics.
- No. - Then no.
Small country, fairly insular,
tends to keep itself out of the news.
But they have the perfect coffee-growing climate.
Beans to spare.
You throw one bean in the air, two come back in your face.
Now, I've proposed a trade deal
with their prime minister, Angela Honig.
But she rejected it immediately.
- Why is that? - Because she hates me.
She made that clear at a recent economic forum.
It was a hot mic situation.
I mean, how in the world
did that idiot get elected?
Have you ever seen his hands?
They are soft as marshmallows,
pillowy as a duchess.
Say what?
M-my-my mic is what?
Oh, my God.
Also, my hands are out of frame on purpose.
My hands are my best feature.
The prime minister will never make
that deal with me.
I have to be honest. It's getting tough.
I feel like in the eyes of the American people
I can't do anything right.
I understand.
You just can't please the people
no matter how hard you try.
Mr. President, can I share a story with you?
Ooh. He does this.
Back in 1997,
when I was wrestling as Rocky Maivia,
I'd gone from intercontinental champion
to afterthought.
Vince McMahon had lost faith in me as a star.
And just to sweeten the pot,
I'd done a number on my knee in a match against Mankind.
Hey, is there, like, a code that wrestler's use
to let each other know an injury is real?
Yeah, it's...
Ugh, my knee. Augh, I hurt my knee.
Let's get you out of here.
Now, as a baby face,
the fans are supposed to love me.
Instead...
all: Rocky sucks! Rocky sucks!
They absolutely hated me.
You put your body on the line,
it's good to know they appreciate it.
You think this is the type of situation
where that saying, "add insult to injury"
comes from?
Yeah, probably, Bruno. Probably.
Die, Rocky, die.
I just have to smile and take it like--ah!
You all right? Your knee buckle?
No, one of those popcorn kernels
fell in my boot. - Damn.
Lord ain't grantin' you no dignity today.
all: Rocky sucks! Rocky sucks! Rocky sucks!
Ahh.
So what'd the doctor say?
She said no surgery.
So a couple months of rest and rehab
and I'll be good to go. - Oh.
That's terrible news, son.
Rocky, no surgery is great news.
Babe, don't sugarcoat it.
When a wrestler isn't over with the fans,
which you are not-- - Yes, I know. Thank you.
When you're not over and you get hurt,
that gives the WWF an opportunity
to cut you loose. - Hey!
Don't talk to him like that right now.
He is delicate. - I'm not delicate.
I say you are delicate; you are delicate, Dewey.
My dad was right. I felt like my career
once again hung in the balance
and I had no control over my fate.
But my family did the best they could to stay positive.
Honey, do you need another pillow behind you back?
Pretty limited on pillow options.
I'll pick you up some more.
Dany doesn't believe in throw pillows.
She says they just take up space.
They just take up... what?
Hey!
Oh, Dany!
Hi. Hi, Ata. How are you?
- Babe. How are you feeling? - Good.
He's puttin' on a brave face, Dany.
His career is hangin' on by a thread.
- Uh... - You know what?
Rocky, why don't you show Dany
your T-shirt designs from the gym.
Yes.
Dany, you're a businesswoman.
Give me your eyes.
So I had some merch mocked up...
- Mm-hmm. - For my wrestler training gym.
Okay.
- What do you think? - Let me see.
These are all the same. Mm-mm. Check the neckline.
Deep, deeper, and deepest.
I told him go deepest.
Popped pecks pay rent checks.
You gotta listen to your partner, Rocky.
She's supposed to be a silent partner.
You said that, not me.
Well, I think it's great that you invested
in Rocky's new endeavor.
Just make sure that you have everything in writing.
- We don't need that. - We are family.
I'm gonna stay out of it.
But-but...
How's your ice? You need a new pack?
No thanks, Mom. I'm okay.
You sure you're okay?
Yeah, I'm feeling great.
Rehab went really well.
I can put my weight on my knee no problem.
Ah, that's great to hear, kid.
My only complaint is my physical therapist keeps
referring to it as "our knee."
- Yeah. - Good, good.
So when do you think you'll bring me back?
Um, you know, I'll talk to Vince.
When we make a decision, we'll give you a call.
Cool. Cool. So, like, uh, when?
Exactly! Listen, I gotta go.
Keep up the good work, Dewey.
- Okay. - Au revoir.
- Anything? - Super vague
about when or if they'll bring me back.
It's definitely when, not if.
I hope so. Though I'm not exactly psyched
to go back to being showered with "Rocky sucks" chants.
I know.
But you can't control whether people like you or not.
Well, unfortunately it's my job to control
whether they like me or not.
You know, you've got options.
What do you mean?
If wrestling doesn't work out,
you'll always have that criminology minor
from Miami.
What do you got?
Detective Johnson, here's the victim.
Oh, God.
Another child.
Actually, sir, victim was full-grown adult male.
You're just really big. - Mm-hmm.
Good job, everybody. Mm.
I don't think that's my calling.
Maybe not, but my point stands.
You have great options in your life
no matter what happens.
Thanks, babe.
Although sometimes it's not about having options.
Hmm? Sometimes it's about knowing what you want.
Yeah? And you know what you want?
I do.
Dany and I had been thinking about getting married
since we moved in together.
But between her career and mine,
we could never find the right time.
So we embraced my down time,
and threw the party of our dreams.
After worrying so much
about what other people thought of me,
it felt good to focus on my own happiness for once.
I couldn't be happier for you, son.
Thank you, Dad.
She ain't pregnant is she? - Dad, no.
Okay, good.
'Cause she drinkin' a lot for a pregnant woman.
Oh, look at all these gorgeous presents.
Wait, what is that?
It's like a microwave that's also a radio.
The presets are defrost, popcorn, and Cool 101.5?
Maybe keep it under your kitchen sink.
It's from Vince. I--is he not here?
I thought you said he RSVP'd "yes"?
He did.
What do you think it means he didn't show?
I'm sure it just means he's busy.
Besides, today's not about the gifts.
It's about my beautiful boy and his darling wife
looking gorgeous and happy on their wedding day.
Mm! Ohh!
Mm, mm. Mm, mm, mm, mm...
This is gonna go on for about an hour or so.
- I'm more than good with that. - Mm.
My mom was right.
And I was grateful for all my friends and family
that were there to help me celebrate.
Can you say a few words
about Dwayne and Dany on their big day?
Look, I'm not gonna say I'm disappointed, but, uh,
I was really expecting a roasted pig
for this occasion.
So you work with Dany at Merrill Lynch, huh?
Yep. Dany is the best--
I believe in an unbalanced portfolio.
Yeah. Risk and aggression--
now that is what the Macho Man is all about, baby.
Yeah, dig it.
Sorry, I think I'm drinking out of your glass.
Can't keep it straight.
Like, I purposely didn't eat pig yesterday
'cause I thought for sure that we were gonna
have pig today.
Yeah, Fa'amalo, Dewey and Dany.
And sorry for asking for that plus one.
She did not want to come.
And there-there-there's no--
there's no pig.
♪ Ooh, baby, baby
♪ Baby, baby, ooh, baby
So how long do we think
until one of these guys splits their pants?
That's why ol' Bruno always travels
with a sewing kit.
Oh, look at that.
I didn't know that Dewey had moves like that.
All right, Dewey. Whoo! - ♪ Push it
That knee looks great, too.
Oh, he's been incredibly diligent
with his rehab. - Yeah.
I just hope it pays off.
You know how Vince can be.
It's like I always say, Vince doesn't send
a gold-plated microwave that's also a radio
to wrestlers he doesn't believe in.
Oh, that's what you always say, huh?
Hey, that's boy's got 10,000 lives.
And I don't think we've even seen three of them yet.
All right?
♪ Salt-N-Pepa's here and we're in effect ♪
And I've known Dewey since he was yea high.
Come to think of it, I owe the kid a headband.
And say a few words
about Rocky Johnson's new training gym.
At the corner of Freemont and Lemon Grove
next to the 24-Hour Tires.
24.
- Go there, Hulkamaniacs. - 24.
- Hey, Hulkster. - There he is.
Congrats, newlywed. - Hollywood himself.
Thanks for coming, brother.
Wouldn't miss it for the world.
I guess when the invite said black tie,
I forgot to mention black mustache.
I'll be honest, the bleach job
is hell on my nostrils.
Oh, yeah. It's hell on my eyes, too.
It's good to see you happy, brother.
Thank you.
Look, I've been catching you on "Raw," and I feel for you.
The fans can be cruel.
Yeah, I mean, they hate me, Hulk.
I mean, tonight's been amazing, but...
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried
about where my career is going.
Look, you got more personality in you
than what you're showing as Rocky Maivia.
He's so... - Earnest?
I was gonna say punchable.
But, yeah, earnest is good, too.
I just wish I could see you being
more of yourself out there.
You're good with words. You should use them.
I wish.
Right now it feels like I'm fighting
with one hand tied behind my back.
Well, hey...
here's to that wish coming true.
Cheers, brother.
You got any lactate?
My tummy ain't much for dairy.
- I, uh-- - Screw it.
I'll hit the dance floor and blame Macho.
- Okay. - Hey, Macho!
Now, what Hulk had said
was something that I had been feeling
for a while, which was,
there wasn't enough me in Rocky Maivia.
I just didn't know if I'd ever get the chance
to be more authentic.
But, you know, after my wedding,
I was in a much better headspace.
I had taken control of what I could.
And I was also reminded
about how much I loved wrestling.
I was in the right place
to get a life-changing phone call.
Ready for the honeymoon express?
Don't tell anyone I said that. - I won't.
In a few hours, we'll be swimming
with dolphins in Tahiti.
Hey, how many do you think it'll take
to pull me around the pool, two, maybe three?
Hello?
Dwayne! Congratulations.
Hey, Vince.
I hear it was a beautiful ceremony.
Yes. Yes, it was.
Hey, and thank you for the microwave.
Don't use it. It's been recalled.
Cancer stuff. Terrible product.
I'm sending you a blender instead.
Oh. Okay.
So seems like rehab's been going well.
I heard you were out on the dance floor
cutting a rug with that knee.
Yeah, yeah, it has. I feel great.
Glad to hear it.
Looks like it's time to bring you back.
It is?
Great. Thank you.
What would you think about coming back as a heel?
- Heel? - Changing it up.
Honestly, I think that's a great idea.
I've been wanting to shake things up,
and I feel like I've got a lot more to offer the WWF.
We think so, too.
Okay. Excellent.
We'll see you in Biloxi in a week.
Okay.
Biloxi in a week. - Ah!
That's so weird.
Biloxi was my second choice for honeymoon destinations.
So Vince's plan was to have me turn heel
and join the Nation of Domination.
Now, you gotta understand, back then in the WWF,
they were all about grouping its wrestlers together
in crews and in factions.
And they were also all about just complete chaos
in the best way.
Yeah, I was a big Hart Foundation fan.
I like a guy with the confidence
to wear pink pants.
Well, our gimmick in the Nation
was militant Black badasses.
And I was put over by our leader,
and one of my good friends,
the legendary Ron Simmons, who went by Farooq.
The official knocked silly on that one.
Wait a minute, there's Rocky Maivia.
What's he doing in the ring?
I loved Vince's plan for my match.
I'd go from a punchable good guy
to one bad dude.
Booyah!
Wait, that was your "bad dude" look?
Are those denim shorts?
Hey, that was the fashion of the time.
What? Wait a minute!
Rocky Maivia's rehabilitation for his knee injury
has been complete.
And what is going on here? - There's your winner, Farooq!
Then Vince had Farooq make me an offer.
Does sweet, smiling Rocky Maivia
join the Nation?
And when I finally accepted,
I was sure I was gonna blow everybody's mind.
Whoa, I think we have a new member of the Nation.
I remember that. That was pretty badass.
I thought so too.
You know who didn't think that?
The crowd. - Yeah!
♪ Nation of Domination
Happy to have you with us, Rock.
Yeah, it's an honor to be with you guys.
Hey, uh, be honest.
I get a pop at all out there? It felt quiet.
I'ma always shoot you straight.
You ain't pop worth a damn.
Straight out the gate, huh?
- Snap, crackle, no pop. - And you're still going.
Orville Redenbacher you are not.
- Great. - It was so quiet
I thought I lost my hearing. - Wow.
Okay, so why do you think Vince put me with the Nation?
Race. I'd say race.
I mean, I-I get the race thing.
I don't love it, but I get it.
But why does Rocky Maivia the man belong in the Nation?
Like, what's my angle?
You're the fourth man in a four-man crew.
I don't think Vince is thinking about your angles.
Doesn't matter if I'm a baby face or a heel.
Nobody gives a damn.
People ain't gonna give a damn
till you make them give a damn.
You son of a bitch.
I'm gonna kill you.
Boss, I got my time card here for you to sign.
I worked one hour on Monday.
Two hours on Tuesday.
Wednesday was a bank holiday.
Four hours on...
Pat, you think I could get a few minutes with the boss?
Yeah, I think we're good here.
That was a pretty perfect take. Let's cut!
Nailed it.
Yeah, so I think if I'm gonna have any shot
of getting over as a heel,
I need some time on the mic to show my personality.
Kid, "Raw" is like a fine-tuned Swiss watch, hmm?
Timed to the second.
Or better yet, like a sausage that's been stuffed
full of pork to the brink of explosion.
We don't have extra time. - I understand. I do.
But the fans need to know
why Rocky Maivia is turning heel.
Otherwise, they're never gonna care.
I just need a chance to show them the real me.
I'm listening.
So if you gave me, like, 12 minutes
to explain it to them-- - I'll give you 2.
- I'll take it. - Yeah.
But, you know, 2 1/2 would give me some time
to work in some backstory... 2 is fine.
Ultimately, that was a vote of confidence from Vince.
I mean, getting microphone time
on a live broadcast of "Raw" is precious.
And he still believed in Rocky Maivia enough
to give it to me, and I had to prove him right.
I had one shot to make the crowd give a damn.
So did you know what you were gonna say?
I just wanted to be honest.
♪ We are the Nation
♪ Nation of Domination
Oh, Dewey looks so cute when he's acting tough.
Heel looks good on him.
Rocky, pull up your tank.
Your son's wife can see your chi-chis.
Everybody can see 'em.
I worked hard on these babies. Ba-boom!
Okay. Great.
- You lookin'? - I'm--I'm not looking.
Come on, Dewey, let's do this.
Old man Johnson,
I want you to take a look at this man right here.
As Farooq was giving his promo,
time slowed down for me as I waited for my moment.
All I knew is that I wanted to be my honest,
authentic self.
And as I looked out into the crowd
at all those fans who had given me hell
over the past year, it all became clear.
Tell 'em, Rocky.
I've got three words...
die, Rocky, die.
That's the gratitude I get from you pieces of crap...
For all my blood, my sweat,
and my tears?
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
This isn't about the color of my skin.
This is about respect.
I became the youngest intercontinental champion
in WWF history.
And what did it get me?
In arenas across the country,
I heard chants of "Rocky sucks."
Well, Rocky Maivia's a lot of things,
but sucks isn't one of them.
And I want to make one thing clear
to all you jackass fans out there.
Rocky Maivia and the new Nation of Domination
lives, breathes, and dies respect.
And we will earn it
by any means necessary.
♪ We are the Nation of Domination ♪
At that moment, I felt incredible.
I mean, finally getting a chance
to express myself, my true self--
Kind of like when I played Kim Jong Un,
except no one saw it. - I saw it.
- Yeah? - Yeah. You were great.
- Thanks. - You're welcome.
But, you know, at that time,
I didn't know whether or not
my promo registered with the fans
or even the WWE executives.
You've gotta remember it was 1997.
So there was no hopping on social media
to get instant reactions.
- Oh, that sounds amazing. - If only.
But you must have had some read on how it went.
How did it go backstage?
Hey, Pat.
Interesting stuff there, Rock.
Yeah, what'd you think?
They were riled up, right?
I mean, at least some of them.
Uh, I mean you rattled a few cages,
but it could be cheap heat.
You called them pieces of crap.
Yeah.
That was fun. I did enjoy that.
I'll give you this, you were more interesting
in the last two minutes
than you've been in the last six months.
Wow, okay.
Everybody just out the gate with the honesty.
Interesting isn't always necessarily good.
You know? My cat throws up a human thumb.
Is it interesting? Sure. But is it good? No.
- Did that really happen? - Hey, stay focused.
What matters now is what the folks at home think
about the new Rocky Maivia.
Eh, we'll find out soon enough.
The next live show's in five days.
You step out into that crowd in Chicago,
we'll know all we need to know about whether you got over.
Thanks, Pat.
Well, I casually walked by Vince four times that night
and got nothing.
I didn't know how any of it was gonna shake out.
But either way, I'm glad I did it.
It allowed me the opportunity to be my true, authentic self,
to control my narrative.
And that, Mr. President, is exactly what you need to do.
You're right.
Thank you for your insight, Dwayne.
You are a gifted storyteller.
Isn't he?
Which is why I need you to bring some of that magic
to Gjelgjiughm and solve this coffee crisis for us.
Turns out Prime Minister Honig is a huge Rock fan.
She uses your catchphrases in her speeches.
She knows all of your matches in detail,
and I think, with the exception of "Huskies,"
has seen all of your movies.
Is she not an animation fan or something?
Because "Huskies" was good.
We need you to fly to Gjelgjiughm
and convince her to take this coffee trade deal.
America needs you, Dwayne Johnson.
You are the only man for this job.
Will you go on a coffee run for America?
I'm honored, Mr. President. Thank you.
But no. - Fantastic. Wait--
wait, I didn't hear that last bit.