Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has accomplished many things in his life and his wrestling career. Johnson made a name for himself – famously proclaiming he had $7 in his bank account at one point in his life – becoming one of the biggest wrestling and movie stars on the planet.
However, despite all Johnson has accomplished in and outside of the ring, there is one thing he regrets not being able to do: Reconciling with his father, Rocky Johnson, before he died. In a lengthy social media post, Dwayne posted a video of his father before a match with “My Old Man” by the Zac Brown Band playing in the background, as a way to honor his father on Black History Month.
“Just delivering flowers to heaven to my old man, Rocky ‘Soulman’ Johnson,” the younger Johnson’s caption began. “My dad, along with ‘Mr USA,’ Tony Atlas made pro wrestling history by becoming the first ever Black Heavyweight Tag Team Champions for the @WWE.
“He came up the hard way, and trail-blazed for all of us men of color – in any sport & level of entertainment. But it was also very important to him to pave the way for all men, any color – it didn’t matter.”
Dwayne then added that he wished he had more time with his father Rocky to work out the differences the two might have had so they might have had a more harmonious relationship.
“My regret in this life is that I never had a chance to say goodbye to him, because he died suddenly,” Dwayne continued. “I regret not reconciling our complicated father/son s*** before I lost him. Raised me with tough fatherly love and an even tougher hand. The more I live life, the more grateful I am for it.”
He signed the message off: “See you down the road, Soulman,” with a dove and a bouquet of flowers emoji. Rocky died on January 15, 2020, of a pulmonary embolism in the home Dwayne bought for his father in Florida. He was 75.
It was reported that the elder Johnson believed he had the flu but refused to see a doctor. The blood clot that formed in his leg was eventually the cause of death.
Shortly after Rocky’s passing, Dwayne wrote a lengthy post dedicated to his father, wishing he “had one more shot” to tell him that he loved him. “But you were ripped away from me so fast without warning. Gone in an instant and no coming back,” he wrote at the time.