Exclusive: The Rock names four WWE superstars on his 'Mount Rushmore' with The Undertaker failing to make cut
The Rock has named his 'Mount Rushmore' of WWE Superstars - and The Undertaker did not make the cut.
The WWE icon - real name Dwayne Johnson - entered the professional wrestling business in the late 1990s under the name 'Rocky Maivia', a nod to his father Peter.
Johnson began life in WWE as a fan favourite, but quickly became disliked by fans and was turned heel as part of the 'Nation of Domination' stable.
It was from there that he eventually transitioned into The Rock, becoming one of the most popular WWE stars of that era and of all-time.
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He is still part of WWE as an executive board member of TKO, who majority own the company, and is still a part-time performer when his Hollywood commitments allow him to appear.
He competed at WrestleMania 40 alongside Roman Reigns in a tag team match against Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins, and his ongoing run as the 'Final Boss' heel character has been widely acclaimed.
Now, in an exclusive interview with LADbible, The Rock put his near-30 year experience in professional wrestling - plus even more as a fan - to the test in naming his 'Mount Rushmore' of wrestlers.
"So, my Mount Rushmore of WWE stars would be 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, the 'Nature Boy' Ric Flair, and I would have to go with Andre the Giant," said The Rock, speaking after the UK launch of his tequila brand, Teremana.
Hogan and Andre were two of WWE's top stars around the time of the first WrestleMania in 1985, with Hogan renowned for being the first bonafide worldwide star to come out of wrestling.
The Rock would face off against Hogan in a winning effort at WrestleMania 18, in what is one of the most iconic matches o all-time.
Andre would defeat Hogan for the world title in 1988, but suffered from acromegaly - a type of gigantism - which caused him severe pain towards the end of his career. He died of heart failure and a heart attack at the age of 46 in 1993.
Flair's WWE career wasn't hugely eventful, as the 'Nature Boy' spent most of his in-ring career with the rival NWA/WCW promotion, where he became its second-longest reigning NWA Heavyweight Champion in combined days.
But Flair did have several spells with WWE, perhaps most notably as the leader of the 'Evolution' stable that contained Triple H, Batista and Randy Orton.
He retired from active in-ring competition with WWE in 2008, losing to Shawn Michaels in a Career Threatening match at WrestleMania 24.
Austin, meanwhile, is one of the most popular wrestlers of all-time, having emerged as the face of WWE during its Attitude Era.
His career was cut short by a neck injury initially suffered in 1997, but his six-year run at the top of the company saw him win the WWF Championship six times and be involved in a classic long-term feud with Vince McMahon.
'The Texas Rattlesnake' came out of retirement at WrestleMania 38 to defeat Kevin Owens in a 'No Holds Barred' match, 19 years after he had last laced up the wrestling boots.
Dwayne Johnson's Teremana tequila is available in three expressions, Blanco, Reposado and Añejo, in Tesco, Selfridges and Amazon.
Topics: The Rock, Dwayne Johnson, WWE, Wrestling, Spotlight
The SPORTbible Team