This weekend is WrestleMania 40 — aka the Super Bowl of professional wrestling. The two-night WWE event will be held 800 miles away in Philadelphia, but Saturday’s main event features a familiar face with ties to Nashville: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Did you know? Before Johnson rose to fame in the ring and on the big screen, his father’s wrestling career brought him to Music City, where he attended McGavock and Glencliff high schools. Although the celeb graduated in Pennsylvania, he returned to Nashville to start his own pro wrestling career. (In fact, the industry has a deep history here.)
As it turns out, Johnson loves to reminisce on his time hanging out in honky tonks on Lower Broadway. In recent years, he has shared his stories about Nashville on social media (including this yearbook photo), on late night shows, and even “Young Rock,” the NBC sitcom loosely based on his life.
Fun fact: The Rock won’t be the only WWE Superstar at WrestleMania with ties to the 615. Nashville’s own Drew McIntyre will challenge World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins on Sunday.
