Rocky Johnson Matches Against Ric Flair, Roddy Piper Recreated During Latest Young Rock Episode

The latest episode of Young Rock kicks off with Dwayne Johnson recapping his father's career, [...]

By Connor Casey

The latest episode of Young Rock kicks off with Dwayne Johnson recapping his father's career, saying that by the late 1980s he was out of the World Wrestling Federation and was working for smaller independent promotions. But the episode instead cuts to "The Soulman's" prime, wrestling "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair. The dateline for the match is April 16, 1982 in Eugene, Oregon, a match that did indeed happen for the Pacific Northwest Wrestling promotion as part of the National Wrestling Alliance. That bout saw Johnson come up short in challenging Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

The episode then cuts to Johnson recapping the match years later to a pair of fans in a gym. He jokes that you shouldn't touch Flair's hair, but compliment his entrance robes since he spends "a fortune on fabric."

Midway through the episode, we see another match reenacted, this time between Johnson and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper on an episode of WWF on USA Television in Landover Maryland in June 1984. Johnson recaps the match as if he won, but he actually lost in six minutes.

Johnson references a few other matches throughout the episode against Paul Orndorff and Mr. Fuji, but The Rock makes it clear in his narration interview that his father wasn't quite ready to admit that he was past his prime. The third act sees Johnson wrestling in a flea market, using the same moves against a local wrestler he used on the national stage. The crowd may be small, but the match still manages to impress the girl Rock brought with him on a date.

The real-life Dwayne Johnson credited the actor who plays Rocky Johnson, Joseph Anderson, during the episode.

The official synopsis for Young Rock reads, ""Young Rock' focuses on different chapters of Dwayne Johnson's life. From growing up in a strong and resilient family to being surrounded by the wild characters of his professional wrestling family, to playing football at the University of Miami, the show will explore the crazy rollercoaster that has shaped Dwayne into the man he is today and the larger-than-life characters he's met along the way."

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