WWE veteran Harvey Wippleman recently recalled accepting The Rock into his home just when the latter started in the wrestling business.
It's no secret that Dwayne Johnson has come so far in his career because of sheer hard work. However, one cannot discount the efforts of many others who were there to support him on his remarkable journey. One among them is Harvey Wippleman, who provided The Rock with a roof over his head not once but at two crucial stages of his life.
Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's One on One, Wippleman revealed that apart from taking him in when he was young, he also sheltered The Brahma Bull when he made his first moves in the business.
The 57-year-old recalled receiving a call from Dwayne's father, Rocky Johnson. The latter told Wippleman about The Rock having no money or place to stay in Memphis.
"Fast forward to when he was 25, it's when he broke into the wrestling business. That's when Rocky [Johnson] called me again and said, 'Guess what? My son's breaking into the business and he's starting out there in Memphis. He doesn't have any money and no place to stay.' And I said, 'He does have a place to stay,'" said Harvey Wippleman.
The former WWE manager disclosed that Johnson stayed with him for a few months until he made some money and moved out to his place.
"He stayed with me again when he first broke into the business... And he came down and stayed with me until he got some checks under his belt. I helped him find a place to stay. He wanted his privacy, you know. But he stayed with me for several months until he got his own place," said Harvey Wippleman. [20:00 - 20:42]
Check out the full video below:
Harvey Wippleman on The Rock gifting him a truck
Years later, in 2021, The Rock gifted Harvey Wippleman a truck to express his gratitude for helping him during his struggling days.
The wrestling veteran revealed that the Ford F-150 truck The Great One gifted him sits comfortably in his driveway. Wippleman added he drives it only for special occasions as he wants it to last for the rest of his life.
"He bought me a brand-new Ford F-150 sitting out in front of my driveway right now. I don't drive it much. I drive it to special occasions... I'm not gonna wear out my brand-new truck. I want it to last for the rest of my life," he noted. [21:44 - 22:02]
Wippleman remains close to The Rock to this day and works as a consultant on Young Rock, a sitcom based on the WWE legend's life.