Dwayne Johnson shared a memory of his father Rocky in honor of Black History Month on social media on Friday.
The professional wrestler died in 2020 at the age of 75.
The actor, 51, who is in talks to reprise his role as Maui in a Moana sequel, shared a video of his father’s victory in the ring, with Zac Brown’s moving song My Old Man playing below the action.
In a touching post, The Rock, who followed his father to the wrestling ring, wrote: “Just handing flowers to heaven to my old man, Rocky “Soulman” Johnson.”
The wrestling champion explained: “My father, along with ‘Mr USA’, Tony Atlas made professional wrestling history by becoming the first Black @wwe Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.” They won the championship on December 10, 1983.
The WWE match! The star praised his father, saying, “He came the hard way and was a pioneer for all of us men of color in every sport and level of entertainment.”
Dwayne Johnson, 51, shared a memory of his late father Rocky on social media in honor of Black History Month on Friday; photographed in Daytona Beach on February 19
“But it was also very important to him to pave the way for all men, of any color, it didn’t matter.”
Dwayne, who appears in the video as a teenager proudly watching his Pop change the world, wrote about something many adult children feel about their parents.
“What I regret in this life is not having had the opportunity to say goodbye to him because he died suddenly.” Rocky Johnson died of a heart attack January 15, 2020
‘I’m sorry we didn’t reconcile our complicated father-son shit before we lost him. He raised me with tough fatherly love and an even tougher hand.
A father of three, he shares daughters Jasmine, eight, and Tiana, five, with his wife Lauren Hashian. He shares his eldest daughter, Simone, 22, with his ex-wife Dany García.
Recalling the parenting lessons he learned from his father, the Fast X star said, “The longer I live life, the more grateful I am for it.”
“See you on the road, Soulman,” he wrote, adding the hashtags; #blackhistorymonth #wwe.
The tough guy recently shared a tender moment with the founders of The Live For Lily Rose Foundation, who formed the nonprofit after losing their daughter to cancer.
The wrestling champion shared a video of his father’s historic victory in WWE. “My father, along with “Mr USA,” Tony Atlas made pro wrestling history by becoming the first black @wwe Heavyweight Tag Team Champions,” he explained, using the hashtag #blackhistorymonth.
A young Dwayne, who would follow in his father’s footsteps, was present at this historic moment.
Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas, known as The Soul Patrol, won the World Tag Team Championship on December 10, 1983.
The actor, who lost his father to a heart attack in 2020 at the age of 75, said: “I regret not reconciling our complicated father-son shit before we lost him.” ‘He raised me with tough fatherly love and an even tougher hand’ (Photographed in Orlando, FL, in March 2008)
Upon meeting her parents Esperanza and Edwin, the actress knew that Moana was one of Lily’s favorite movies. While watching the Disney movie with her father, she often told him, “Dad, you’re my Maui.”
Despite his tough guy personality, The Rock has a soft heart and often participates in granting wishes as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
“Some things in life I don’t fully understand, so at some point I was lucky and blessed to be in this position,” he wrote of his experience meeting 21 young people through the organization earlier this year.
‘What a day. What a bless. Grateful to the core,’ she said.