Hard Rock
(Vibe Magazine)

Don't hate wrestling star The Rock just because he makes his living smacking down his rivals-or he might throw on some Luther and show your girl what he's got in those little trunks of his.
By Gabrielle L. Gabrielle

Pro-wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has the skills to pay the bills. His signature "Rock Bottom" takedown has helped him conquer even the most savage of gladiators. But the youngest-ever, two-time Intercontinental and three-time World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Champ wasn't always top dog. "I never thought he'd get this far," says Pro Wrestling Illustrated editor Bill Apter, who's known The Rock since he was just a pebble. "When wrestling changed to have a more hardcore edge, I wasn't sure Rocky could change with it. But now he's one of the top guys leading the way." For The Rock, 26, there was never any question he'd make it big. As the 270-pound bruiser puts it, "If God made anything better than The Rock, then he damned sure kept it for himself!" This month The Rock will be putting his money where his mouth is in front of millions of viewers when he goes to battle in WrestleMania XV, one of the biggest pay-per-view events of the year. If all goes according to plan, The Rock will be defending his WWF title against arch nemesis Stone Cold Steve Austin, whom The Rock calls "the biggest piece of trailer trash walking God's green earth." Whether its against redneck rivals or masked maniacs, the champ loves a good fight. But that ain't all that gets a rise out of The Rock.

Q: Pro-wrestlers seem so macho, yet you're always putting your crotches in each other's faces and grabbing each other between the legs.  What's the deal?

A:The Rock has never grabbed any balls. He punches and kicks in balls. But only when the ref's not looking.

Q: Are you worried that when you have your crotch in another wrestler's face, he may be enjoying it just a little too much?

A: Hell you can't blame him. It's The Rock.

Q: The Rock seems like a very virile guy. Which leading lady would you most like to lay across the mat?

A:  I've always had a thing for Angela Bassett. She's just very sexy. In Waiting to Exhale she played a very powerful woman. I like that.

Q: Does that mean The Rock knows his role in a relationship is to let the woman take control?

A: No, The Rock wears the pants in the family. She just tells him what color.

Q: You're such a big guy. Are you ever afraid of crushing a woman when you're in bed with her?

A: Are you kidding me? I'm always smooth and very controlled. And I distribute my weight evenly.

Q: Speaking of weight distribution, those wrestling shorts of yours are very small.

A: Big things come in small packages.

Q: Yum! And speaking of yum, if a woman asked you to put one of these three things in your trunks while you were wrestling, which one would it be: hot fudge, peanut butter, or vanilla pudding?

A: I would have to say the fudge. The fudge seems more appealing than the peanut butter, because I've got a peanut butter complexion as it is.

Q: You are very creamy. How'd you get to be so honey-roasted?

A: I'm half  Black and half   Samoan.

Q: Sounds like a walking identity crisis. What else makes you complex?

A: That I'm The Rock inside the ring, but outside the ring I'm strictly Dwayne Johnson. The Rock couldn't give two pieces of monkey crap about anybody but himself. He's the guy everyone loves to hate. Dwayne Johnson's a good guy. Likes to hang out at home and play video games and listen to music with his wife.

Q: Though you're usually solo when you wrestle, if you had to choose, which rapper would you have as your tag-team partner: Ol' Dirty Bastard, ruff ryder DMX, or pretty boy Mase?

A: Those three guys are cool and all, but I would pick Westside Connection's WC. He can kick ass. And I dig his style. But my all-time favorite musician is Sam Cooke. I've got three books about Sam Cooke. And I swear I sound just like him when I sing.

Q: You sing?

A: Are you kidding me? The Rock does it all.

Q: I bet you do. Speaking of doing it, what's the hardest part of The Rock's body?

A: That all depends.

Q: On what?

A: Timing. Right now, The Rock is relaxing, so it's probably his head. During a match, it's his attitude. And later, after he puts on Luther and gets in the mood, it's something else.

Q: We know that your favorite place to be is in the ring. Where is your favorite place to be on a woman?

A: Without a shadow of a doubt, the booty. I've always been a booty man.

Q: Who's got the best booty?

A: Jennifer Lopez. She's the booty I'd call for a booty call. Hell, I'd even use my cell phone.