Hulk Hogan Recalls Rocky Johnson Taking Him Under His Wing

Hulk Hogan recently looked back at his relationship with Rocky Johnson early in his WWE run and more. Hogan spoke about being mentoring by Johnson during his recent interview with Sports Illustrated, and a coupole of highlights are below:

On Rocky Johnson watching his rehearsal with Rock for WrestleMania 18: “I’d known Rocky Johnson for a long time, even before I started to wrestle. He was someone I looked up to. And that day, I can still remember standing in the ring talking with Dwayne, and all we could hear was Rocky Johnson yelling, ‘Dwayne, listen to Hogan!’”

On Johnson taking him under his wing: “Rocky Johnson was wrestling in Florida, and after the matches in Tampa, they’d all go to the Imperial Room. I bet Rock remembers the place because they lived right near it. I’d go just to mark out and see Harley Race and ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham on one side of the room, then Rocky Johnson on the other. This was back when I was in a rock and roll band. I finally got the nerve to speak to the guys, and there was one time where I offered to drive Rocky Johnson to Tallahassee for his match. That was a five-hour drive, but I didn’t care, I was just so excited. I drove him in my girlfriend’s brand-new Ford Torino, and I was so proud to drive him. I ended up driving him a few times, and I’d be gone until the sun came up. Or, if he was on earlier, I’d break every speeding limit to get him back to the Imperial Room before last call. When I went to New York in ‘79 [to work for the World Wrestling Federation], he took me under his wing when he wrestled there. I never forgot that.”