Summary
- Dwayne Johnson and Shawn Michaels have had a long-standing feud in the wrestling industry.
- There are multiple accounts that support the theory of their feud.
- Michaels is now the boss of Johnson's daughter, Simone Johnson (aka Ava Raine).
Long before Dwayne Johnson had starred in a long list of movies that brought in more than $100 million at the box office, he was a young wrestler. When Johnson was still breaking into the business, a wrestler who goes by Shawn Michaels was one of the biggest stars in the WWE. According to many reports, Johnson and Michaels never got along.
Now that Johnson is incredibly rich and a major movie star, his eldest daughter has been following in his footsteps as a wrestler. In an interesting twist of fate, Michaels is now the boss of Johnson's daughters which makes observers wonder if they get along.
Did Dwayne Johnson Hate Shawn Michaels?
For several years, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was one of the biggest stars in the wrestling business. During that time, Johnson had storylines with pretty much every other wrestler who was near the top of the business and many mid-carders too.
However, The Rock never had a feud with Shawn "HBK" Michaels even though they were both huge stars and could have made a lot of money together. Since wrestling fans took note of that storyline that never was, there has been a lot of discussion about Johnson and Michaels. Ultimately, it is widely accepted among wrestling fans that Johnson resented Michaels and refused to work with him.
As evidenced by the fact that Johnson was very public about his feud with Vin Diesel, he certainly isn't shy about disliking people. As a result, it seems remarkable that Johnson has never really publicly confirmed that he hated Michaels and wouldn't work with him.
Since Johnson hasn't confirmed the theory, that may make many people wonder why it is so commonly believed. The reason for that is simple, there is a lot of evidence that seems to confirm that Johnson had an issue with Michaels and wouldn't work with him.
In 2021, Bret Hart spoke about Johnson and Michaels' relationship when The Rock was still starting his career in the WWE. According to what Hart said on "The 81 Podcast", Michaels and Triple H tried to mess with Johnson's career early on because The Rock was friends with Hart. That said, it is worth noting that Hart and Michaels had bad blood for years in real life when considering Hart's comments.
"Triple H and maybe even Shawn [Michaels], were pretty ruthless," said Bret Hart. "If someone was tied to me or connected to me, they would try to ruin them. Even Dwayne Johnson [The Rock]. They really tried to crack him and bust his chops."
Chris Jericho gave an alternative origin story of Johnson's anger for Michaels. According to what Jericho said on his own podcast "Talk is Jericho" in 2020, Johnson may have resented Michaels since he was a kid.
"As far as I know, it's true, from what The Rock told me. It's the reason why The Rock and Shawn Michaels never worked a match. I think Shawn might have insulted The Rock when he was a kid in Hawaii or something, The Rock’s got a long memory."
On top of Hart and Jericho, Johnson's own father has commented on his son's issues with Michaels. In 2017, Rocky Johnson was interviewed by Hannibal TV and relayed the story of his son fighting Michaels for real in a WWE locker room.
"Shawn threw the (sweet chin music) and I guess he kicked him a little too hard. So, Dwayne went back in the dressing room and said, 'Hey man, you hit me a little too hard. Calm down.' But then, (Michaels) got smart with him, said, 'If you can't take it then you shouldn't be in this business.' Next thing you know, he's on the floor and Dwayne is on top of him."
If that wasn't enough, Michaels essentially confirmed he had a difficult relationship with Johnson while speaking to Sportsmail's Alex McCarthy. During a 2023 interview, Michaels acknowledged how "difficult" he used to be, and he described making peace with Johnson
"We all change and we grow. I for one always go back to the Hall of Fame when we did get to see each other and talk with each other and make peace.." That said, when Michaels appeared on "ImPAULsive with Logan Paul" in 2022, he stated that the bad blood he had with Johnson was exaggerated.
“I’ve never worked with him. The times I’ve seen him, we’ve always gotten along okay. I don’t think it was as bad as everyone made it out to be.”
Based on all the available information, it seems pretty undeniable that Johnson and Michaels have been on bad terms in the past. The only thing that really appears to be up for debate is how much they disliked each other.
Why Is Shawn Michaels The Boss Of Dwayne Johnson's Daughter?
In 2008, Dwayne Johnson had a very special experience at the WWE Hall of Fame. The night before WrestleMania that year, Johnson inducted his grandfather "High Chief" Peter Maivia and his father "Soulman" Rocky Johnson into the WWE Hall of Fame.
In 2020, Johnson's daughter Simon Johnson signed a contract with the WWE. Now a fourth-generation wrestler, Simone Johnson has adopted the wrestling name Ava Raine, and she performs as a part of NXT.
For non-wrestling fans, NXT is a "developmental" brand operated by the WWE. What that means is most of the performers who are a part of NXT's roster are still learning the skills they need to be a top star.
As a part of NXT, Ava Raine has joined a cultish group of wrestlers known as Schism. In that role, Simone Johnson has been able to hone her acting skills which she employs to portray her character, Ava Raine. Simone Johnson has also been able to compete in a few matches that have been watched by millions of fans.
After years of success, WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels retired from in-ring competition. Years after that, Michaels became an executive when he was named as WWE's Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative. What that essentially means is Michaels is in charge of NXT's creative direction which makes him Simone Johnson's boss.
Thankfully for Simone Johnson, Michaels appears to be very happy with her progress and attitude. In 2023, Michaels talked to Sportsmail's Alex McCarthy about getting to work with The Rock's daughter and her attitude. "It’s funny because I get to work with his daughter every day. She’s a wonderful young lady and it's one of those things where I can do my best to help Ava every day."
In 2022, Michaels took place in a Q&A with the press covering NXT. During that session, Michaels praised Simone Johnson for what she has brought to Schism. “From a character standpoint, she’s been a huge kick-in-the-shorts, shall I say, for the Schism. I think she’s doing fantastic. We were just talking about it the other day, just her facials, she looks fantastic, there’s, she’s really getting comfortable, I think, and that’s the most important thing. She’s really beginning to, as we say, get into this character, and enjoy the process.”
