If you smell, what The Rock, is cooking.
>> Without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest sports entertainer,
the world has ever seen.
>> Finally, The Rock has come back.
>> Rocky, Rocky, Rocky,
Rocky, Rocky.
>> Rocky Maivia.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> The future right there.
>> Rocky Maivia, let me see, wow where do we start?
>> Leifi Peter Maivia.
>> Rocky Johnson.
>> Growing up in a family of wrestling was incredibly influential,
I remember being four years old at the matches.
That's me and there were my mother and my grandmother,
my grandfather wrestling Harley Race for the NWA World title in New Zealand.
Yeah this is one of my favorite plays right here, of course you
see me nailing Charlie Ward, he went on that year to win the Heisman Trophy.
My career at the University of Miami helped shape my understanding,
of hard work.
And, once I recognized that my football career had come to an end and
I wanted to close that chapter in my life well what's the next chapter,
what's the next challenge?
What I hope to do is earn that respect of the World Wrestling Federation superstars
and ultimately, win the World Wrestling Federation championship.
Vince McMahon I first shook his hand when I was 11 years old,
the impact that his family has had in my family's life, my grandfather working for
his dad, my dad working for him.
He just gave me an opportunity, that's all I wanted, I just wanted a shot.
>> I signed a very basic minimum, no guarantee rookie contract.
I was brought up to Stanford and
I spent a lot of time in a warehouse with Tom Prichard.
And we would work our asses off, He said,
I got the ring name that they want you to use and I said cool, what is it?
>> Ladies and gentlemen take a special look, at the first third generation
athlete in the history of the World Wrestling Federation, Rocky Maivia.
>> Meet Rocky Maivia,
the Samoan sensation following his family heritage right into the WWF.
>> It's I hate that he goes, really why?
I said well, cuz I just wanna make it on my own,
I never wanted to ever feel like I was riding the coattails of my family.
Or, ever feel like anything was handed to me because of what they were able to do I
wanted to prove that I can make it on my own, that was important to me.
When I finally talked to Vince he said, your story is very special and
you're the first third-generation wrestler we have.
And I want you to honor in a way your grandfather and your dad,
you're still gonna have to prove yourself in the ring that doesn't change.
And you gotta prove yourself to the fans, but honor them for the road they paved.
[MUSIC]
Such a tremendous honor to take my father's name and
my grandfather's last name, and combine the two.
[COUGH] And I'll tell you what, couldn't be a better place than
Madison Square Garden, Survivor Series, my debut in the World Wrestling Federation.
>> [NOISE] >> Walking in Madison Square Garden, and
walking in the locker room, and just setting my wrestling bag down and
looking around.
And imagining all the history that is in this dressing room that I'm changing in
and walking around seeing guys like Bret Hart and the WWF champ Shawn Michaels,
it's something else.
So just thinking of the millions of people who are gonna be watching on
pay-per-view and I just want to do something tonight hopefully I can to
really make my family proud.
>> Welcome live to the WWF Survivors Series, welcome to Madison Square Garden.
[MUSIC]
>> Things were aligned in a incredibly powerful way for
it to all campaign to Madison Square Garden.
And this is a place too that,
I watched my grandfather when I was five years old in Madison Square Garden.
>> This is where every wrestler in the world are dreaming of coming to.
>> Watch my dad when I was 12 years old.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> In Madison Square Garden.
>> It's the greatest ring in the world, and I had that luck and
that opportunity to make a dream of mine come true.
>> First third generation WWF superstar ever his father, really made a name for
himself here in Madison Square Garden and so did his grandfather, Rocky Maivia.
>> One of the most memorable nights of my life was the very first night,
that I debuted as Rocky Maivia, Madison Square Garden Survivor Series.
>> His very first match in the World Wrestling Federation Rocky Maivia very
look at this and The King no, he's in there with a wrong individual in The King.
>> The veteran came from Memphis as an my.
>> No.
>> He's 6'5'' 275 is Rocky Maivia.
>> Unbelievable agility, yes sir.
>> [APPLAUSE] Rocky, Rocky, Rocky.
>> They're already chanting his name the entire building-
>> But it won't be over the last time.
>> And I won the whole thing.
>> One two, I can't believe it, I can't believe it.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> Here is your winner, Rocky Maivia.
>> What a way to make your debut, with the Big Show,
in the Big Apple, at the Survivor Series.
>> It was such a special night Madison Square Garden,
I'll never forget it never, ever, forget it.
>> [APPLAUSE]