"Nobody's gonna boo you" – WWE legend on his conversation with The Rock before WrestleMania XL (Exclusive)

The Rock underwent a drastic WWE character transformation in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania XL. In an exclusive interview, legendary WWE manager Harvey Wippleman recalled what he told his long-time friend shortly after he became The Final Boss.

On March 15, Wippleman attended a SmackDown event in Memphis, Tennessee, three weeks before WrestleMania XL. The show featured a Rock Concert segment, in which the Hollywood star mocked rivals Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins with a memorable musical performance.

Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter, Wippleman revealed he had doubts about whether fans would boo The Rock's heel persona:

"He insisted that I was present and I was. I was there for that and it was great. I mean, he was portraying the bad guy, so to speak, and I told him, I said, 'I don't care what you do. You ain't gonna be able to turn into the bad guy. Nobody's gonna boo you.'" [18:22 – 18:38]

Watch the video above to hear Wippleman reflect on his long history with the TKO board member.

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Harvey Wippleman on a career-altering moment for The Rock

In 2002, The Rock significantly reduced his WWE schedule to focus on acting. Although he is best known for his roles in action films, the wrestling legend has also appeared in comedies including Tooth Fairy.

Harvey Wippleman believes the former WWE Champion began having more success as an actor when he focused on himself:

"What caused him to become the mega ultra star that he is, is he quit doing those stupid movies. They had him get real skinny and play the tooth fairy, whatever, he finally realized his niche was gonna be taking the bull by the horns. He was either gonna make it or fail on his own terms, and obviously he made it." [17:30 – 17:50]

The Rock recently finished filming The Smashing Machine, a movie about former mixed martial artist Mark Kerr.

The 52-year-old has not appeared on WWE television since the post-WrestleMania XL episode of RAW on April 8. Two nights earlier, he teamed up with Roman Reigns to defeat Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins in his first WWE match in eight years.

What would you like to see next from The Final Boss? Hit the discuss button and let us know.

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