.
[classical music]
- Randall, good morning. - Hey.
I just got up myself.
- Yeah, you look like you've been there
all night since we talked.
- I didn't want to miss anything else.
I'm really not looking forward to reading the part
in my article where I write about sleeping soundly
while you and the Prime Minister became fast friends.
- Well, you missed way more than us becoming fast friends
because she agreed to hear me out on the coffee trade deal.
Said we'd get into it today.
- Maybe I'm not cut out for hard journalism.
Maybe I belong at a desk
talking to a French Bulldog named Cheese.
- Who? - Oh, come on.
You really don't watch my show?
Why would I lie about that?
- Dwayne, I am so sorry, but I'm afraid our coffee talk
is going to have to wait for a later time.
all chanting: Respect our choice!
Our mouths and our voice!
- Respect our choice! - Why are they protesting?
- We held a public vote to rename the tallest mountain
in Gjelgjiughm, which was called Cannibal's Peak
due to a gruesome tragedy
that involved our national soccer team
after a team building hike went awry.
- Wow. Yeah, I would change that name too.
Which is what we tried to do.
We took submissions from our citizens for a few names
and then we put them to a vote.
Well, now, the vote is over,
and apparently the people are angry with me
for not ratifying their choice for the new name.
- Which is? - "Billy, Will You Go
To the Dance With Me, It's Maria Mountain."
It was submitted by an 11-year-old,
and it won by a landslide.
I'm supposed to look out for the people, right?
And make the calls that are
sometimes too tough for them to make on their own.
- Mm. I struggled in my relationship
with the public too,
especially earlier on in my career
when The Rock became a household name.
At first, things were great.
I was being myself,
and my popularity was skyrocketing,
so Vince used my growing stature
to create a little unrest in the Nation of Domination.
The Rock feels like this, Farooq.
You are the greatest thing since an egg white omelet,
so The Rock offers you this.
See, I had just bought my fellow Nation members Rolexes,
but I had a special gift for Farooq.
Hey, go ahead. Go ahead. Show the world.
Why don't you turn it around here?
[upbeat rock music]
- * You can't take your eyes off me *
God, I love that angle.
My recipe for success was simple.
I trusted my gut, and good things would happen.
- Damn, kid. I ain't heard a pop like that in years, man.
- Thanks, brother. The Attitude Era
was taking off in the WWF.
Attendance records across the country,
and our rosters were stacked.
Rest...in...peace.
I got two words for you.
Suck it!
- You ain't got the balls to beat me.
- And that's the bottom line, 'cause Stone Cold says so.
I'm Chad Frost.
Wait, who's Chad Frost?
- At the time, Chad and Stone Cold
were the two biggest stars in the WWF.
- Really? I know everyone from that era,
and I don't remember a Chad Frost.
- I'll get to that, but first...
- Hey, Rock. We're gonna go grab some beers.
- You wanna join? - Uh, no.
I like to wake up in the next town I'm wrestling in.
- Yo, I promise you, you'll wake up in the next town.
You just might not know how you got there.
[laughter]
- Those late night drives to the next stop on the circuit
gave me time to catch up with my family.
[phone dials and line rings]
- Do you see how the pillows add a pop of color
- and some back support? - Yeah.
- Ugh, Mom, can you answer that?
- I don't answer phones at other people's houses.
- [groans] - [sighs]
[phone ringing]
- Hello? - Oh, hey, Dad?
- Hey, Dewey. Yeah. Hey, great show tonight.
You heading out with the boys?
No, I'm just driving ahead
to Albuquerque for tomorrow's match.
- Don't make it all about business, honey.
Make sure you enjoy some time with your friends.
- Well, you know how competitive it is.
These guys are so good.
I got to separate myself from the pack.
- That's smart. The locker room can be
a viper's nest if you're not careful.
- A cobra's den. - Uh, no offense,
but this is a different era. These guys have been great.
It's because vipers
are masters of the silent attack, son.
- The dance of the cobra has fooled many a mouse, Dewey.
What they're trying to say is
don't worry about the other guys.
Do your thing, and you're good.
- Uh, yeah, I'll try. [car horn honks]
Let me call you back.
Hey. Nice car.
Oh, thanks, man.
- You should learn how to drive it.
[tires screeching]
[laughs]
.
- One new aspect of the Attitude Era
was that the WWF had started hiring writers
to help with storylines-- like Brian.
- I know that you've always got Triple H's back,
but, you know, I wonder if maybe we shouldn't
sow some division between you two.
No thanks.
Our love is a bond that can't be shaken.
And I am so happy for you,
but, you know, I can't help but wonder for a storyline...
- I said our bond cannot be shaken.
- Would you be open to wearing a funny hat?
Also a pass. Okay.
- Most guys were skeptical of help from anyone
who wasn't a former wrestler,
but I was cool with anyone who had great ideas.
So Brian became kind of my secret weapon.
- Hey, man. - Hi.
- You have something for me? - Oh, yeah.
Vince wants to build
your rivalry with Triple H in a promo tonight.
Here comes the man himself.
- Well, isn't it the cast of "Twins."
What?
- You know, you're big. He's small.
- Bit of a thinker. - Disagree.
- I'm actually average height. - Not really.
- All right, what do you guys wanna hit
- for your promo tonight? - Easy. I'll come at you
with how obsessed you are with yourself.
- Ooh, I like that. We've been leaning into that
- with the Nation stuff already. - Hey, and I got this idea.
Last night, this dude on the road
reeled me in with a compliment
then blindsided me with an insult.
I'll go at you.
You hit me with a comeback, and we're out.
- Hey, Brian. - Yeah.
- What's something I can reel him in with
and then destroy him?
Well...you ever notice
how he speaks in promos?
[laughs]
- Look at The Rock-uh.
So pleased with himself-uh.
He's got his own name on his ass-uh.
You know, Triple H,
that's why they call you the Cerebral Assassin,
because there's not one detail that gets by you.
But speaking of asses, is yours okay?
Because every time you talk, you sound constipated.
[laughter]
I could've ended there,
but my gut told me to push it.
[mimics Triple-H] Tonight-uh...
I am The Game-uh...
and for the next 20 minutes-uh
I'm gonna be talking like this-uh
and saying absolutely nothing-uh.
[cheers and applause]
[upbeat rock music]
* *
Hey, Pat. Not bad, huh?
- Yeah, yeah. Triple H talks funny.
Listen.
You were a minute heavy on that promo.
- You gotta stay on time, Dewey. - Yes, sir.
What the hell, man?
You were going to insult me,
not do some long-ass impression.
- I got us a pop. - You got yourself a pop.
Man, you have a really big head.
When you only look out for yourself,
no one's gonna wanna work with you.
So why don't you go take your funny lines
and stick them up your [bleep]?
I don't get it, man.
I do an impression, the crowd pops,
and Hunter's whining about it
saying I'm only looking out for myself.
Look, man, you're blowing up.
The company clearly sees your star potential.
So then what's the problem?
- As someone rises, someone else has to fall.
The more you push for greatness,
the more you gonna have to watch your back.
Viper's den.
- It's actually cobra's den, viper's nest.
- Why does a cobra get a den and a viper gets a nest?
- If you're lucky, you'll never find out.
- Did you eat your chimichanga Brian style?
Covered in ketchup.
- Putting ketchup on everything is Brian style?
- Also great on spaghetti. - Oh, my God.
- All right, listen up. [clears throat]
Bit of an announcement.
Unfortunately, Chad Frost has injured his knee
and will be out for six months.
That's a blow to the roster, so the rest of the company
will need to step up while he recovers.
- I guess this's the only way I'm getting a vacation.
[laughter]
Thank you.
Hey, hang in there, Chad.
Ah, I'll be all right. Hey.
- Keep killing it, bro. - I appreciate that, brother.
You got it.
- [sighs] That's rough.
- Chad is a class act. - Yeah. Totally.
But Chad Frost and Stone Cold
are the company's two biggest stars.
With him out, that's a big hole at the top of the card.
Vince is gonna be looking for somebody to fill it.
- I wanna be that guy. What do we have to do?
- Show out. Impress Vince. Make the choice undeniable.
- Though Farooq had warned me,
[mellow chords]
- I was already fully The Rock.
* The Rock says that Cleveland *
* Is totally lame * [crowd boos]
And with Brian's help, I dialed it up to 11.
* Hall of fame *
* The Rock has to say, "Aw, shucks" *
We drew upon my love of country music.
* 'Cause Cleveland doesn't rock *
* No, it totally sucks *
[laughs] [crowd booing]
I tested the limits of what a heel could get away with.
Timmy, what a treat it is for you to be here.
Tell The Rock how it makes you feel.
- It makes me... - It doesn't matter
how it makes you feel.
- [crowd booing] - [crying]
- And then there were the catchphrases.
A lotta guys had one, maybe two big lines.
But I thought, "Why limit myself?"
A roody-poo candy ass.
Finally...
- all: The rock has come back... - The Rock has come back
to Memphis.
Know your role and shut your mouth.
In front of the millions... all: And millions.
- And millions of The Rock's fans.
If you smell-l-l-l-l ow
what The Rock is cooking.
[cheers and applause]
Dwayne, you went heavy again.
I don't love it when people mess with
the timing of the show. Throws everything outta whack.
- Of course. I'll work on it. - Good.
You know, SummerSlam's just around the corner.
I'm thinking about putting you up
against Triple H in a ladder match.
- You serious? - Yeah.
You would be the match before the main event.
Stone Cold had that slot at last year's SummerSlam.
This year, he headlined WrestleMania.
It's amazing. Thank you.
- But I can't have you going heavy.
Especially since I been hearing things.
- Hearing things? What things?
- Don't worry about it. It's not important.
This a big moment. Lotta eyeballs on you.
I want to make sure you can handle
that kind of spotlight the way I need you to.
Can't have you getting a big head, you know?
Right. Big head.
Turns out the vipers weren't trying to poison me.
They were poisoning Vince.
So I went to confront the snake.
- Just got off the phone with my wife.
Corn worms got to my tomato plants again.
- Moths ate one of my turtlenecks.
Hunter, let's talk.
Ooh, am I in trouble?
[laughs]
- So that's how you're gonna play it, huh?
- Come after my big head. - What are you talking about?
- You can't handle the heat in the ring, so you go off
and tattle to Daddy Vince behind my back?
- Whoa, I didn't tattle about nothing to nobody,
especially not to Vince.
You need to get your story straight.
- Man, Triple H denied the whole thing.
- What whole thing? - He was the one
who trash talked me to Vince behind my back.
Told him I had a big head or something like that,
which is true technically, but it's proportionally right
- for my body. - It wasn't him.
I know because I was there when it happened.
- Look, all I'm sayin' is Rock ain't ready.
I mean, he thinks he's better than everybody.
The guys don't trust him.
I just don't know if he can handle the top spot.
- I appreciate you telling me this.
It matters to me what my best guys think.
[edgy music]
* *
- I'm so much smaller than all the guys,
people just forget I'm there.
I get it now.
Chad Frost wasn't a real wrestler.
- It's a pseudonym. - That's right.
That guy never turned out to be a friend,
and I'll just leave it there.
Oh, my wrestling blogs,
they are gonna be blowing up
about Chad Frost's true identity.
[sighs]
Chad Frost smiled at me,
shook my hand, looked me in the eye,
and he still did that?
- Yeah, I couldn't believe it either.
- Dad was right. Viper's nest.
I told you. Tell him.
- Cobra's den. - Yeah.
And now I have a ladder match
with a guy I just chewed out for no reason.
How am I supposed to show Vince I'm the guy
when I'm working with someone who doesn't trust me?
You got great instincts,
but the guys need to know once you get in the ring
and follow your gut that you're gonna take 'em with you.
You do that, you'll earn his trust.
- Madison Square Garden has been sold out for months.
This is the tenth annual SummerSlam.
[upbeat rock music]
* *
- Hey, brother. Let's do this.
With my dad's words running through my head,
I knew what I had to do.
- You have 20 minutes, Dewey. Tear the house down.
* *
- [sighs] Showtime.
[cheers and boos]
- The structure in this match, folks,
who've never seen a ladder match:
No pinfalls or submissions.
The Intercontinental belt will be attached to that apparatus.
They'll defend it over the ring.
Only way to reach it is on the ladder.
And of course, the first man to reach the belt
is the winner.
- [indistinct] - All right.
Okay, ring the bell. Let's go.
.
- Two of the great young athletes in the WWF.
Gonna strut their stuff here
on pay-per-view at SummerSlam.
[cheers and applause]
Puts The Rock down, and now Triple H...
Going out for the ladder.
Triple H delivers the--
oh, man!
And he's down again.
Now he wants a chair.
Isn't there enough steel in the ring?
Oh!
And he got a real spike!
Tossed him outside.
What's he gonna do now?
He's got some evil intentions here.
Uhh!
[crowd commotion]
- I was determined to show Triple H that
I was willing to put my body on the line for him,
work with him, and do whatever I had to do
to get this match over with the fans.
[dramatic music]
- You got color? What's your angle?
No angle.
This ain't about me. This is about us.
[cheers and applause]
* *
I just hope what I said got through to him.
- And Helmsley's going for The Rock.
This is a match-- you bet they are.
Right hand by Triple H.
[cheers and applause]
- Now, Helmsley putting the ladder in position.
He's up there. Second rung, third.
Well, these two young studs
are taking it out on each other.
Okay, good.
Tell him to bring it home.
- Nice work, boys. Time to go home.
- I sensed the crowd hadn't peaked yet.
They wanted more.
[sighs] Not yet.
We got more work to do.
You trust me?
- Not really. But let's do this.
- Oh, what a--what a physical, thrilling battle.
They are dissecting each other here
in this ladder match at SummerSlam.
I said wrap it up, damn it!
That's some bomb!
Helmsley had just hit Rock bottom.
- Seriously, Rock? Straight from Vince.
- Time to go home. - Hang on, Mike.
You got it now, Rock.
- Helmsley is writhing in pain.
How much more can these human beings take?
- No, no way. No way. Oh!
Can you imagine how that feels?
Oh, wait a minute.
The People's Elbow? Yes!
You're kidding!
Yeah!
That was just heinous.
The People's Elbow was able...
driven right on Helmsley's heart.
With that pop we got,
you would've thought the roof was gonna cave in.
Okay.
I think it's time.
[cheers and applause]
Helmsley again, on one leg.
He can barely put weight on his right knee.
He's inches away. Inches away.
[dramatic music]
* *
- Oh, those shots. - Man.
- Big time right hand. - Oh.
I would say Rock's gonna get the--oh, Chyna's in.
- Oh! - Oh!
[announcers shouting indistinctly]
- Helmsley is looking for gold. - Get up, Rock!
Get up, Rock! He got it!
- Yes! He did it. [bell rings]
He did it. Triple H did it.
[Triple H's theme song]
Triple H.
- Wow, what an effort by both men.
But Triple H did it on one bad knee.
- [sighs] Hey.
Do me a favor.
Milk the exit.
I'm gonna lay here for a minute.
- Thanks for the direction, Spielberg.
[chuckles]
Even though I had won Triple H over
and gone heavy with the time,
my gut was telling me just lay there in defeat.
Then something incredible happened.
The fans felt for me.
[all chanting "Rocky]
- They started chanting my name like I was a baby face.
chanting: Rocky, Rocky, Rocky, Rocky, Rocky!
That was a moment I will never forget.
- What the hell are you doing out there?
20 minutes means 20 damn minutes.
- Get Stone Cold and Taker going.
- I'm sorry for going heavy, boss.
I know what you're going to say...
- Dwayne, that... [sighs]
Was awesome.
- I proved to Vince that I could be
the WWF's next big star,
side-by-side with Austin, but that match also showed
me and Vince something else.
The fans were ready for The Rock to turn baby face,
and that turn would kickstart
the next epic phase of my career.
Now, everyone's gonna have their opinion on
how I should operate.
But staying true to myself,
even if it means ruffling some feathers,
has always been the key to my success.
You trusted your gut.
- Yes, exactly, and it's always paid off for me.
- I can't let them name that mountain.
- There you go. Your gut has spoken.
- [chuckles] Okay.
Well, if you will excuse me,
I need to go and draft a statement.
- Sounds good. - Thank you, Dwayne.
- Any time, Prime Minister. - Okay.
- Any time. - All right
That was nice.
I thought you might bring up the trade deal at the end.
Nah, it didn't feel right.
I got to listen to my gut.
The opportunity will present itself.
Hey, watch out for the grass crabs around here.
- They love an exposed ankle. - Oh.
[phone chimes]
I stood on the lawn worried about grass crabs.
How did I get here? [phone chimes]
Uh, play Talking Heads.