The following contains spoilers for Young Rock Season 3, Episode 1, "The People Need You," which aired Nov. 4 on NBC.
NBC's Young Rock is giving fans insight into Dwayne Johnson's past -- from his youth, to his university days playing football in Miami to how his NFL dream never came to be. In addition, the series has provided backstage access in the form of untold stories from his WWF career and how he learned from his dad Rocky Johnson.
Johnson's large fan base is enjoying so much of his genuine character coming across. It's easy to see why his Black Adam attracted so many viewers. The backstory provided in Young Rock certainly foreshadows how he became such a big star in wrestling and on the movie screen. Season 3 brings the series back to the 1980s once more to reinforce how Vince McMahon was one of the driving personalities in Johnson's career -- and how brutal he was.
Young Rock's Rocky Johnson Broke His WWF Contract
Rocky has been a divisive figure throughout the series -- wanting to be a family man yet sacrificing family time for his career. That's exactly why McMahon liked him, however; he spotted a true showman and someone dedicated to the business. However, a flashback to 1985 shows that Rocky feels slighted when McMahon doesn't include him in the first WrestleMania. The lineup is packed with superstars like Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Mr. T and "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.
Incensed, Rocky heads off to Saudi Arabia to secretly wrestle for another promoter and breaks his exclusive contract with McMahon. Pat Patterson finds out and tries to placate Rocky by letting him know McMahon is okay with it. He claims that once Rocky wrestles there under the World Wrestling Federation banner, he would be opening up the Middle-Eastern market. But McMahon isn't copacetic at all.
Young Rock Witnesses Vince's Ruthless Aggression
After WrestleMania, McMahon holds a party in New York and invites his A-listers. While they celebrate the company's partnership with Cyndi Lauper (played by WWE superstar Becky Lynch), McMahon turns on Rocky in a heel move fit for the ring. Rather than hug him, he chides him in a condescending manner in front of everyone -- saying Rocky can take the knife out of McMahon's back. Dwayne sees this and it's a harsh lesson in ethics and morals. That likely informed why he became so shrewd during his WWE stint alongside the likes of Mankind and his business acumen when sealing deals for the likes of Black Adam and its potential sequels.
As Dwayne relays the story to Randall Park in 2032, he confesses that McMahon buried his dad professionally. Rocky soon fell off TV and live shows, and by 1987 he was fighting in parking lots to make ends meet. Rocky still loved wrestling, but his son saw firsthand how his passion declined. While McMahon eventually became a villain on-air, he was equally harsh behind the scenes. The rebranded WWE would later break into the Saudi market with events like Crown Jewel. While Rocky helped start its fan base there, he was punished for taking that risk.
Young Rock airs Fridays at 8:30 p.m. on NBC and streams on Peacock.