"I'm proud of him" - 6-time WWE Champion thinks The Rock has taken over Hollywood by himself (Exclusive) 

WWE has produced a handful of megastars over the years, but very few can match Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's star power. During a recent chat with Sportskeeda's very own Bill Apter, Steve Austin said he was proud of The Rock and opened up about the former WWE Champion's success in Hollywood.

Austin felt that The Rock had showcased the capability to transition from professional wrestling to showbiz right from his days in WWE. Steve Austin respects Dwayne Johnson's hard work and dedication as The Rock is one of the busiest personalities in the entertainment industry.

The WWE icons drew a lot of money for WWE during their memorable feud, and Austin stated that he enjoyed working with The Rock during their respective primes:

Here's what he noted during the latest Sportskeeda Wrestling exclusive:

"Everybody is doing their thing, but yeah, I could definitely see back then that a guy like him would have the capability and the ability and the want to succeed like he has," said Steve Austin. "He has done it through nothing but hard a** work. Props to him. I loved our matches together. I have always loved working with him, and I'm proud of him. I'm happy for all of his success because he is just killing it, and he is working his a** off." [6:59 - 7:30]

The Hall of Famer continued to talk about The Rock's impact as an entertainer and felt that the WWE veteran had carved out a unique path for himself in Hollywood. Unlike many who crossed over into the world of movies, Austin believed Johnson didn't abide by the traditional patterns and went about creating his own empire.

"This larger-than-life character that he was in that movie, and then he didn't almost try to fit into Hollywood standards. No, no, no, just let me do this my way. So the thing I like about The Rock is, he goes, 'Hey man, I'm not just going to just mold myself down. I'm just going to be me, and that's what he has done. He has taken over Hollywood by himself." [6:31 - 6:58]

Steve Austin feels The Rock was destined to become a movie star after his WWE run

Steve Austin noted that while The Rock was passionate about wrestling due to his Samoan lineage, The Great One was always open to becoming a full-time actor.

The Rock got his big break in Hollywood when he played the lead protagonist in The Scorpion King in 2002, and he hasn't looked back since.

The Rock has proved that he belongs in Hollywood, and Steve Austin, too, never had any doubts about his former rival's potential to be a mainstream movie star.

Austin added:

"You know, who would have figured? But that's what he had his sights set on. And he is a third-generation pro wrestler, and so he got into the business because of a passion for the business and then also saw the light on the other side, or the light at the end of the tunnel. That first tunnel was maybe that first Scorpion King movie, and I think it only took one screenshot of him looking like a movie star." [6:00 - 6:30]

Which is your favorite movie featuring The Rock? Share it in the comments section below.

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