Skip to main content
Inside The Ropes
  • News

    WWE News

    AEW logo for their Dynamite TV show

    AEW News

    Japan News

    Wrestling News

  • Features
    10 Former WWE Superstars We'd Like To See Return Under The Triple H Regime

    10 Former WWE Superstars We’d Like To See Return Under The Triple H Regime

    AEW Battle of the Belts

    How To Improve AEW Battle Of The Belts

    Shooting Star Press

    5 Most Insanely Dangerous Pro Wrestling Moves

    5 Times The Undertaker Was Genuinely Scary

    5 Times The Undertaker Was Genuinely Scary

  • Interviews
    Rick Boogs

    Interview With Rick Boogs

    JONAH

    Interview With JONAH

    Rosemary Interview

    Interview With Rosemary

    Jay White

    Interview With Jay White

  • Podcasts
    Power Slam Podcast #251 – Post SummerSlam RAW, Pat McAfee & More

    Listen
    What’s Going Down #85 – SummerSlam, Ric Flair & More

    Listen
    Wrestling Roast #70 – Tractors, Returns & Retirements

    Listen
    Power Slam Podcast #250 – Triple H As Head Of Creative, WrestleMania 40 & More

    Listen
  • Quizzes
    Play Word Rumble

    Play Word Rumble

    WWE logo

    Can You Name Every WWE Pay-per-view?

    WWE Survivor Series sole survivors quiz

    Can You Name All The WWE Survivor Series Sole Survivors?

    WWE Smackdown logo

    Can You Name Every Wrestler That Competed On The First SmackDown?

  • Live Tours
  • Shop
    Magazine
    Clothing
    Accessories
    Collectibles
  • Trending
  • Follow us:
    • Facebook Facebook
    • Twitter Twitter
    • Instagram Instagram
  • Watch us:
    • YouTube YouTube
    • Twitch Twitch
  • Subscribe to the Magazine
  • Play Word Rumble
Wrestling News

DDP On Meeting The Rock – “There’s Only One People’s Champion”

By Lyle Kilbane. Published 29th June 2021.
The Rock DDP

DDP has recalled his first meeting with The Rock where the two men traded barbs over who the real People’s Champion was.

DDP has had a wrestling career like no other, winning the WCW World Championship for the first time at the age of 43 in 1999. Diamond Dallas Page held that title on two more occasions before joining the WWF after WCW was bought by Vince McMahon in 2001.

Speaking at the inaugural Inside The Ropes Live event in July 2013, DDP recalled his first ever meeting with The Rock. Both men spent much of their careers in rival organisations both claiming to be the People’s Champion.

DDP stated:

“So now I’m leaving, walking out the door. And right before I get out the door, I hear, ‘Hey Diamond’. And as Big Show gets out of my way. I can see Rock putting on one of his fifteen hundred dollar Versace shirts and he says, ‘you know, there’s only one people’s champion’, and Big Show’s like, ‘ohhhhhhhhh’, and I just look at him, took that pregnant pause and said, ‘you know, Rock, you’re right… And you, well, you’re looking at him’. Oh, well, out the door.”

That conversation with The Rock was in DDP’s mind when he pitched a feud with his rival People’s Champion for his WWF debut. Unfortunately for DDP, the higher-ups in the company already had other plans in mind for the master of the Diamond Cutter.

DDP explained:

“So that’s in my mind. I don’t tell that to Vince. I said, Vince, I’m the real people’s champion. I said, Rock ain’t here right now. I said, let me show up. Kill all the lights in the building, everyone will think it’s Jericho with 10 seconds in JR is going, ‘hold on, we’ve got some technical difficulty’. And then you hear for the first time ever. ‘Who’s the real people’s champion?’ Spotlight. You’re looking at him – all the little explosions, I go to the ring, I go Rock’s doing that movie, I go, ‘let’s shoot that, that’s money’. And this is where I should have known something was fucked up because they went ‘hmmmmm, because we really love the stalker thing’.”

No match between Diamond Dallas Page and The Rock ever took place however, DDP did debut in the WWF antagonising another company megastar in The Undertaker. DDP memorably revealed himself as the man who was stalking Undertaker’s then-wife, Sara.

During the conversation, DDP also recalled his first meeting with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon where he gave McMahon a warm embrace.

You can find more clips from past Inside The Ropes Live events on the Inside The Ropes YouTube channel.

  • Facebook
    Share
  • Twitter
    Tweet
  • WhatsApp
    Send
  • Share

Popular Stories

  1. Former WWE Superstar Details Wanting To Sleep With Paul Heyman
  2. Former WWE Diva Opens Up About Heat With Batista
  3. AEW Star Hidden For “Not Being Friends With The Boss” – Jim Cornette
  4. “Tony’s Struggling” – Dave Meltzer On Growing Gap Between AEW & WWE
  5. USA Network Pitched Interim Raw World Title During Roman Reigns’ Reign
  6. Backstage Reason Why AJ Styles Won The WWE Championship In The UK
  7. Braun Strowman Involved In Truck/Boat Accident On McMahon Road
  8. Ric Flair Gets Into Brawl At Puerto Rican Show Just A Week After Final Match
  9. WWE Superstar Acting As Bridesmaid For Tay Conti’s Wedding
  10. WWE Star Seemingly Suffers Head Injury During Live Event
Inside The Ropes
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Podcasts
  • Magazine
  • Write For Us
  • Facebook Facebook
  • Twitter Twitter
  • Instagram Instagram
  • YouTube YouTube
  • Twitch Twitch
© 2022 ITR Digital Media Limited. Read about our privacy policy.