The Rock has responded to the person of who he thinks of when he sees the iconic SmackDown logo, by revealing that he was NOT the creator of the phrase!
In a recent Twitter post, WWE on Fox took to social media with a question for WWE fans, “Who is the first @WWE Superstar you think of when you see this logo?”
The comments section was inundated with Superstars new and old – the likes of D-Generation X, Roman Reigns, Eddie Guerrero, Sasha Banks and Teddy Long were all mentioned by fans. Of course, fans were almost unanimous in naming ‘The People’s Champ’ The Rock as the all time icon of Smackdown.
However, The Great One himself would take to the comments section to share his thoughts, and also reveal that he was not in fact the one who created the term:
Well clearly the dude who coined the name Smackdown in the first place and eventually, made it so famous it’s now in the Webster’s dictionary…and his name is Downtown Bruno
Downtown Bruno, also known as Harvey Wippleman is widely credited as a pivotal character in The Rock’s legendary career. A veteran of professional wrestling, Wippleman has worked both onscreen and backstage for multiple organisations, most notably the World Wrestling Federation.
Well clearly the dude who coined the name Smackdown in the first place and eventually, made it so famous it’s now in the Webster’s dictionary…and his name is Downtown Bruno 😉👊🏾
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) May 26, 2021
The Rock has often praised Harvey Wippleman for his mentorship and guidance throughout his life. In 2020, ‘The Brahma Bull’ named Wippleman as the greatest of all time in the wrestling world. The same year, Rocky would purchase a brand new car for his mentor as a token of appreciation for his lifelong support.
The Rock also took to Instagram to recall his adolescence, having nowhere to go, and his initial run in with Harvey:
Bruno could’ve (and should’ve) said hell no, I’m not takin’ in some kid who I don’t know. But he didn’t. He took this punk kid in and we became lifelong friends.
Then ironically – about 9 years later when I had the infamous “$7 Bucks” in my pocket – I started my wrestling career in Memphis, Tennessee and AGAIN – had no place to live and Bruno took me and let me shake up in his trailer, til I could get on my feet.
SmackDown has evolved from a phrase coined backstage over twenty years ago to a worldwide staple in sports entertainment, watched by millions every week.