Despite being one of the most famous people in the world, Dwayne Johnson doesn’t forget where he comes from, as evidenced when he shared a shot of tequila with veteran wrestling photographer George Napolitano during a press event for Black Adam. The moment was understandably surreal for Napolitano.
Beginning his WWE career as Rocky Maivia in November 1996, The Rock subsequently rose to become one of the top WWE Superstars ever, later using this success to move into the world of acting. With several billion dollars being grossed worldwide from his films, ‘The Brahma Bull’ is regarded as one of the highest-grossing actors.
Dwayne Johnson Remembered George Napolitano
George Napolitano was a recent guest on Busted Open Radio, addressing the heartwarming reunion with Dwayne Johnson in a moment that clearly touched the legendary photographer:
“I’m at the beginning of the so-called ‘carpet’. So I took a picture, flash goes off, I took another picture. He [Dwayne Johnson] gives me a thumbs up and I said, ‘Ok,’ and he mouthed, ‘I’m coming to you.’ I didn’t know what that meant. There’s so many people there that I don’t know, we’ll shake hands.
He told someone he’s working with, ‘Get me my bottle of tequila and two glasses.’ I read his lips. And he makes his way to me and he hands me a glass and says, ‘I want to make a toast to you. In the video, what you see is the middle part, he went into the, ‘Hey, how you doin’, how’s your family, how you feeling?’ It’s always been that way with him, whenever he sees me.”
George Napolitano is a veteran wrestling photographer who has snapped shots of some of the business’ most legendary figures, including Vince McMahon, Ric Flair, and Hulk Hogan, and is responsible for some crucial imagery. Notably, he took a picture of Andre The Giant and Muhammad Ali that was used to announce the Ali vs. Antonio Inoki bout.