How Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Went From $40 Per Wrestling Match To $89 Million In One Year Dwayne Johnson has gone a long way in his career. The great actor typically earns more than $20 million each part, yet there was a period when he made nearly nothing from wrestling. Johnson first came to attention as the star of Hollywood movies such as The Sandman and Death Stalkers, but it was his role as the red-hot wrestler DDP that put him on the map. Before becoming The Rock, Johnson was known as Rocky Maivia. He debuted in 2001 and quickly became one of the most popular wrestlers in the world. During his time in WWE (now called World Wrestling Entertainment), The Rock appeared in several television shows including Monday Night Raw and SmackDown Live. He also did some voice work for various video games. In addition to his acting career, The Rock has been involved in many other business ventures over the years. He is the owner of the Dwayne Johnson Foundation, which provides support to children's hospitals. The Rock also owns the Colorado Crush ice hockey team and had an appearance deal with Nike. The Rock made his wrestling debut at the young age of 31 and within a few months was one of the top draw cards in the industry. In 2002, he signed a contract with World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and was given the gimmick of "the character who would become The Rock".