Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson joins Oprah Winfrey in effort to aid victims of Maui wildfires

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson joins Oprah Winfrey in effort to aid victims of Maui wildfires

Dwayne Johnson, one of the biggest voices in American pop culture today, and Oprah Winfrey have banded together to try and make a difference.

WWE fans likely recognize Johnson the most from his lengthy tenure in the promotion as “The Rock.” Across his career as a pro wrestler, he captured numerous championships and is considered by many to be one of the best of his generation. Outside of wrestling, Johnson has turned an initially modest acting career into a Hollywood-dominating career.

Johnson recently took to social media alongside Oprah Winfrey to announce that the two have started the People’s Fund of Maui. Together, the two have already donated $10 million to the fund. Those older than 18 in the affected areas of Lahaina and Kula on the island of Maui will receive $1,200 per month.

We're honored to announce the People’s Fund of Maui, a fund putting money directly in the pockets of those who were affected by the recent wildfires.

As @Oprah and I have seen firsthand, the impacts of these wildfires have been devastating, and we’re here to ensure with 100%… pic.twitter.com/iH6cPwbQ3k

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) August 31, 2023

Dwayne Johnson notably has a rich ethnic heritage, and while his Samoan roots are on full display, he notably has some Hawaiian blood through his mother. Due to this, the WWE veteran likely feels some personal attachment to those affected by the wildfires.

Outside of this tragedy, Johnson is interestingly causing some buzz on Netflix. According to FlixPatrol, Johnson’s 2015 hit series Ballers is making a resurgence on the streaming app, which could lead to a show revival.

Dwayne Johnson was advised against returning to the WWE

Since transitioning to Hollywood, Dwayne Johnson has rarely picked up his mantle of The Rock and competed in WWE again. Fans of the veteran have notably criticized this move, but focusing on acting has allowed Johnson to become a far bigger name. While fans want to see him wrestle again, former WWE writer Brian Gewirtz believes this wouldn’t be a good idea due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.

“Even though WWE is not affiliated with any of the guilds and not affiliated with SAG, I still think it’s a bad look for a prominent actor like The Rock, Cena, Batista to appear on an entertainment program while there’s a strike going on,” Gewirtz said, according to WrestlingInc. “It’s just not a great look when there’s a strike going on, for one thing.”

(H/T: WrestlingInc).

Outside of his 2016 impromptu match with Erick Rowan, the Rock hasn’t competed in an official WWE match since 2013 🤯 pic.twitter.com/y3Yu5356RI

— WrestlingWorldCC (@WrestlingWCC) August 22, 2023

Despite Gewirtz’s reservations, John Cena will be returning to WWE within this week. It’s currently unclear whether Johnson will pick up his mantle as The Rock anytime soon. Despite being 51-years-old, Johnson is in incredible shape, but realistically: could he still compete in the ring?

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