Dwayne Johnson Admits Preparation for WWE Return Was ‘Incredibly Hard’

Dwayne Johnson opens up about the substantial preparation that went into his first full-length match in over a decade last year.

Johnson, also know as The Rock, teamed up with Roman Reigns in a tag-team match against Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins on the first night of WrestleMania 40. His last full-length match was WrestleMania 29 in 2013.

In the match against John Cena, Johnson suffered several injuries, including a torn abdomen and adductor muscles, as well as a hernia, according to an ESPN profile by Mike Coppinger and Marc Raimondi. While dealing with an 11-year hiatus was already a pretty significant hurdle to overcome, Johnson was also returning to the ring at the age of 52.

"It's incredibly hard," Johnson told People. "The training becomes really extensive, and the training camp becomes extensive."

"So, I went [to] training camp for WrestleMania, which was about an eight- to nine-week training camp," he added. "It's really fast, and fortunately, I was able to get through it all."

According to the ESPN profile on Johnson's return, the WWE shipped a ring to Los Angeles where the 52-year-old resides, so he could train alongside a trio of NXT wrestlers known as Gallus. This was an attempt to mimic what he would encounter during his match involving Reigns, Rhodes and Rollins.

These training sessions were supervised by WWE Hall of Famer Michael "P.S." Hayes and Bobby Roode, who now serves as a producer. A WWE medical team was also present to ensure that everything was run safely.

Johnson told ESPN that the portion of his preparation that involved him refamiliarizing himself with all of the aspects associated with wrestling was comparable to "riding a bike."

While Johnson did everything in his power to prepare for his WrestleMania 40 match, he also credits Rollins and Rhodes for being "great dance partners."

Now, with WrestleMania 41 exactly four months away, many are wondering if Johnson will get back in the ring.