It’s well known that when former big names in WWE, like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson or Steve Austin, rejoin the company, they operate under different rules from the current roster, who are frequently given scripted promos or less freedom in their remarks than their previous occasions.
The Rock does use a lot of adult language in his promos, which WWE and FOX must deal with. Dave Meltzer confirmed a previous report that WWE talent has expressed frustration about the double standard that comes with The Rock’s return to television.
One person stated, “he does what he wants and because he’s on the Board of Directors, nobody is going to say anything to him. He also has an entire team of representatives that he surrounds himself with, so any issues they handle while he stays out of the mess with the people he directly deals with.”
Another person stated that there was a belief that the double standard established during Vince McMahon’s reign was over once Triple H took over, but this is not the case. This comes after Nick Khan, Triple H, and Dan Ventrelle (Executive Vice President of Talent) sent a memo to talent reminding them that the company is PG-13 and does not allow cursing on TV or social media, and then Rock returned doing the opposite.
All talent has been told not to use the word “ass” on FOX because they do not want it, but Rock has done so multiple times. Given that he serves on the TKO Board of Directors, The Rock stands out from other talent.
According to the report, “The talent was told that because the company was publicly traded and the wishes of TKO management was for WWE to be TV-PG and he’s on the board, that if anything, he should be the one following the rules to set the example. “
Some believe that Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins should also have their freedom while feuding with The Rock.
