Tһe Roсk gets аn unexрeсted рresent from Muһаmmаd Alі’s fаmіly durіng WWE Hаll of Fаme іnduсtіon

Though he was already booked as the special inductor for his grandmother Lia Maivia at the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame induction, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson surprised fans in attendance at the Wells Fargo Center with a second appearance, this time alongside long-time family friend Lonnie Ali during her celebrate of the late, great Muhammad Ali.

Meeting Ali in the middle of the ring, Johnson was awarded a shiny new “People’s Championship” belt adorned with a bejeweled Brahma Bull in the middle. Taking the mic with the title proudly displayed, The Rock thanked Ali for the honor, letting everyone in attendance know why it means so much to him.

“Lonnie, thank you so much for this, it is beautiful. I just want to say that your husband, Muhammad, was one of my heroes, and, when I was a kid, a lot of you may not know, but we spent time with Muhammad and his family. My dad, the ‘Soul Man’ Rocky Johnson, he was a boxer before he was a wrestler, and he spared with Ali, and Ali was one of my heroes,” The Rock told the crowd in Philadelphia.

“And as Lonnie said, your boy joined a faction called the Nation of Domination, and I would run around and now only run my mouth, but I would call myself the People’s Champion. And we were in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Ali Family would come to watch our matches that night, and I made sure to talk to them afterwards and I said please tell Muhammad that it’s out of respect that I call myself the people’s champion. I was getting booed in arenas all across the country, and I said to them, please tell Muhammad that I mean that out of respect, and they, the Ali Family, said, Muhammad wants you to have the People’s Champ title, and it meant so much to me. This title is beautiful, and look, I’m a lucky SOB, I have a lot of nicknames, ‘The Most Electrifying Man in Entertainment,’ ‘The Great One,’ ‘The Final Boss,’ and for those of you booing, sit down and shut your mouth and enjoy the ride The Rock is taking you on… But I just want to say, Lonnie, thank you, I am honored, and for all of the nicknames that I’m lucky enough to have, ‘The People’s Champion’ will always be the one closest to my heart.”

A kind gesture between a pair of lifelong friends? Totally, but it also affords Johnson an actual title to walk out with in the main event of Night 1 of WrestleMania 40, which has been the one thing missing from his presentation during his 2024 return. While it’s impossible to know if the belt will come into play in the main event, if it wasn’t going to be part of the presentation, one has to wonder why it would have been introduced at all.

The Undertaker inducts Muhammad Ali into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Before The Rock had his big moment with Lonnie Ali, another all-time legend of the Attitude Era and beyond, The Undertaker, funeral marched his way to the ring in order to run through the highlights of “The Greatest’s” storied career inside of the ring and out of it.

“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, the hands can’t hit what the eyes can’t see. Now you see me, now you don’t, Big George thinks he will, but I know he won’t. I’ve just always wanted to say that, never been able to so yeah,” The Undertaker said in a rare but timely joke. “Only one man can truly claim to be the best professional boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali. Immortalize as a household name, Muhammad’s contributions have been unprecedented, dominating boxing for over two decades. He was a three-time Heavyweight World Champion, taking on men like Sonny Liston, ‘Smokin’ Joe Frazier, and ‘Big’ George Foreman. He took them all to the limit; between his feats as an athlete and a humanitarian, Muhammad Ali may be one of the most decorated individuals in the history of time. Just to name a few, an Olympic gold medalist, Presidential Award winner, Boxing Hall of Famer, Muhammad was and always will be a legend among legends. It is my humble honor to induct ‘The Champ,’ ‘The Greatest’ Muhammad Ali, into the WWE Hall of Fame.”

Why did The Undertaker induct Muhammad Ali into the WWE Hall of Fame? Frankly, there isn’t an obvious connection between the duo. Still, considering they will now live on forever in the annals of the WWE Hall of Fame, why not give the “Dead Man” the first crack at celebrating his inclusion?

The Undertaker inducts Muhammad Ali into the WWE Hall of Fame.

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