Flex Kavana : The Original Wrestling Gimmick Of Dwayne " The Rock " Johnson, WWE News

 Flex Kavana : The Original Wrestling Gimmick Of Dwayne " The Rock " Johnson 

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The Rock is quite possibly of the best proficient grappler in the business , having come out on top for some titles and turning into an easily recognized name for WWE during the Attitude Era . With his overflowing magnetism and succeeding skill on the mic , there's nothing unexpected that The Rock rose to monstrous fame in WWE , as it even aided launch his Hollywood profession . Anyway , The Rock didn't precisely have the best beginning when he originally made his WWE debut in 1996 . Fans and pundits know about the fundamentally panned Rocky Maivia persona when The Rock appeared at the Survivor Series 1996 PPV . Anyway , while working for the United States Wrestling Association that very year , The Rock's ring name was Flex Kavana .RELATED : How The Nation of Domination Turned The Rock Into A WWE Superstar The Rock's Initial Character As Flex Kavana One can refer to the numerous instances of effective WWE hotshots having to repackage themselves after their underlying person falls flat . Before John Cena embraced the " Doctor of Thuganomics " persona , his personality was essentially as tasteless as it got when he made his presentation on Smackdown in 2002 . " Stone Cold " Steve Austin wasn't the profane , lager - drinking , hostile to - corporate revolutionary when he originally made his presentation in WWE in 1996. Box - office attractions like J Cena and Steve Austin needed to find their Cena and Steve Austin needed to find their fitting before they broke out to become effective WWE hotshots . The Rock is another that has gone through numerous adversities with respect to his childhood in the wrestling business . Being 6 " 5 and more than 250 pounds wasn't enough for The Rock to move past as a crate - office draw , as the group dismissed him when he initially made his presentation as " Rocky Maivia . " However , being charged as " Rocky Maivia " wasn't the possibly ring name The Rock utilized when originally brought to the business . While working for Jerry Lawler's United Sta Wrestling Association advancement in 1996 , prior to marking with WWE . The Rock took the name Flex Kavana . Flex Kavana's Run In USWA RELATED : The Rock's Rise To The Top Of The Nation of Domination , Explained The Rock's change self image Flex Kavana has been a profoundly failed to remember persona , as many presumably have barely any familiarity with it . Anyway , it's important that the persona The Rock depicted in USWA showed likenesses to when he became " The People's Champion . " For example , when Flex Kavana would do interviews , he'd wear shades as The Rock did in WWE . Flex Kavana likewise showed a sure energy , like The Rock in WWE . Certainty vibe importance he'd stick his chest out and carry,himself as a hotshot . Flex Kavana won't get a lot further , yet it gave individuals a knowledge into what The Rock would depict when he rose to fame only a couple of years after the fact . Wearing shades and overflowing with certainty while likewise having the actual form of a grappler was an indication that The Rock was heading for good things . In spite of the fact that his spell on USWA was short , Flex Kavana turned into a two - time USWA World Tag Team Champion with individual USWA grappler Bart Sawyer . Likewise important Flex Kavana even wrestled coordinates with Jerry Lawler , a powerful method for giving him a rub thinking about The Rock's absence of involvement . Abandoning Flex Kavana For Rocky Maivia Although the Flex Kavana persona showed some potential , it's not something that one would hope to succeed , not to mention the " Flex Kavana " name sounding ludicrous . The actual persona is too conventional to even consider moving past , as it has a place on a more modest wrestling advancement instead of being broadcasted on public TV . Furthermore , a name like Flex Kavana presumably won't assist The Rock with prevailing in the business , as a name like that would open up disparage from fans . The brilliant side is The Rock in the end got endorsed to WWE in the late spring of 1996 , passing on that Flex Kavana to rest . In any case, paying little mind to how individuals feel about Flex Kavana , it essentially helped The Rock grandstand potential regardless of being a newbie in the business .Much like other starting tricks that numerous hotshots needed to persevere , The Rock needed to go through a great deal by depicting personas like Flex Kavana and Rocky Maivia . Flex Kavana might have been a thing before , yet The Rock needed to go through the dull Rocky Maivia persona that nearly demolished his validity as a WWE genius . Anyway , in spite of the relative multitude of weaknesses The Rock persevered , his ability assisted him with defeating the chances . The Rock's childhood in the wrestling business is a captivating story since some most likely believed that The Rock would succeed in view of his family heredity . Anyway , a grappler brought into the world in an unbelievable wrestling family doesn't ensure a positive outcome . It simply demonstrates that each WWE genius that has made enormous progress needed to procure it somehow .The Rock is one of the greatest professional wrestlers in the industry , having won many championships and becoming a household name for WWE during the Attitude Era . With his oozing charisma and excelling ability on the mic , there's no surprise that The Rock rose to massive stardom in WWE , as it even helped kickstart his Hollywood career . However , The Rock didn't exactly have the best start when he first made his WWE debut in 1996 . Fans and critics know about the critically panned Rocky Maivia persona when The Rock debuted at the Survivor Series 1996 PPV . However , when working for the United States Wrestling Association that same year , The Rock's ring name was Flex Kavana .RELATED : How The Nation of Domination Turned The Rock Into A WWE Superstar The Rock's Initial Character As Flex Kavana One can cite the many examples of successful WWE superstars having to repackage themselves after their initial character fails . Before John Cena adopted the " Doctor of Thuganomics " persona , his character was as bland as it got when he made his debut on Smackdown in 2002 . " Stone Cold " Steve Austin wasn't the foul mouthed , beer - drinking , anti - corporate rebel when he first made his debut in WWE in 1996. Box - office attractions like J Cena and Steve Austin had to find their  Cena and Steve Austin had to find their fitting before they broke out to become successful WWE superstars . The Rock is another one that has gone through many tribulations regarding his upbringing in the wrestling industry . Being 6 " 5 and over 250 pounds wasn't enough for The Rock to get over as a box - office draw , as the crowd rejected him when he first made his debut as " Rocky Maivia . " However , being billed as " Rocky Maivia " wasn't the only ring name The Rock used when first brought to the business . While working for Jerry Lawler's United Sta Wrestling Association promotion in 1996 , before signing with WWE . The Rock took the name Flex Kavana . Flex Kavana's Run In USWA RELATED : The Rock's Rise To The Top Of The Nation of Domination , Explained The Rock's alter ego Flex Kavana has been a highly forgotten persona , as many probably don't know much about it . However , it's worth noting that the persona The Rock portrayed in USWA showed similarities to when he became " The People's Champion . " For instance , when Flex Kavana would do interviews , he'd wear sunglasses as The Rock did in WWE . Flex Kavana also showed a confident vibe , like The Rock in WWE . Confidence vibe meaning he'd stick his chest out and carry,himself as a superstar . Flex Kavana wasn't going to get much further , but it gave people an insight into what The Rock would portray when he rose to stardom just a few years later . Wearing sunglasses and oozing with confidence while also having the physical build of a wrestler was a sign that The Rock was going places . Although his stint on USWA was short , Flex Kavana did become a two - time USWA World Tag Team Champion with fellow USWA wrestler Bart Sawyer . It's also worth noting that Flex Kavana even wrestled matches with Jerry Lawler , an effective way to give him a rub considering The Rock's lack of experience . Leaving Behind Flex Kavana For Rocky Maivia Although the Flex Kavana persona showed some potential , it's not something that one would expect to succeed , let alone the " Flex Kavana " name sounding ridiculous . The persona itself is too generic to get over , as it belongs on a smaller wrestling promotion rather than being aired on national television . Plus , a name like Flex Kavana probably won't help The Rock succeed in the business , as a name like that would open up ridicule from fans . The bright side is The Rock eventually got signed to WWE in the summer of 1996 , leaving that Flex Kavana to rest . But regardless of how people feel about Flex Kavana , it at least helped The Rock showcase potential despite being a newcomer in the business .Much like other initial gimmicks that many superstars had to endure , The Rock had to go through a lot by portraying personas like Flex Kavana and Rocky Maivia . Flex Kavana may have been a thing in the past , but The Rock had to go through the bland Rocky Maivia persona that almost ruined his credibility as a WWE superstar . However , despite all the shortcomings The Rock endured , his talent helped him overcome the odds . The Rock's upbringing in the wrestling industry is a fascinating story because some probably thought that The Rock would succeed based on his family lineage . However , a wrestler born in a legendary wrestling family doesn't guarantee success . It just goes to show that every WWE superstar that has achieved massive success had to earn it one way or another .