Dwayne Johnson Reveals the Untold Tale of His Notorious ‘F*cked up Hair Cut’ for WWE Debut at Survivor Series 1996.

Dwayne Johnson is not shy enough to poke fun at his haircut while reflecting on his Survivor Series 1996 match.

Nobody could have imagined what Dwayne Johnson would become in the world of wrestling when he made his WWE debut at the 1996 Survivor Series. With The Rock entering Madison Square Garden and making his WWE TV debut, that night of November 17, 1996, will always be remembered as a historic one in WWE history. It was called the Survivor Series, an epic extravaganza that provided the grand platform for the public debut of a future legend.

But what could have been a memorable entrance was tragically ruined by a memorable and, as Johnson put it, “f*cked up” haircut. Speaking at The Joe Rogan Experience, the retired professional wrestler talked about how he got such an “awful” haircut when he made his WWE debut. Actually, he went to the hairdresser and asked her to cut his hair so that it would look “nice” and “go down”. Instead, she gave it a frizz-fest.
Dwayne Johnson (@therock | Instagram)
This Is How Dwayne Johnson Got His ‘F*cked Up Hair Cut’ For His Survivor Series Debut

At Survivor Series 1996, Dwayne Johnson made his eagerly awaited World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) debut. But tragically, his iconic and “f*cked up” haircut overshadowed what could have been a memorable arrival.

In an interview with Joe Rogan for The Joe Rogan Experience, Johnson expressed his desire to leave a lasting impression on his pro wrestling debut. Thus, he explained, he had requested a specific hairstyle to make a statement and display his unique personality:
“I went to the hair person who was backstage and said, ‘can you give me something that’s going to make my hair like nice and like go down’. And she gave me like a that made a frizzy and that’s what you get by the way..just a f*cked up haircut on your debut.”
Dwayne Johnson defended his actions regarding his MMA decision.
Johnson laughingly narrated how his request was misinterpreted, leading to a haircut that was very different from what he had in mind:
“Luckily the people of New York was like this; ‘we kind of like this’, this kid’s haircut is really f*cked up..”
It’s been more than 25 years since The Rock made his WWE debut. Produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE), the 1996 Survivor Series was the tenth installment of the professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) series.

Dwayne Johnson Mocked His Own ‘Awful Haircut’

Dwayne Johnson. Credit: WWE
It amazed Dwayne Johnson that it has been more than 25 years since he wrestled in his first-ever WWE match at Survivor Series 1996. The Hollywood heavyweight, a former world champion, was the only one left standing, having eliminated the last two opponents, Crush and Goldust.

In 2021, he wrote (via X) in response to a tweet sharing a photo of him that night:

Wow 25yrs ago I wrestled my first match in @wwe in Madison Square Garden. Shaking my head right now. What a wild, unpredictable road I’ve been on. So many people to thank along the way. Especially the fans. Love U guys. Humbled by this journey. Wtf’s up with my awful haircut
🤣🤦🏽‍♂️ https://t.co/IdHu4SyyDn

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) November 17, 2021
Dwayne Johnson in The Mummy Returns
Currently, the retired wrestler has become one of the most prominent actors in the entertainment industry, with his first film role appearing in The Mummy Returns (2001). He has since delivered several acclaimed films. Johnson was named one of the world’s most influential people by Time magazine in 2016 and 2019.