Dot Net Exclusive: The friction between Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and some WWE performers and management officials

There is some friction between Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and some of WWE's top wrestlers and power brokers. John Cena touched on the issue during an interview that was published recently by the UK Sun when he questioned why Rock couldn't attend more WWE events.

Rock has rejected the company's invitations to appear at several events since he left the company for Hollywood and this doesn't sit well with people such as Cena, Vince McMahon, Triple H, Steve Austin, and other wrestlers and management members. The general feeling of the top wrestlers is that Rock could do more to payback the company that helped him become a star.

There are also a number of people within the company who sympathize with Rock's situation. He's become a hot property in Hollywood and his advisers have clearly recommended that he distance himself from pro wrestling, especially now that he is making movies that are geared toward children.

Powell's POV: I covered some of this information in the podcast yesterday, but I wanted to put it in print for people who don't listen to audio updates. In Austin's case, he's an old school wrestler who wishes he was physically able to continue wrestling, so it's hard for him to understand why a guy like Rock wouldn't want to do more to help the company. Rock and Austin haven't stayed in touch with one another over the last few years and there was reportedly friction between them on Saturday night at the Hall of Fame ceremony.

Again, not every wrestler or management member shares the opinion of Vince and these particular wrestlers. Rock's defenders will tell you that jealousy is a big factor with "the haters." That's not the case with Austin, though, as he is said to recognize the fact that Rock's success could help open doors for him in Hollywood. One source who saw both sides of the argument stated that the odds of Rock returning to the ring at WrestleMania 25 are far less than 50/50 if for no other reason than his busy film career.

I had a lot to say about this issue in Wednesday's Dot Net Podcast.

News Usage Policy