Cody Rhodes and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson shared an emotional moment backstage after Raw’s debut on Netflix.
WWE ushered in a new era on Monday night (January 6) with a star-studded show at the Intuit Dome in California to mark their move to the streaming platform.
The Rock was one of the first stars to make an electrifying entrance in front of the 17,000-strong crowd, and many hoped he would use his appearance to build towards a potential WrestleMania match.
But instead, he took on the role of a babyface hype man, thanking fans for their support before acknowledging his former rival Rhodes.
At WrestleMania XL last year, the pair went head-to-head in a tag team match, but that battle appears to be ancient history.
“There is a man who The Rock has spilled blood with – spilled his blood all across this country – willing and ready to do it again,” Johnson began, as Rhodes watched from ringside.
“Here’s the truth, this man has carried this company on his back for a year, he’s done an amazing job.
“Cody Rhodes, thank you brother.”
The Rock’s praise of the Undisputed WWE Champion drew a big cheer from the crowd, and it wasn’t the only interaction the pair had on the night.
Soon after Raw went off the air, Rhodes posted a video which showed him and Johnson sharing a drink in the parking lot.
As they sipped on what appeared to be a bottle of Teremana Tequila, The Rock expressed his gratitude once more.
“To you, to family, to happy new year. Thank you for coming out to Hawaii. You supported me, despite all of the s*** that we’ve been through, for Moana 2,” he began, referencing his recent movie.
“Also, truly, I mean this: Thank you for carrying this company on your back. This crazy world of professional wrestling that we’re in.
“It’s a wild world as you know. You do it with style and grace – and by the way – not one f***ing complaint, ever. That’s why you’re the best, and I appreciate you.”
Rhodes, who thanked The Rock for his kind words, toasted ‘the work to be done’ before the pair hugged and went their separate ways.
The emotional moment, which gives fans an interesting insight into their backstage relationship, has already been viewed nearly one million times since being shared by Rhodes on Monday night.
However, some weren’t impressed by the pair breaking kayfabe in the backstage video, given how intense their on-screen rivalry has been.
“Bro had you bleeding a few months ago,” one fan responded in the comments section.
“Man, you forgot everything?” another asked.
“He just tried to murder you not even a year ago,” a third person said, while a fourth suggested the footage ‘makes no sense’.
Others, though, were happy to see The Rock and Rhodes hanging out as friends.
“I get it, I’d wanna have a drink with The Rock too,” one said.
“The respect! Wow, just wow,” another commented.