The Rock has given many fellow stars moments to remember in their career, and broadcaster Jonathan Coachman is very much among them.
Coachman, an accomplished sports and wrestling commentator and analyst, is well known amongst WWE fans for his time with the company – and not least for his efforts behind the announce desk.
Jonathan Coachman worked as a commentator, interviewer, on-screen villain and occasional wrestler in WWEWWE
Indeed, while he did serve as an on-air commentator and backstage interviewer, it was his work as a dastardly ‘heel’ – an on-screen bad guy in wrestling terms – that really accounted for some of the standout moments of his career.
Usually found wearing shades and a smarmy smirk, ‘The Coach’ was was a regular fixture in WWE’s Attitude Era, serving as an ‘Assistant’ to Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff and battling the likes of legendary commentary duo Jim Ross and Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler.
Coachman’s character was one fans found it easy to dislike, perhaps none more so than in the early summer of 2004, when he was left standing toe-to-toe with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in the ring.
It came as he berated Eugene, a popular character portrayed as having general learning disabilities, who had won his first ever WWE match the week prior on an episode of Raw.
Excitedly addressing the crowd, Eugene’s joy was short lived when Coachman strutted to the ring and began to berate him, claiming nobody wanted him as part of the company, and barking at him to ‘go back to wherever you came from.’
A dejected Eugene duly did so, waving back sadly at the crowd before being lifted by the sound Rock’s unmistakeable entrance music, signalling a return to WWE for Johnson for one of his ad-hoc cameos away from Hollywood.
He was greeted by a thunderous crowd reaction, and promptly marched Eugene back to the ring and confront Coachman – the pair having shared a history that saw Rock regularly try and humiliate him during backstage interviews.
After some trademark verbal jabs – and some attempted interference from another heel of the day in Garrison Cade, The Rock and Eugene teamed up to leave Coachman laying in a truly memorable Raw moment.
Clips of the comeback occasionally resurface and did so recently, leaving the now 51-year-old Coachman to reflect, and share an intriguing detail – the segment had run over its allotted time on the live television broadcast, despite Vince McMahon apparently allocating it 12 minutes.
In a post on X, Coachman admitted he’d taken some advice from The Rock that allowed him to embrace the moment for longer, the result being what he claimed was the ‘best night of his career.’
Coachman memorably battled fellow announcers Jim Ross and Jerry LawlerWWE
Fan favourite Eugene was berated by The Coach during the 2004 segmentWWE
The Rock sent the Californian crowd wild with his cameo on RawWWE
He added: “Schedule for 12 minutes. Told The Rock it feels longer. He said, and I have always remembered this: ‘Coach, what have I always said? If it’s great, there is nothing the boss can say.’
“Went over 23 minutes and the crowd was into every second. Snuck Rock in to [the] arena in San Diego. Surprises are still what the business is built on. Period.”
Some 20 years later, The Rock continues to surprise WWE audiences, returning at Bad Blood earlier this month to kickstart what’s expected to be another run in the company as he works alongside stars like Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns.
Coachman, meanwhile, ended his second stint in WWE in 2021, while Nick ‘Eugene’ Dinsmore wrestled for the company for another three years following the segment with The Rock before being released.