October 15, 2007 Observer Newsletter: 2007 Observer Hall of Fame issue
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson may have only had a relatively short career as a pro wrestler, but he clearly established a major legacy for himself, as he set the record for the most votes received in the history of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame Balloting.
Rock was named on 86% of the ballots received from North America, including getting all 83 votes of 83 active pro wrestlers who participated. That figure speaks volumes for the level of respect he has among the current wrestlers. Overall, he had the highest percentage of for votes a North American candidate in history. Kenta Kobashi in 2002 and Jushin Liger in 1999 in Japan have beaten that percentage. He did that in a career where he was only full-time wrestler from 1996-2002, and worked some major events for the next few years, finishing up his career at Wrestlemania XX in 2004 in Madison Square Garden. He turned 35 this year, making him eligible.
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Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.