SmackDown might be The Rock‘s show, but the man himself says there’s someone very important he thinks of when seeing that classic logo.
The WWE on FOX Twitter account ran a poll asking fans to name the first WWE Superstar they thought of when they saw the classic SmackDown logo. Many fans said The Rock was the first choice, noting that the show was named after him in the first place.
The Rock also chimed in on the debate, but offered a somewhat surprising answer for his pick. The Rock explained why he thought of ‘Downtown Bruno’, the man who ultimately came up with the name of the show in the first place.
Well clearly the dude who coined the name Smackdown in the first place and eventually, made it so famous it’s now in the Webster’s dictionary…and his name is Downtown Bruno
Fans might be more familiar with Bruno as WWE’s Harvey Whippleman, known for his on-air work as a manager. Whippleman (real name Bruno Lauer) starting working for WWE in 1991 and remains employed to this day, where he works behind the scenes.
In December, The Rock gifted Lauer a new truck for Christmas and shared how instrumental the former manager was in his teenage and adult life. The Rock’s family was evicted in Hawaii and came home to the United States, where Lauer took him in and helped him break into the wrestling business. A fictionalized version of the story about how Bruno bought him his first car also made it into a season one episode of Young Rock.
Read More: The Rock Gifts Harvey Wippleman A New Truck For Christmas, Thanks Him For Being A Lifelong Friend
Well clearly the dude who coined the name Smackdown in the first place and eventually, made it so famous it’s now in the Webster’s dictionary…and his name is Downtown Bruno ???
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) May 26, 2021
