Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s hernia operation has received media attention from the major entertainment trades and gossip outlets, with most correctly referencing in roots at WrestleMania 29.
But, as is to be expected when the mainstream media covers pro wrestling, not every fact was reportedly correctly.
The Hollywood Reporter’s story twice noted that The Rock suffered the injury at “WrestleMania 26.” As of press time, more than twelve hours after THR’s story went live, the errors are still present.
E! Online, meanwhile, seemed uncertain about the connection between Rock’s injury and his WWE match with John Cena.
After eventually determining that he missed Tuesday’s “Pain and Gain” movie premiere due to the surgery, E! Online could only confirm that director Michael Bay suggested the injury was wrestling-related.
“The movie’s director, Michael Bay, cited the recovery as the reason for his star’s absence and suggested the injury stemmed from Johnson’s other job wrestling for the WWE,” wrote E! Online.
Bay, however, was quite direct in his quote, noting that Rock “was pushing it too hard. [He] needs to grow up and stop wrestling 300-pound men.”
Update: Michael Bay clarifies that he was joking in an official statement:
“Wrestling fans, it was a joke said on Entertainment Tonight–with a laugh. You can see the clip for yourselves. The most important person to see the on air joke was Dwayne. I love seeing The Rock wrestle. I hope he wrestles 10 more years. I joked on air because Dwayne was not at our LA premiere due to his injury.”