Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson takes a picture with Blake Smith, 7, at the WWE building in Stamford on Jan. 23.
Shane Smith / contributed
Darien firefighter Shane Smith makes it a tradition to take his son to see the WWE championship belt sculpture outside the company’s Stamford headquarters after the seven year old’s basketball practice on Tuesdays.
While the pair usually drives past the belt after leaving basketball practice at a local Boys and Girls Club, on Tuesday, Blake Smith asked his father if they could go to the WWE building and look into its windows. As they were there, several SUVs pulled up, and movie and wrestling star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson walked out of one of them.
“I knew it was him from a distance. I’m an avid fan,” Smith said. “My son knows of ‘The Rock,’ but he has never seen him in person.”
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Blake Smith, 7, outside the giant belt at the WWE building in Stamford.
Shane Smith / contributed
Johnson’s visit to the WWE came on the same day he joined the Board of Directors of TKO Group Holdings, Inc., the parent company of WWE and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He also entered into a services and merchandise agreement with the WWE that gave Johnson ownership of the trademarked name “The Rock.”
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Johnson was returning to his vehicle when Smith said, “Hi Rock.” Johnson waved for Blake to come to him and said, “Can I take my picture with you?”
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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson takes a picture with Blake Smith, 7, at the WWE building in Stamford on Jan. 23.
Shane Smith / contributed
“We were in the right spot at the right time. … He took time out of his busy schedule to make a kid’s day. Tremendous,” Smith said. “It was a surreal experience that not many people get an opportunity to meet one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. … It was in the right spot at the right time.”
Since the meeting, Smith said that his son has wanted to learn more about Johnson. The pair have spent time watching YouTube videos and plans to watch the WWE wrestling show, “Royal Rumble,” this Saturday.
Before becoming a movie star, Johnson was also a wrestler for the WWE. During his wrestling career, he won eight WWE championships, according to his WWE webpage.
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The star also spent part of his childhood in the Nutmeg State, getting his earlier education from Shepherd Glen Elementary and Hamden Middle School. He noted on X, formerly called Twitter, in 2012 that he enjoyed Connecticut pizza.
“I did a lot of growing up in the Hamden/New Haven area. Great pizza joints,” he wrote on
