They often say 'like father, like son' and in the business of wrestling, there have been many who have followed in their father's footsteps. This Fathers Day, take a trip down memory lane as we list down the great dads and their sons who carry their on fathers legacy.
Rocky Johnson and The Rock
There wouldn't be many names in professional wrestling which have a better resume than the Brahma bull. He not only conquered the wrestling business in style, but also went on to do the same in Hollywood and became a big star there.
While Rock was a major player in the late '90s and early 2000s, his father Rocky Johnson was making waves in Sports Entertainment in the '70s and '80s. Rocky had numerous legendary battles with the likes of Harley Race and Terry Funk back in the NWA days and was also the first ever African American to win the world tag team championship.
Rikishi and Usos
On the surface, you might expect Rikishi to be one of those giant wrestlers who can barely move around but he had an impressive array of moves, including splash of the top rope or steel cage for that matter. Following their father's footsteps, the Usos have come into WWE as part of the tag team division and deliver some adrenaline-packed performances every week.
Sika and Roman Reigns
There isn't a force stronger than Roman Reigns on the WWE roster. Since day one of his arrival in WWE, he has proven his naysayers wrong in the language of broken bodies and shattered superstars who thought they had his number.
Born into the Anoa'I family, Reigns was almost sure to make it into wrestling at one point or the other. Reigns' father Sika was one half of the Wild Samoans with the other half being Afa. The duo went on to collect tag team championships from many promotions, including WWE, but Sika never had success as a singles wrestler like his son.
Bob Orton and Randy Orton
Randy Orton is clearly one of the most recognisable names in modern wrestling. He is a 12-time world champion and had many success stories during the past decade which he spent with WWE. Randy's father and WWE Hall of Famer "Cowboy" Bob Orton never made it big in the company despite having the talent. His biggest moments came from his use of a cast which was with him thanks to an arm injury back in 1984.
Vincent James McMahon and Vince Kennedy McMahon
It would be hard to find a more powerful father-son duo in professional wrestling. McMahon Sr. was the wrestling promoter who set up the American World Wrestling Federation which later went on to become WWF.
Vince McMahon, Chairman of the Board, and Chief Executive Officer of WWE, is a third-generation promoter who has turned WWE into a global phenomenon.
In 1972, Vincent McMahon joined his father's company, Capitol Wrestling Corporation, on a full-time basis. By 1979, the company had syndicated programming to 30 television stations. In 1982, he purchased the Capitol Wrestling Corporation from his father and decided to take what had been a regional operation and turn it into a national venture.
Under Vince's leadership, WWE has developed into one of the most popular and sophisticated forms of global entertainment today. WWE is now an integrated media and entertainment company that features a portfolio of specialised businesses that creates and delivers original content to a global audience.
