WWE fans claim Samoa Joe has stolen The Rock’s “final boss” catchphrase, but AEW supporters quickly debunked that theory.
Since returning to the WWE earlier this year, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has adopted the moniker of “The Final Boss.”
In his backstage beatdown of Cody Rhodes on Monday Night Raw, The Rock invoked this phrase several times during the assault.
AEW posted about some Samoa Joe merchandise only a few days later. And on the design, “The Final Boss” is inscribed.
THE FINAL BOSS. Check out this @samoajoe shirt that’s available for purchase at https://t.co/9hHlXpcSbp!https://t.co/qRrDSBDpG5#shopaew #aew #aewdynamite #aewrampage #aewcollision pic.twitter.com/PM2JjFBfxu
— ShopAEW.com (@ShopAEW) March 29, 2024
Immediately upon posting the link on social media, WWE fans flooded the replies, accusing AEW of stealing The Rock’s mantra.
However, many pointed out that this particular Samoa Joe shirt was released in January, long before The Rock made “The Final Boss” a staple in his WWE promos.
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AEW supporters also fired back by saying The Rock nor the WWE were the first to use the phrase, anyway.
“The Final Boss” is a term typically used for video games. It often refers to the most difficult challenge a character will face — usually at the end of the game. It is a phrase that has been popular for many years in the gaming community. But it appears that not everyone in the wrestling fandom knows that.
AEW fans have correctly said that The Rock has zero ownership over the saying, as the WWE doesn’t hold any copyright claims for the phrase.
However, given the timing of this social media post, WWE fans believe that AEW is taking advantage of The Rock’s popularity and using it to sell its products.