It was reported this past week that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has made an estimated $80 million since joining the board of directors at TKO Group Holdings earlier this year, a figure that immediately sparked discussion among wrestling fans and industry observers. The report added further fuel to ongoing speculation about Johnson’s current role and influence within WWE following the company’s merger under the TKO banner.

Former WWE personality Jonathan Coachman weighed in on the news via Twitter X, suggesting that there may be more happening behind the scenes than what is visible publicly.

“But wait a second. Wrestling fans are calling me and Vince Russo crazy when we say on @TheCoachandBro that there is something going on between him and certain people within WWE. I mean think about it do you know alot of talents who make over $80M and DONT send any supportive tweets or videos towards the company during that time. The only social media posts have been directly towards Cena. Whatever is going on to me Dwayne The Rock Johnson is alot more valuable to have on the inside as opposed to on the outside collecting millions. Work it out.”

Coachman’s comments quickly drew a response from Joel Wood, a contributor to NoDQ, who pushed back on the idea that Johnson’s earnings or social media activity indicated any internal power struggle.

“Well those talents don’t make $80 million because they’re not on the board of a company that’s worth $23 billion Coach. We don’t have to call Russo crazy. There’s plenty of evidence out there to support that. Rock has merchandise, stock options, the salary he gets just by being on the board. Not to mention the part of the deal that allows him ownership of the Rock name. The only thing ‘going on’ is The Rock being a good businessman. You know who else doesn’t send out supportive tweets. Pretty much every other member of the board. Most people wouldn’t even know who’s on the board if they didn’t look it up.”

Coachman then replied with a more detailed explanation of his stance, reiterating his belief that Johnson’s situation is unique compared to other board members and pointing to long standing personal and professional dynamics within WWE.

“Thank you for the response. Here is what you are missing. Most members of boards are there for their business acumen. Rock was asked to be on the board for so many other reasons. Not to mention he is 1 of the 3 best performers of all time. And his right hand was once the lead writer for Raw and I believe wants that job again. I sublet my first apartment from him as a side note. You have to understand I was in the room several times and know first hand the REAL relationship between Rock and Triple H. They don’t get along. Period. If they did Rock would have supported this year all along the way. He hasn’t. Not ONE social media post. You all have to stop not looking at what’s really going on. The struggle for power is real.”