Add as a preferred source on Google Karl Anderson has walked back an old comment about how WWE talent reacted to The Rock’s presence backstage.
Appearing on TMZ’s Inside The Ring, the former WWE Tag Team Champion admitted he regrets calling his old locker room “marks” after several wrestlers rushed to Gorilla Position asking for pictures with The Rock.
Anderson made the original comment back in April 2025, during an episode of Talk’n Shop recorded shortly after he and Luke Gallows were released by WWE. At the time, he said he wasn’t used to seeing wrestlers act that way at Gorilla.
“[Rock] came one time, and I said something one time, I was just trying to…whatever, but one time he came backstage and all the boys were running up to him in Gorilla and asking for pictures. I was thinking, ‘Ah, a fucking bunch of marks.’ I even said it on a podcast, just trying…acting….trying to get people worked up, and it did. I wish I didn’t say it. I was just blown away people were doing that to him. I get it, it’s The Rock, it’s the biggest superstar in the whole entire world. John Cena would come to the arena early because that was his safe spot. He was able to be there and chill, to not be bothered. It just kind of threw me off. The Rock has always been cool with us. Biggest superstar in the world,” said Anderson.
The comment picked up even more traction because, in that same conversation, Anderson said The Rock had always been on his Mount Rushmore — but he made no secret of his frustration with Johnson’s corporate involvement in WWE.
The Rock has sat on TKO Group Holdings’ board since January 2024, and he’s also been granted full ownership of the “The Rock” name — a position that’s significantly grown his influence over WWE’s business side.
Despite the criticism he made at the time, Anderson made clear now that he’s never had a personal issue with The Rock. According to him, The Rock has always treated The Good Brothers with respect.