Dwayne Johnson Recalls Meeting Japanese Wrestler Tiger Mask

Actor Dwayne Johnson took to Instagram on Thursday to share a rare picture of 11-year-old him with the Japanese wrestler Satoru Sayama, who is popularly known as Tiger Mask. In the black and white throwback photo, the actor could be seen all excited as he shook hands with the legendary wrestler.

"This was a big moment for the 11yr old afro'd kid!!!" the 48-year-old actor wrote in the caption, which came with a smiley and a thumbs-up emoji. "A lil' #tbt to meeting one of my wrestling heroes - the legendary Japanese icon, TIGER MASK."

Johnson acknowledged the fact that Sayama, 63, had no clue what this handshake meant to him as the actor really admired the wrestler. Johnson noted that this meeting had a huge impact on him because Sayama was kind and nice to "this little punk kid."

"When 'famous' at any level - being nice and kind - that stuff matters and really affects people. Especially kids. Thanks," he added. "And who would've ever thought years later this little afro'd punk kid would grow up to have a TWIN little brother named @brunomars."

The actor concluded the caption by giving a shout-out to @wrestlingthenandnow for the post.

The "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" star recently disclosed that he will be honored on March 5 by the Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) with Trailblazer Award for his contribution to social work.

"He goes above and beyond on many things in the world that actually matter and uses his voice to do good in a time most needed," HCA chairman Scott Menzel said in a statement.

The actor used his voice to support the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 and has been a longtime supporter of Make-A-Wish Foundation, a nonprofit organization for children.

The actor is currently training for his upcoming DC Superhero movie "Black Adam." He took to Instagram on Monday to share a video explaining his workout regime for the titular character. In the video, the actor shared that he works out twice a day and that his routine includes cardio on an empty stomach.

In August 2020, DC officially shared a teaser of "Black Adam" featuring Johnson's animated version.