The Rock Reveals Who Coined The Name WWE SmackDown
WWE legend The Rock has revealed that Harvey Wippleman (real name Bruno Lauer) coined the name "SmackDown" and is responsible for the term making it to Webster's dictionary.
Rock credited Wippleman while responding to a tweet from the WWE on FOX Twitter account, which posted a vintage SmackDown logo and asked fans: "Who is the first @WWE Superstar you think of when you see this logo?"
In his response, The Rock wrote:
Well clearly the dude who coined the name Smackdown in the first place and eventually, made it so famous it's now in the Webster's dictionary...and his name is Downtown Bruno
Last December, The Rock, as Dwanta Claus, gifted Wippleman a new Ford F-150 pickup truck, thanking Downtown Bruno for helping him during his younger years. Originally hired in 1991, Wippleman still works in a backstage role for WWE. You can click here for his recent comments on what he does for WWE these days.
See below for The Rock's tweet:
Well clearly the dude who coined the name Smackdown in the first place and eventually, made it so famous it's now in the Webster's dictionary...and his name is Downtown Bruno 😉👊🏾
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) May 26, 2021
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) May 26, 2021