Dwayne Johnson Nicknames Eli Manning ‘Human Carbon Monoxide’ Because He’s ’the Silent Killer’

]

Dwayne Johnson, who is known to many by his WWE stage name, “the Rock,” is giving Eli Manning a nickname of his own.

Johnson, 49, appeared as a guest on Monday night’s ManningCast with Eli and his fellow former NFL player brother, Peyton Manning. In between offering commentary and watching the Rams and Cardinals face off, Peyton, 45, asked Johnson to reveal his nickname of choice for Eli, 41.

Get push notifications with news, features and more.

“Dwayne, you tweeted out earlier that Eli Manning does not have a good nickname,” Peyton — who goes by the nickname “the Sheriff” — told his guest. “You said you had one for him. Please, Christmas present come early for me in 2022, let’s hear it.”

Johnson laughed and replied, “I think Christmas present come early for the world,” before revealing Eli’s new name.

“So, we have ’the Rock,’ we have ’the Sheriff,’ and now we officially have ‘HCM: Human Carbon Monoxide,’ ‘cause he’s the silent killer,” Johnson said. “You’re welcome.”

Eli thanked Johnson for his new moniker before telling the Red Notice star, “I’ve been waiting — I’m not like you and Peyton where I make up my own nickname for myself.”

“I’m not that creative,” he continued. “Peyton made up ’the Sheriff,’ you obviously made up ’the Rock’ … I couldn’t make that up for myself. I need someone to give me one. Now I have it, so thank you, Dwayne; thank you, Rock; thank you, Sheriff.”

Peyton and Eli Manning Credit: Dave Kotinsky/Getty

Ahead of Monday’s game, Johnson posted a video to Twitter promoting what he promised would be “the biggest ManningCast ever.”

“You’ve got me, ’the Rock,’ you’ve got Peyton Manning, ’the Sheriff,’ you’ve got Eli Manning, the …, " he said, before pausing and asking someone off-camera, “does he — does Eli have a nickname?”

After learning Eli did not, indeed, have a nickname, Johnson said, “We’re going to give him one tonight.”

He added, “Two Mannings, one Rock — ’the Rock’ is doing the cooking, Peyton Manning is doing the eating and Eli Manning is gonna make sure we have our fanny packs ready to go. I cannot wait. It’s gonna be a blast.”

Johnson is just one of the many celebrity guests to join Eli and Peyton on their Monday night ManningCast, where the two brothers break down Monday Night Football, analyze the game and chat with their guests.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Eli told PEOPLE in November 2021 that he’s having “a lot of fun” working with his brother on their ESPN series.

“Every Monday I get to sit on my couch and watch football with my big brother,” the former quarterback said. “I’m taking some shots at him and having some great guests on there to analyze the game and hear their thoughts. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Eli explained that he and Peyton book their celebrity guests on their own. So far this season, they’ve welcomed Jon Stewart, Michael Strahan, Snoop Dogg and more.

Dwayne Johnson on Training for ‘Black Adam’

]

Dwayne Johnson is preparing to enter, or rather stampede, the DC Universe this summer in his role as Black Adam. Given his massive presence both onscreen and in the world in general, it seems bizarre that it’l be his first proper turn in a comic book movie. According to the actor, he’s been patiently waiting in the wings for this role. Now he’s ready to turn the genre inside out.

“The training we did for this movie was the most arduous I’ve ever done in my life,” says Johnson, whose goal was to surpass the physiques drawn by illustrators and do right by fans of the lesser-known character. “I promise you this: The hierarchy of power in the DC universe is about to change.”

In order to get the most out of his training sessions amidst an insane schedule, Johnson teamed up with trainer Dave Rienzi to expand their already comprehensive program. Fueled by his personal energy drink ZOA, the workouts were the most punishing of his career. ZOA Energy is the fastest-growing energy drink brand in the country; today, it announced two new flavor additions to its growing portfolio of healthy beverages: White Peach and Tropical Punch.

Men’s Journal spoke with the larger-than-life personality about his morning routine, lessons learned in the gym, and why audiences should prepare to be shocked by Black Adam.

Men’s Journal: When did the physical preparation for Black Adam begin and what goals did you set?

Dwayne Johnson: I started training for Black Adam when I came out of the womb. I believe I was born to play this character. But in all honesty, this project has been with me for 10 ten years now. The process began when we started to stand the material up and really developed it into what it is present day. Once the start date was agreed on by our Seven Bucks production company, the rest of my team, Warner Bros. Studio, and DC Comics, I started to build an exhaustive training program with my trainer Dave Rienzi. I wanted to come into this in the best shape of my career.

How was this training experience unique from what you’ve done in the past?

I’ve been one lucky son of a bitch over the years to prepare for some really big competitions and games. That really started with my college football career at the University of Miami. We were national champions and had the pleasure of competing for the national title on two other occasions. From there it only got more intense, especially when I began my professional wrestling career. Getting the greenlight for Black Adam was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to raise the bar yet again.

Doing that work with Dave, we wanted to bring a whole new philosophy and methodology to the way I push myself in the gym. There’s a lot of fine tuning that goes on in our training together. Even if we’re not together, I’m constantly sending him photos so he knows exactly where we are when it comes to results. If needed, we’ll make adjustments in the moment. He doesn’t only care about the aesthetic, but also about my energy levels and how I’m feeling.

How will Black Adam differ from what we’ve seen before with comic book projects?

Superheroes live by a code of ethics and a line of integrity. But with Black Adam, depending on how you look at him, he has the ability to be a hero, an antihero, and a villain. One of the things that drew me to Black Adam is his origin. He started out enslaved. Any time you have a character, or any human being, who has wrongfully been held down by others, it means so much more when they begin to rise up. Black Adam rises with a big fucking chip on his shoulder—and an edge. In the traditional DC Universe, as we all know, if you do something wrong Superman and Batman are gonna try and bring you to justice. If you do something wrong to Black Adam, you’re going to die. It’s that simple. I believe this character is going to bring a unique edge to the superhero genre. We’re gonna be turning preconceived notions on their ear.

Lots of people look up to these superheroes. Who was someone who you’ve found motivation and inspiration from?

I grew up going to the gym with my dad. When I was five years old, he’d let me watch him work out. When I was 12, I picked up my first weight. After that he’d take me on the wrestling mats and just beat the shit out of me. Back then, when I was going to the gym with my old man, I was around some of the biggest and baddest guys in the world. That includes my dad, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, Tony Atlas, The Road Warriors. These dudes would come into the gym and turn that motherfucker out. They didn’t care who was around, or what was going on around them. Their focus was so intense. So training and training hard is in my blood. It’s in my DNA.

From the outside looking in, it seems like you have limitless energy.

I appreciate that, but I can assure you I definitely don’t. I do have a lot of energy, and I do my best to allocate it as best I can. I believe that time is our greatest asset and resource—and I’ve learned over the years to use my time as wisely as I can, as well as my output of energy. I have to make sure that what I’m doing is going to be worth it in the end and will help maintain my focus. It’s all about balance. I know people hear that word all the time, but it’s really true. You need to find the balance in your life. Everything requires energy. Our work, personal life, personal growth, relationships, education, mindfulness, mental wellness, mental health, physical fitness, and everything else. It can be draining, but I’m also trying to save a little bit for another gear that other people don’t have. That sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth gear. I always have that next gear waiting when it’s needed.

Putting out that much energy requires the right fuel. How often are you eating and what’s your dietary strategy?

I eat somewhere between six and seven meals a day, and I try my best to make them as balanced as possible with proteins, carbohydrates, good fats—and the occasional sugar at the right times of the day. Dependent on my schedule—and my short- and long-term goals for the week, month, and year—it can be challenging. If I’m shooting a big film, on top of commitments to my family, there’s a lot of dietary monitoring happening. We work very closely with the chefs in our ecosystem, as well as our holistic practitioners who work with us on supplementation and vitamins. Over the years, we’ve fine-tuned our processes and our team. Everything is very clean throughout the week. And when I say we, I mean myself and my strength and conditioning coach Dave Rienzi.

How do “cheat meals” play into your plan?

I understand my cheat days have become quite legendary. Those meals are reserved only for Sunday. I very much enjoy them—and enjoy getting to have that kind of fun with my food.

Can you give us a little insight into your morning routine?

I try to get up before the sun rises. I get fully dressed right off the bat, and that means shoes too. I go downstairs. I’ll open whatever flavor of ZOA I feel like having that morning and pour it over ice. I’ll open the computer and do a little bit of work that requires my immediate attention, then I hit my cardio on an empty stomach—which has been keeping my metabolism nice and tight. That’s how it all starts. If I told you everything I do before noon on any given day, I’d take up the whole magazine.

Any personal training advice for the rest of us?

When you go into the gym to train, you need to train for yourself only. Don’t train for anyone else. Don’t train to impress anyone. Don’t throw a lot of weight on the bar. Don’t let ego come into the equation. Train for yourself. It’s you versus you in there. I’ve never given a fuck about who’s around me in the gym. That’s always served me well. Be focused and get after it.

Do you have any favorite modes of recovery after a tough workout?

I can tell you that my favorite recovery tools are good lovin’ and tequila—preferably my own Teremana.

What are the biggest adversities you’ve had to overcome with training and mental wellness?

I’m still overcoming mental adversity to be honest. That never ends. I’ve sustained a number of injuries over the years that have been difficult to overcome, but I’m lucky that I’ve never been injured in the gym. I was brought up to train hard and train smart. But that didn’t protect me when I was out on the field competing or in the wrestling ring. I’ve had five knee surgeries, a torn Achilles. I had to be sewn back together. The top of my quad was torn from my pelvis. I had a whole bunch of shit happen. The other major adversity has just been fatigue, which can get us all. I know it gets me, and sometimes the last thing you want to do is go to the gym. But when you’re able to push yourself and you fight past that fatigue—that’s when you can find greatness.

You’ve had a long history with Microsoft and the Xbox. Do you have any plans to bring video game characters to the big screen?

I’ve always been a big Madden fan. I can’t tell you which game in particular we’re doing, but there will be an announcement this year. We’re going to bring one of the biggest, most badass games to the screen—one that I’ve played for years. I’m really excited to bring it to fans around the world. Of course we’re going to do right by our gamer friends—but really we’re just going to make a great movie.

For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Talks XFL During MNF with Eli & Peyton

]

Ending out 2021, XFL co-owner Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson joined CNBC and said news was coming early in the year. He specifically mentioned new teams/cities as well broadcast partners. Clearly, this brought a lot of excitement to the fans online who had been waiting to hear something from the league.

After the league was purchased out of bankruptcy by Dany Garcia, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and RedBird Capital there wasn’t a lot of news coming out of the camp. That was until March of 2021 when it was revealed that the CFL and XFL were talking about a possible business partnership. After many months of speculation, ultimately the two decided to go their own ways for now.

This was also when the XFL officially postponed their return until 2023. Once again, news dried up and other than the few Instagram teases from Dany Garcia we didn’t hear anything until November.

But, that’s when the league really started ramping up. First we saw the first round of hires, then we learned the return timeline.

That brings us to where we are now. With Dwayne Johnson set to join the Manning brothers for Monday Night Football, and the XFL accounts sharing the announcement; many were hoping to hear some XFL news. Considering the Eli & Peyton alternative commentary takes place on ESPN 2, speculation began that maybe we’d hear news on the broadcast front.

ONE ROCK⚡️💪🏾 TWO MANNINGS 🏈💪🏼 THREE FANNY PACKS 🙋🏽‍♂️🙋🏻‍♂️🙋🏻‍♂️ Tune in to #MondayNightFootball with Peyton and Eli Manning. THIS MONDAY at 8:45ET💯🏈@omahaprod#TheBiggestShowYet 💥 pic.twitter.com/I8FSTfkFW8 — Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) January 16, 2022

The Rock was the second featured guest on the show, so fans didn’t have to wait long to find out. A little less than an hour after the show started, Johnson joined the Manning brothers with the Rams leading the Cardinals.

The conversation started out about his past in football. But, after the second segment, XFL fans got what they were waiting for. The Rock was asked about his part in the new XFL, and he went into detail on his passion for the game and giving more opportunities. He leaned on his experience not making it in the NFL, and wants to be able to give guys more chances to play.

Although we didn’t get any specifics, Johnson says that there’s XFL news coming in the next 2-3 weeks that you can look forward to. Seeing that this was on ESPN, it definitely gives more credence to the rumor that they will serve as a broadcast partner for the XFL in 2023.

You can watch the full clip of The Rock with Eli & Peyton below:

Did you tune in to watch Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson join Eli & Peyton during Monday Night Football? Did you expect more XFL news? Let us know down in the comments below or join the conversation on Discord.

Peyton Manning, Dwayne Johnson tell stories about Ray Lewis on ‘ManningCast’

]

The first weekend of the 2021 NFL playoffs were a success as “Wild Card Weekend” wrapped up on Monday night with a Los Angeles Rams win over the Arizona Cardinals. The game was broadcast on ESPN and ABC, but an alternative form to watch the contest was available in the “ManningCast”, which featured former NFL quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Eli Manning breaking down the game as they were joined by guests throughout the night.

One of the high-profile guests to come on the broadcast was former football player and wrestling star Dwayne Johnson. While talking about some of Johnson’s wrestling moves, the older Manning brother told a story about how former Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis would drive him into the ground and have a parting message for him as he got up, to which Johnson followed with a story about Lewis of his own during their time together at the University of Miami.

Peyton Manning: “Every time Ray Lewis hit me, he’d drive me down into the ground and then he’d use me to help himself get up and he’d whisper in my ear, ‘I’ll be back in a couple minutes, you punk.’” pic.twitter.com/QwIkrMX43l — Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) January 18, 2022

Lewis left a lasting impression on the game of football, and it’s shown in many different ways, including in the stories that both Manning and Johnson told. He was an extremely hard worker that expected greatness out of himself and those around him, and it was great to hear multiple different angles of memories that people hold of the Hall of Fame linebacker.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Accuses Vin Diesel of ‘Manipulation’ Over ‘Fast and Furious’ Post

]

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Vin Diesel have been feuding for years, and it seems like the tension between them isn’t going to subside any time soon. Johnson recently responded to an Instagram post Diesel made begging him to return to the Fast and Furious films. Here’s what Diesel posted, Johnson’s response, and how fans are reacting.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Vin Diesel | Buda Mendes/LatinContent via Getty Images

Vin Diesel posted a public plea for ‘brother’ Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson to return to the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise

On Nov. 7, 2021, Vin Diesel posted an emotional Instagram message publicly pleading with Dwayne Johnson to appear in the next Fast and Furious film.

“My little brother Dwayne… the time has come,” Diesel captioned a photo of himself and Johnson facing each other. “The world awaits the finale of Fast 10.”

Diesel went on to say that Johnson is like a member of his family. “As you know, my children refer to you as Uncle Dwayne in my house,” he wrote. “There is not a holiday that goes by that they and you don’t send well wishes… but the time has come. Legacy awaits.”

He begged Johnson to return to the popular movie franchise. “I told you years ago that I was going to fulfill my promise to Pablo,” he wrote, referencing the late Paul Walker. “I swore that we would reach and manifest the best Fast in the finale that is 10! I say this out of love… but you must show up, do not leave the franchise idle you have a very important role to play. Hobbs can’t be played by no other. I hope that you rise to the occasion and fulfill your destiny.”

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson called Vin Diesel’s post an ‘example of his manipulation’

Johnson responded to Diesel’s post in a Dec. 30, 2021 interview with CNN.

“I was very surprised by Vin’s recent post,” Johnson shared. “This past June, when Vin and I actually connected not over social media, I told him directly – and privately – that I would not be returning to the franchise.”

Johnson added that he thought he was clear when he told Diesel he wouldn’t be returning to the Fast and Furious movies. “I was firm yet cordial with my words and said that I would always be supportive of the cast and always root for the franchise to be successful, but that there was no chance I would return,” he said. “I privately spoke with my partners at Universal as well, all of whom were very supportive as they understand the problem.”

Johnson went on to accuse Diesel of manipulation and said he didn’t like that he mentioned his children and Paul Walker’s death. “Vin’s recent public post was an example of his manipulation,” he said. “I didn’t like that he brought up his children in the post, as well as Paul Walker’s death. Leave them out of it. We had spoken months ago about this and came to a clear understanding.”

He said that he wanted to exit the franchise gracefully. “My goal all along was to end my amazing journey with this incredible Fast and Furious franchise with gratitude and grace. It’s unfortunate that this public dialogue has muddied the waters.”

But he shared that he believes the remaining cast members will deliver a great movie for fans. “Regardless, I’m confident in the Fast universe and its ability to consistently deliver for the audience, and I truly wish my former co-stars and crew members the best of luck and success in the next chapter.”

Fans are having mixed reactions to the ‘Fast and Furious’ star’s post

Fans are taking sides in the disagreement with Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Some want Johnson to heed Diesel’s plea, while others are advising him to stay away.

One fan commented, “Vin sounds desperate,” while another simply wrote, “Cringe.”

Others agreed with Diesel, calling for Johnson to return to the franchise. One fan commented, “@therock we love you in these films your the people’s champion do it for the people!!!!” And another wrote, “@therock we want you in f10 !!! So I hope agent Hobs come back in F10!”

But some fans urged Johnson to stay away from Diesel and the Fast and Furious movies, with comments like, “Dwayne Johansson don’t come in the ff 10 u know u and vindesel got big fight do not come if u come he will insult u🙏🏻🙏🏻”

RELATED: Vin Diesel Says Paul Walker Helped Make This ‘F9’ Casting Decision