It’s the holiday season — a time of the year when everyone has their own way of celebrating. Many children are anticipating Santa Claus’s arrival in a couple of weeks, and it looks as though “Jolly Old St. Nick” is in the midst of heavy preparation for this year’s Christmas. In a video posted to Instagram over the weekend, former WWE star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson showed himself lifting weights alongside a surprisingly buff Santa Claus.
That’s not actually Mr. Claus, of course, but instead fitness trainer Mike Ryan, who portrayed the Christmas icon in an advertisement for Johnson’s clothing brand, Project Rock. That video was also posted over the weekend and features a fictionalized tale where Santa Claus trains with Johnson every year before his big night on December 25.
According to Johnson, the behind-the-scenes video on his Instagram shows himself and Ryan lifting weights after the shoot. The post’s caption also states that the wrestler/actor and Ryan are longtime friends. Ryan is known as a “celebrity trainer” and, now in his mid-50s, has become a vocal advocate regarding the importance of staying fit as you age.
As for Johnson, though The Rock made a recent appearance on “WWE SmackDown” during the SAG-AFTRA strike, he has largely moved out of the world of pro wrestling. He remains one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood, though it’s undeniable that the landscape of the cinema capital is in a state of flux. Rumors of a return match between Johnson and his cousin, Roman Reigns, have persisted for years, with next year’s WWE WrestleMania 40 viewed as a potential showcase for the bout. While current WWE stars like CM Punk and Cody Rhodes may have a stronger chance of facing Reigns, it’s a situation worth keeping an eye on in the months ahead.