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THE ROLE OF STEVE AUSTIN IN 'YOUNG ROCK' WILL BE PLAYED BY...

The Rock, Dwayne Johnson revealed today that the role of Steve Austin in Young Rock will be played by Luke Hawx, the highest profile TV acting role to date for the owner of Wildkat Wrestling in New Orleans and longtime wrestler and stunt man.

Hawx, as Austin, will be featured in this Tuesday's edition of Young Rock, which will tell the tale of Dwayne Johnson's WWE tryout match in Texas.

On his social media today, Johnson wrote, "1996: Backstage.  @WWE locker room. Rocky Maivia meets The Ringmaster for the first time.  I had never wrestled an actual real match in my life, so on this night in front of 15,000 rabid and wild pro wrestling fans - I was thrown headfirst into the fire to see if I could take the heat and survive.  This night changed my life forever.  Of course, I would eventually drop the name “Rocky Maivia” (which I hated) and become known only as THE ROCK.  And “The Ringmaster” would eventually drop his name (which he hated) and become known as the one and only, STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN ."

After Johnson made the reveal, Hawx commented, "The correct words for this is HELL YEAH ! I've kept this secret for a good while now but I'm so happy to announce that I have joined the cast of NBC's Young Rock as the greatest wrestling superstar of all-time Steve Austin! My debut episode comes out this Tuesday night and I am thrilled to be a part of NBC's #1 Comedy."

Hawx has appeared in a number of film and TV roles, including fighting with the Rock in a jailhouse scene in The Fate of the Furious and being taken out by Wolverine in Logan,among other roles.  He is currently the lead wrestling coordinator for the Starz series Heels, which is currently filming its second season in Georgia.  Hawx was profiled for his work on the series in emmy, the official magazine for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Should Young Rock be picked up for a season three, which given its status as the network's top comedy, should be happening, it's likely Hawx will be back regularly as Austin.

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