The Rock’s mocking “Chinese language” bit is from a September 19, 2000 WWE SmackDown segment that resurfaced widely in 2021–2022. Reports and fan posts describe it as a fake Chinese impression, not actual Chinese speech.

What happened

In the segment, Dwayne Johnson’s character used gibberish while pretending to speak Chinese during an exchange with Mick Foley. One source dates the segment to a SmackDown taped on September 19, 2000, and another notes that clips of it spread again years later because of renewed discussion about old insensitive material.

Why it came back up

The clip resurfaced when people revisited older controversial comedy and wrestling promos online, especially around early 2022. Coverage framed it as culturally insensitive rather than a real language mockery.

Quick context

  • Original segment date: September 19, 2000.
  • Main resurfacing wave: 2021–2022.
  • Nature of the clip: a fake Chinese impression/gibberish promo, not authentic Chinese.

Forum-style recap

“It’s that old SmackDown promo from 2000, and it blew up again when people started reposting it around 2022.”

Information gathered from public internet sources and portrayed here.