WWE Hall-of-Famer Rocky Johnson’s memoir “Soulman” will be released on October 19th. The father of Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson’s story begins with a homeless 13-year-old Johnson living in Nova Scotia and continues to tell the story of him becoming the first black man to win the Southern, Georgia, and Florida heavyweight championships.

“Few people know anything about the man named Wayde Douglas Bowles, but this book will tell you everything you need to know. Born August 24, 1944, he grew up in Amherst, Nova Scotia; but he disappeared from the face of the earth in the summer of 1965. At the same time, a man named Rocky Johnson appeared, seemingly out of nowhere,” Johnson writes early in the book.

“I was both of those men. In July 1965, I became a professional wrestler and changed my name to Rocky Johnson.”

Executive Editor from ECW Press Michael Holmes praised working with Johnson on the project.

“Rocky Johnson’s story moved me from start to finish — a Nova Scotia trailblazer who overcame hardship and seemingly insurmountable odds to become one of the most impressive wrestlers of his time, not to mention one of the first and most celebrated black professional wrestling champions in territories all over North America,” Holmes said to the CBC.

“We’re so happy to help share it with the world.”