Brave Bronx teen meets his hero...The Rock.
by Phil Speer

A Bronx, N.Y., teenager who put his life on the line to save an 87-year-old man from a burning apartment building was speechless Saturday after meeting the man who inspires him, The Rock.

Eugene Adams, 19, and his friend, 23-year-old Zebediah Hart, were hanging out in a Bronx arcade two weeks ago when Hart noticed the fire. Within seconds, Adams broke inside the building, made his way up to the fourth floor and kicked open the door of 87-year-old Manny Smith. When Adams realized that Smith was inside, he worked with Hart to form a "human ladder" and pull Smith out.

A report of Adams' bravery appeared in the New York Daily News. In the article, Adams said he is a huge fan of the World Wrestling Federation and The Rock and lives by the motto "It Doesn't Matter."
"I like The Rock," Adams told WWF.com. "I get that from him, 'It Doesn't Matter.' I say it all the time. "Basically, any dangerous situation, no matter the consequences or the stipulation," Adams said, The Rock will still pull through "because he knows in his heart he can do it."

Upon seeing the article, Federation officials contacted Adams and offered him tickets to Saturday's live event at Madison Square Garden, and a special opportunity to meet The Rock.

"With everything that The Rock has done -- The Rock lays the smack down, he does this, he does that -- it pales in comparison to the heroics of Eugene," The Rock said after meeting with Adams. "To put his life in jeopardy, to just walk right into the fire -- anybody who would take that to those lengths is admirable in The Rock's eyes, and The Rock is proud of him.
"It was really good meeting him, and humbling to know that he looks at The Rock as his hero and uses The Rock as his strength to go in there and pull that guy out. Anything I do pales in comparison to that. Eugene really epitomizes what a hero should be."

Adams said he's watched the Federation on television since he was a young child, dating back to the days of Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. These days, he watches RAW IS WAR, SmackDown! and HEAT.
"I even watch the one that comes on in Spanish," Adams said. "I want to watch XFL when it starts.
"I'm the biggest WWF fan around here. Everybody tells me, 'You talk too much about wrestling.' It'll be cool if I could meet The Rock."

On Saturday, his wish came true. He also got ringside seats to the Federation event, and while he was waiting for The Rock, Grand Master Sexay, K-Kwik, Scotty Too Hotty and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley stopped by to say hello as well. Grand Master took off his patented Too Cool necklace -- the one he wears to the ring -- and gave it to Adams.

"I'm totally speechless," Adams said, summing up the entire night.