WrestleMania 42 came and went in Las Vegas, and as the wrestling world discusses everything from Brock Lesnar's surprise retirement to the amount of ads between matches, something has largely slipped under the radar. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was in Las Vegas, all throughout WrestleMania week, and made zero mention of professional wrestling the entire time.
When I saw The Rock was in Las Vegas for CinemaCon, I felt all but certain we'd at least see The Final Boss appear on SmackDown. That didn't happen, and now we're days removed from the event, and zero acknowledgement on social media that WWE's biggest show even happened? Something feels off, especially when looking at how he's operated with the WWE in recent years.
Did The Rock Intentionally Snub WrestleMania 42, And If So, Why?
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson wasn't the only former WWE superstar who didn't acknowledge WrestleMania 42 before, during, or after the event. He is, however, one of the only former superstars who is also part of the TKO Holdings board of directors. He has a vested interest in the WWE's success, and yet, when he was in the city it was hosted in for days, he talked about every project he's involved in, but not the WWE.
Perhaps The Rock was paranoid that talking about the WWE would stir up rumors about him making an appearance, and seeing as he made a point to say he was going to be celebrating his daughter's birthday, he wanted it to be absolutely clear he wasn't going to show up. I could buy that he didn't want to create a situation where people are mad at him again after last year, when Travis Scott showed up in his place.
Another theory is that there was some falling out between a combination of The Rock, WWE, and TKO. I can only speculate as to what happened, but it would also explain why Dwayne Johnson, whose social media is rife with promotion of all things he has a hand in, failed to and still hasn't even offered congratulations to WWE for Mania.
Did The WWE Sink Its Chance To Do The Rock Vs. Roman?
If The Rock had a falling out with the WWE, the timing couldn't be any worse. Roman Reigns is champion once again, and he's committed to working full-time. Given his status in the company, I imagine the plan is for him to hold the title all the way to WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia, a country that routinely requests performances from past icons.
Ever since the location was announced, I was convinced the WWE was finally ready to pull the trigger on Roman Reigns finally taking on his cousin, The Rock, at WrestleMania. The duo has teased this happening for years, and now, the company has a captive audience invested in seeing it, and may not have the key piece in The Rock on board to make it happen.
Of course, I'm deep in speculative territory here, and even if Dwayne Johnson was at odds with the WWE, there's still a long time until WrestleMania 43 is set in stone. If there is beef between the two parties, let's hope they can squash it, because I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see The Rock main event one more WrestleMania and have it all go down against one of the best to ever do it.
We'll see if The Rock has anything to say about the WWE in the coming months, and if we'll see rumors of his involvement in WrestleMania 43 as it draws near. In the meantime, there are many PLEs for the company to get through, and lots of opportunities for other talents to rise through the ranks!
