The Rock, armed with ‘The Most Electrifying Move in Sports Entertainment’, the People’s Elbow, seemed like he was built to be the face of WWE and a constant fixture at WrestleMania, for, well, forever. While The Rock did main event his fair share of The Show of Shows, he hasn’t graced the annual climax of the WWE for a long time. Specifically, his last time inside the bright lights of WrestleMania was in 2016 at WrestleMania 32 as he squashed Erik Rowan in a six-second match. Before this, his last full-length match was in 2013 when he faced off against John Cena with the WWE Championship on the line.
Over a decade since The Rock properly tussled with the face of the Ruthless Aggression era, Dwayne Johnson is hinting at a possible return to in-ring action, specifically to face his cousin, Roman Reigns, at WrestleMania 40.
During an appearance on ESPN’s First Take, The Rock discussed the chance of wrestling against Reigns, expressing that he sees an opportunity for it to be “the greatest and the biggest WrestleMania of all time.” His return to WWE on the Day 1 edition of Monday Night RAW further fueled speculations, especially after he teased about taking over as the new Head of the Table, a spot held by Reigns.
The Rock’s recent appointment as the newest member of TKO Group Holdings’ board of directors, overseeing WWE and UFC, suggests a more significant involvement in WWE, making a match with Reigns seem even more plausible.
Speculation about The Rock’s potential and more involved return to WWE has run rampant for a while. Talks intensified last year when he mentioned a handshake deal for a match against Reigns at WrestleMania 39. This didn’t materialize but it both parties seem open to the idea.
It’s still unclear how this proposed match could take place and if this could mean that Cody Rhodes, for the second year in a row, won’t finish his story at a WrestleMania.
A scenario frequently brought up by fans is for The Rock and Roman Reigns to wrestle on Day 1 of WrestleMania 40 with Roman Reigns battling against Cody Rhodes on Day 2. However, this would give Rhodes’ long-awaited win an asterisk. The better alternative is for The Rock to the host WrestleMania 40 with a last-minute involvement against someone within Reign’s circle, specifically, The Tribal Heir, Solo Sikoa.
With Sikoa foiling the most recent attempts at Reigns’ historical run as champion, The Rock taking him on earlier in the night on Day 2 could help solidify an upcoming months-long feud between Reigns and The Rock without derailing the years-long momentum the WWE has built up for Rhodes to be the face of the WWE.
Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reported that The Rock hasn’t signed a contract for WrestleMania. But, this dream match occurring at WWE’s most significant event is still in play. Meltzer also mentioned that there are many considerations about the value The Rock could bring to a potential match in Saudi Arabia, but The Rock himself appears more interested in WrestleMania.
The WWE and The Rock would hit two birds with one stone if The Rock hosted WrestleMania 40 in April and then main evented its lone Saudi Arabia event, Crown Jewel, in October or November. In between, The Rock and Roman Reigns could trade jabs against each other, both in and out of the ring.
As WrestleMania 40 approaches, all eyes will be on The Rock’s next move and whether he will step back into the ring to face his cousin in what could be one of the most significant matches in WWE history.
