Despite years of hypotheses and great fan reservations, it seems that The Rock vs. Roman Reigns might be irrelevant to WWE.
At the press conference following the Royal Rumble show, Paul “Triple H” Levesque showed that talks had taken a position with Rock regarding an attack at WrestleMania 39 in April, but that his busy schedule ultimately prevented him from performing.
That’s not to say that an appearance via The Great One on The Grandest Stage of Them All is absolutely out of the question.
If Rock participated in the event, he would have needed a recurring role on Raw or SmackDown on The Road to WrestleMania. However, nothing prevents him from making a punctual appearance and making his presence felt in another way.
On the other hand, the first pay-per-view deserves to be stacked with the strength of the stars, so is its return necessary?
Let’s see if Rock’s appearance at WrestleMania 39 is a buy or a sale.
When The Rock returned to WWE in February 2011, he triumphantly declared that he was “home” and would never return anywhere after his seven-year hiatus from the company.
He continued to look quite a bit through WrestleMania 29 for his feud with John Cena and occasionally appears on The Show of Shows and Raw, but was rarely noticed on WWE TV beyond 2016.
In fact, his only television appearance for promotion since Erick Rowan’s accident at WrestleMania 32 was Fox’s first SmackDown appearance in October 2019. Otherwise, he was absent.
It has become clear that fighting one more game, even against his cousin, Reigns, is not a very sensible precedent for him and probably never will be. His busy Hollywood schedule just doesn’t allow him to have one last run in the ring, yet. he may simply set aside time to resurface at WrestleMania 39 and drag the crowd into a frenzy with a brief appearance.
I wouldn’t necessarily want to be physical, but a full Rock comeback without at least a Rock Bottom or People’s Elbow.
A quick appearance that includes a promotion of old rock and Rock Bottom wouldn’t be valuable to some fans, and that’s understandable. If you’re going to be present at the event, you’ll probably have to do something else to justify your presence.
The most productive role imaginable he could have at WrestleMania would be as Roman Reigns’ special guest referee opposite Cody Rhodes to make sure there is no outside interference from anyone in The Bloodline.
Rock is also one of the few members of Anoa’i’s circle of relatives who didn’t “align” with The Tribal Chief, so he may call for competition in between. He can approve Rhodes and cement his prestige as the main player. of the event.
Rock vs. Reigns is probably a chimera at this point, however, it would be as close as we can get to this war, whether they get into the hands or not.
The only problem with this idea is that the great event of WWE’s Undisputed Universal Championship doesn’t need Rock or other antics. The focus is only on Reigns and Rhodes, the latter winning cleanly.
It would be an attraction, but one that significantly reinforces the story.
Only two have been set in stone for WrestleMania 39 to date: Reigns vs. ReignsRhodes for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship and Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley for the Women’s SmackDown Championship.
Without anything else being officially announced, it is assumed that the map will be starred this year based on what is expected to be added. This includes Seth Rollins vs. Seth Rollins. Logan Paul, Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley in some stipulated matches, and in all likelihood “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in action again.
That’s the most sensible thing of everyone else on the active list with an ounce of star power. In other words, The Rock is needed for the April 1 and 2 pay-per-view, whether in an in-ring role or otherwise.
WWE focused on enough part-time celebrities and celebrities last year that the 2023 stretch focused on showcasing the existing crop of contestants and the aforementioned notable names to help them get through it.
Sure, a return of rock to the Hollywood edition of ‘Mania’ would be fitting given that the big screen is where it resided for the past decade, but that shouldn’t feel forced.
WWE chose to air Reigns vs. Rock this year (although it’s clearly not his calling to do so) has avoided many booking issues and is getting the highlight back where it belongs.
Unless something changes with The Rock’s schedule at the last minute, it may not be a focal point at WrestleMania this year and everyone may be better off.
If available, WWE will bring you in for an unannounced appearance in advance. You don’t want to end the state of the event or plant seeds for a long-term game that probably won’t happen, but a head-to-head. -Face assembly with someone who can compete with him in the mic (à los angeles LA Knight) would be enough.
As reported in the past, Rock has made a huge call for himself in Hollywood as an actor since quietly stopping him as a wrestler years ago. It stands to reason that he would combine those two successful efforts in April and give enthusiasts a “mania. “a moment they will never forget.
Announcing his return would allow WWE to create excitement and anticipation, but it’s been so long since he was last here that it would be ideal for him to remain a marvel at maximizing reaction.
The rock that makes a rare appearance at WrestleMania shouldn’t be at the expense of others, especially emerging talent. If executed correctly, it can be a fun addition to what promises to be a great up-and-coming two-night show.
Graham Mirmina, also known as Graham “GSM” Matthews, has written about sports and entertainment since 2010. Visit their website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to their YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.
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