Finally, The Rock is explaining what happened at WrestleMania.
On Tuesday morning, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” to explain his absence at the two-day event and offered some notes on what things he thought could’ve used some tweaking.
The People’s Champion explained that TKO Executive Chairman and CEO Ari Emmanuel personally requested Johnson to appear at March’s Elimination Chamber, the premium live event in Toronto, where the John Cena and Cody Rhodes storyline began.
In 2024, Johnson was appointed to the TKO Board of Directors, the parent company of the WWE and UFC.
“He said, ‘We need help at Elimination Chamber, ticket sales are a little slow but beyond that what we are finding is, with Elimination Chamber, it’s become the pay-per-view that’s been interesting, fans have had fun, but it’s the conduit to WrestleMania and how do we create an Elimination Chamber that people must tune in to see?” the Teremana owner explained. “He goes, ‘Right now we don’t have that’ and he (asked) ‘Will the Final Boss show up?’”
Johnson then said he’d think about it. He circled back with Emmanuel, WWE President Nick Khan and WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque and came up with the idea of the Final Boss asking for Rhodes’ soul.
“What that means, (is) whatever you can think of in your head, Cody Rhodes, whatever dreams you have, whatever ambitions you have, even if they’re dark, even if they’re amazing and they’re full of light, even if they’re scary, whatever those are- you tell the Final Boss, he’s going to make it happen,” he explained.
Using this as a selling point to get fans engaged for the premium live event, it also served as a test to see how fans would react if Rhodes himself turned into a heel. Johnson hinted that turn may happen down the road.
From there, Levesque and Johnson came up with Cena making the turn instead.
“So when we were moving forward with John and him getting crowned at WrestleMania… and then being the heel champion, I knew then, the best thing for the Final Boss, we’ve established this idea of Cody’s soul, you can always come back to it, I did, and I made the call, I don’t want to be involved in that. Let the Final Boss step back into the shadows. Let all the spotlight go to John, let it go to Cody.”
The “Black Adam” star preferred the limelight to be on the two WWE superstars to “let them do what they do.”
He said he called both men to let them know he was taking a back seat, which gave them “six weeks” to “build” on the storyline. He urged the two to “crush it” and assured them he was around if they needed him, but thought it was best for his character to not be involved.
Johnson loved the finish of the match, with Cena making WWE history as the 17-time champion, defeating wrestling legend Ric Flair’s record of 16; he did say he would’ve “finessed” a couple of things within the creativity department.
However, fans weren’t aware of this change and assumed The Rock would be at the big show. Many purchased tickets under this assumption.
He explained to McAfee that he told Emmanuel, Khan and Levesque that he could be involved in the main event but questioned how the story would continue, seeing as he has other commitments.
The Rock is starring in 2025’s “The Smashing Machine.” Next year, he’s in the live-action “Moania” film, “Jumanji 4” and “Fast X: Part 2.”
“I wanted to also be careful that I’m not overstepping and leading over our skis too much here,” he continued. “I can be involved in the finish, but why be involved in the finish when the spotlight should be on, in my opinion, John 17 heel champion, what does 2025 look like if this man is saying he’s going to ‘ruin professional wrestling?’ That to me is the anchoring storyline. It’s not soul right now, but by the way, we’ll go back to it.”
In a post-WrestleMania press conference, the “Peacemaker” star declared he planned on ruining professional wrestling during his final tenure within the WWE.
Johnson also touched on rapper Travis Scott’s surprise interference during the match, and admitted he was surprised too and could see why fans were expecting him to show up as well.
“They were waiting. They were waiting for it.”
McAfee even said he texted Johnson during that time, asking if he was coming.
Johnson commended Scott’s recent involvement with the WWE.
“He loves wrestling, he’s a huge fan and he respects it and he’s working his a– off,” he revealed. “I know that he has plans to work with (WWE Hall of Famer) Booker T., I don’t know if that’s happening already.”
Johnson went on to call Cena, “without question, the GOAT, period,” and said he’s not on professional wrestling’s Mount Rushmore. He said Cena turning heel, aka being a villain, took guts considering this is his WWE farewell tour and he’s a known good guy, aka baby face, with fans.
“I said, ‘Brother, I give you so much credit and I hope you are exhilarated right now because what you are attempting to do takes guts and you are putting it all on the line,” Johnson explained.
Following the interview, fans weighed in on social media.
One fan took to X to call the interview “infuriating.”
However, another fan appreciated the explanation.
“I thought he did a great job of laying out his thoughts and some of the plans they have long term for Cody and for Cena. And trust me, I was REALLY disappointed that he wasn’t involved in the finish Sunday night and said so,” the fan posted.
The post Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson breaks silence on Wrestlemania 41 appeared first on KTLA.
