The Rock WWE WrestleMania 43 Plans

WWE

With WrestleMania 43 set to emanate from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in April 2027, there has been some speculation about plans for The Rock at the event.

With the Final Boss having been absent from WWE TV for quite a while, some are predicting that we next see Dwayne Johnson at next year’s Show of Shows.

From stepping into the ring to raising the arm of the next big thing, there are many roles The Rock could have at the Showcase of the Immortals.

Here are five potential plans for The Rock at WrestleMania 43.

Match Against Roman Reigns

Getting this entry out of the way early, 2027 could finally be the year we see the long-awaited match between Roman Reigns and The Rock take place.

This match has almost happened on numerous occasions, however for one reason or another, WWE has never gotten it over the finish line.

With the likes of John Cena and AJ Styles officially retiring from in-ring competition, it feels like it’s a “now or never” situation with this bout, before The Rock joins them and removes his People’s-Elbow pad for good.

There are many other options for The Rock at WrestleMania 43, including…

Special Guest Referee

If The Rock doesn’t have enough time to get into ring shape, one role he could take on to get on the card would be as a special referee.

With numerous Anoa’i family members likely to compete at WrestleMania 43, and The Rock’s history with other stars, we could see him become an official, saying he will call things down the middle, but actually having other goals.

From Roman Reigns to Cody Rhodes, there are a number of stars it’d be interesting to see The Rock interact with, even if he’s not going to lace up his boots.

Special Enforcer

Similarly, we could see The Rock accompany a star to the ring, or even act as a special enforcer.

With The Rock’s real-life backstage role on the TKO board of directors, Dwayne Johnson could realistically enforce the rules in a match, either by threatening to use his executive pull, or with physical force.

This role would be a happy compromise, with fans able to witness a Rock Bottom and People’s Elbow without The Rock having to sacrifice his schedule to train for an in-ring return.

Endorse The Future Tribal Chief

The Rock isn’t the only star whose in-ring career is close to being over, with Roman Reigns previously noting in 2025 that he only planned to wrestle for one or two years at most following his contract expiring after WrestleMania 42.

If The Rock was to return, it wouldn’t be to endorse Roman Reigns as the Tribal Chief, but it could be to point out the next one.

Regardless of if a Tribal Combat match does take place, The Rock raising the arm of Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, or another family member would highlight them as potentially the next Anoa’i or Fatu to wear the Ula Fala.

Match Against Cody Rhodes

Ahead of teaming with Roman Reigns against Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40, The Rock brutalized Rhodes on the March 25, 2024 Raw episode.

The Rock was also a key player in John Cena’s heel turn at Elimination Chamber 2025, giving Cena the signal to take out the American Nightmare after Rhodes refused to give him his “soul”.

Following these encounters, a one-on-one match between Rhodes and The Rock would be the perfect way to end this multi-year rivalry.

If The Rock does return to the ring for a match which isn’t against Roman Reigns, it should be against Cody Rhodes.

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• wwe
• WrestleMania
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