The Rock WWE WrestleMania 43 Return Update

WWE

Details on the availability of The Rock for WWE WrestleMania 43, taking place in Saudi Arabia next year, have emerged.

Set for April 2027, WWE WrestleMania 43 marks the first time that the top Premium Live Event will take place in Saudi Arabia, with Riyadh hosting the event.

While a date is yet to be confirmed, details have emerged about whether The Rock will feature on the two-night show, following previous rumors about potential interest from Saudi Arabia.

Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer highlighted The Rock’s movie schedule as a reason he may not be able to train for an in-ring return, writing:

“The movie “Fast Forever,” billed as the final movie ever in the Fast & Furious series, is scheduled to start filming in December. That would appear to make it impossible for Dwayne Johnson to train like he would, like for a match.

“As is well known, the Saudis wanted Johnson for this coming year’s WrestleMania. I don’t say it’s impossible because they can offer ridiculous money, even for him, but it would not be optimum for him.”

This is historically significant, with The Rock notably not competing at WrestleMania 39 despite reports the previous year that he would wrestle at the event if his schedule allowed for him to train for an in-ring return.

While The Rock has been in action since – competing in tag action at WrestleMania 40 – the past has proven that he will only step back into the ring if he can dedicate enough time to getting in ring shape.

The long-time star of the Fast & Furious franchise, Vin Diesel, recently revealed that Fast Forever will start shooting in December, saying to Variety:

“We start shooting in December, if I can make good on the request from the studio.

“I’m in a good place, though. I had to go through four sets of writers, four years of development, to get to something that I felt would be worthy of a finale. And when I read the script a couple of weeks ago, (I cried).”

Johnson portrayed Luke Hobbs starting in Fast Five, returning for its three sequels and the adjacent “Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw” movie.

He had a cameo in Fast X, seeming to repair a rift that existed between himself and Diesel.

Where In The World Is The Rock?

Last seen at Elimination Chamber: Toronto back in March 2025, The Rock has been absent from WWE screens to this day and is listed on the “Alumni” section of the official roster page.

Despite his absence and alumni status, The Rock continues to be a part-time star in WWE, with no announcement or indication that he is walking away from in-ring competition.

Dwayne Johnson continues to be a Hollywood star, with a number of projects in his movie future, and sits on the board of directors of WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings. While he may not be an element on screen, it’s highly likely that the star maintains an active interest in what’s happening on screen and behind the scenes.

While The Rock may not, as Meltzer suggests, be able to train for an in-ring return, there’s likely the possibility that a live appearance at WrestleMania 43 could happen. The Rock hasn’t competed since WrestleMania 40 in 2024, with his subsequent appearances seeing him in a non-physical capacity.

Clearly, there’s value to The Rock outside of wrestling and that will likely translate to an opportunity at WrestleMania 43.

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• wwe
• WrestleMania
• The Rock

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