Backstage Update On The Rock's WWE WrestleMania 39 Status

The Great One's pencilled in for a major role at next year's Showcase of the Immortals.

The Rock
WWE

While The Rock is not advertised to be at WrestleMania 38 this coming weekend, it looks like big plans are in the works for the Great One in a year's time.

Speaking on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said the current plan is for The Rock to headline WrestleMania 39 against Roman Reigns.

Dwayne Johnson himself is keen to do the match, WWE is clearly keen to have Johnson involved in any 'Mania in any capacity, and the company has been making loose plans for this huge contest in recent months. Added to that, Reigns has also regularly talked up facing The Rock should the opportunity ever arise - with the Universal Champion's Head of the Table moniker and persona clearly a natural fit for the People's Champion to go up against.

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Of course, Rock and Roman are real-life cousins, which makes the Head of the Table schtick all the more relevant. Dwayne Johnson's grandfather Peter Maivia and Roman's grandfather Amituanai Anoa'i were brothers, and Rock's mother Lia and Reigns' father Sika are first cousins.

Since turning heel in late-2020, Roman Reigns has declared himself as the High Chief, the Head of the Table, and has talked about how its his responsibility to feed the family. With that, there's the perfect setup already waiting should The Rock be able to make an in-ring return.

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While the hope is to do Reigns vs. Rock at WrestleMania 39, any such tentative plans could be thrown sideways should Dwayne Johnson's ever-busy schedule change. In addition to being arguably the biggest movie star on the planet these days, Johnson has several different business interests and is also due to relaunch the XFL next year.

In terms of the last time The Rock competed in a WWE ring, that was the super-brief 'match' against Erick Rowan at WrestleMania 32. Prior to that, Johnson's last contest saw him lose the WWE Title to John Cena at WrestleMania XXIX back in 2013.

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For Roman Reigns, he'll face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38 this Sunday in a Winner Takes All bout for the WWE Title and Universal Title.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Chatterer of stuff, writer of this, host of that, Wrexham AFC fan.