The Rise Of Triple H | Wrestling Timelines

January 23, 2024 - Player 2 Press Start

The Rock
WWE

In a press release, WWE announces that Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has been added to the TKO board of directors.

Gauging by his subsequent onscreen role, it would appear that this positions him above Levesque in the hierarchy and affords him unlimited power.

Only an imminent PR disaster - one of many that has plagued Johnson during an unsuccessful recent stint at the Hollywood box office - dissuades the Rock from enacting his original plan. Tearing up Levesque’s year-long plan, the Rock wanted to simply take the Undisputed title match at WrestleMania against Roman Reigns from Cody. This actually happens, on WWE TV, to a massive backlash redolent of the bad old days, in which the fan favourite wrestlers under Vince McMahon were often demoted.

Wary of his public image - the fans side with Cody over the mainstream megastar - the Rock instead turns heel, reimagining himself as the ‘Final Boss’. He enters the best work of his career since 2003 as a sinister, foul-mouthed tour de force who bloodies Cody in the rain in a sensational heat angle. Rock pins Cody on night one of WrestleMania XL, teases a big singles match the next night on Raw, and leaves your screens temporarily.

Seemingly, only his Hollywood commitments and extravagant schedule prevent Dwayne from doing as he wishes all the time.

As of 2025, Levesque can’t finalise plans for the biggest show of the year unencumbered because a self-serving agent of chaos has the power to do as he wishes.

Sound familiar?

Levesque said, when deflecting criticism of the WrestleMania 39 main event result during the post-show press conference, that the stories are never finished in WWE. He did not know how right he was; almost as soon as Vince is gone, a new boss fight awaits the Game.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!