The Rock's 10 Biggest WWE "What Ifs"
3. Maintenance
Wrestlers don’t really retire, but when the full time schedule comes to an end, it’s common for performers to let their physical conditioning go to ruin. Evidently no one conveyed this to Dwayne Johnson, who has only grown bigger and buffer as the years have gone on.
This means WWE have been able to call upon one of their biggest stars as necessary for the special occasions, and can guarantee no nasty surprises when he returns. The Rock remains a spectacle, and a performer who can genuinely move tickets.
There’s no better example of this than WrestleManias XXVII - XXIX, a trilogy primarily fueled by the presence of the returning hero. XXVIII was the highest grossing wrestling pay per view in history, and XXIX the top earning live event under the WWE banner.
If not for Dwayne Johnson’s diligence to his craft and conditioning, none of this would be possible. The matches with John Cena aren’t five star classics, but they’re genuine main event clashes, huge spectacles in which the younger man and the veteran are evenly matched. The Rock is now retired, but he's ready for a comeback at any given moment.