Update On The Rock's WrestleMania 43 Status - Will He Work A Match?! (WWE News)

Saudi Arabia money could talk, but it's not like The Rock is strapped for cash.

The Rock WWE
WWE.com

Rumours regarding The Rock's status for next year's WrestleMania 43 won't go away. Wrestling fans should get used to them, because there will be 'Final Boss' chatter right up until the eleventh hour as WWE's premier PLE beams live from Riyadh for the first time in April 2027.

Wrestling Observer head Dave Meltzer believes it's "very unlikely" we'll see Rocky actually work a match at 'Mania though. He pointed out that Dwayne Johnson has some big time film commitments scheduled for around the same time as the trip over to Saudi, and that could throw cold water over any thoughts of having him train to wrestle.

At 54, there's next to no chance 'The Great One' would want to go into any sort of physical situation without preparing himself for the test. Further, he has to prioritise his Hollywood work because that's his bread and butter these days - WWE matches are sideshows in the year round carnival that is Johnson's life.

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Meltzer thinks there's a better chance of seeing Rocky appear in a non-wrestling role, perhaps as something to do with the never-ending Bloodline narrative. However, a match vs. Roman Reigns (which has been pencilled in on and off for years now) remains far-fetched for 2027.

Will it ever happen? That's up for debate.

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The Observer did say that Saudi's money men would obviously love to get The Rock on the card. He'd bolster any show he appeared on, especially if he's working an actual match. However, "very unlikely" certainly doesn't sound promising at time of writing in late-August 2026.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.