John Cena: The Rock Chose To Go Another Way During WWE Retirement Tour

John Cena and The Rock were to be part of a major storyline during Cena’s retirement tour, but the plans fell through.

The Rock made a special appearance at the Elimination Chamber, where John Cena “sold his soul” to join him, turning heel for the first time in 22 years. Rock and Cena, along with Travis Scott, then attacked Cody Rhodes, who refused to align himself with The Rock.

The setup was meant to lead to a massive payoff at WrestleMania 41. However, The Rock did not appear on WWE programming after that. It was reported that The Rock was unavailable due to filming commitments, forcing WWE to pivot creatively. But some reports suggested that The Rock and Triple H had a creative fallout over the direction of the storyline.

How John Cena Reacted After The Rock Pulled Out Of His Farewell Storyline

Speaking in a recent interview with O’Shea Jackson Jr. and TJ Jefferson on the No Contest Wrestling podcast, John Cena addressed The Rock’s sudden departure from his high-profile storyline.

Cena stated that last-minute creative shifts are common in WWE and happen all the time, which is why he did not panic when The Rock abruptly pulled out of the storyline involving Cody Rhodes.

It happens all the time. So I didn’t flip out when Travis didn’t want to do it anymore. When Rock chose to go another way. It happens. I saw Steve Austin leave. I saw him get fired. Like I was there when they fired him in Atlanta. Like it, it happens. It happens all the time. (From 2:00:58)

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