The Rock’s WWE Status Revealed As Title Run Reportedly Scrapped

Despite being a part-timer, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson remains one of WWE’s integral contributors.

His last television appearance was during last year’s Elimination Chamber, where he confronted Cody Rhodes, demanding that the Undisputed Champion align with him.

The segment saw Rhodes viciously turn down his offer, which was followed by John Cena turning heel and aligning with The Final Boss.

Fans were eager as to how the storyline would proceed, and looked forward to Johnson making another event-altering appearance at WrestleMania 42.

However, The Rock was a no-show.

Instead, it was rapper Travis Scott making his presence felt ringside, something that fans did not care for much. Cena went on to become the record 17-time World Champion, continuing his heel run till early August.

A WWE Title Run Was Planned For The Rock

Before John Cena’s retirement tour was approved by WWE, there were discussions held about The Rock’s return, which also included a title run for him.

The plan never saw the light of day.

While the exact reason behind it is unknown, it is possible that The Rock did not come to terms with WWE and the creative team, according to a tweet by Ringside News founder Steve Carrier.

In his tweet, Carrier states that it is common around WrestleMania for there to be reports about Dwayne Johnson’s possible return. However, the decision does not necessarily depend on his availability, but on whether he actually agrees to the storyline.

Being put in such an unpredictable spot multiple times throughout the last decade has led WWE to develop a Plan B.

For WrestleMania 43, the Plan B is to build a storyline featuring Roman Reigns and Oba Femi, which was reported by Self Made Pro during a recent Self Made Sessions podcast.

So I talked to someone in WWE, right? There’s a lot of moving pieces right now and they’re still unclear, at least as far as I’m aware, as far as the people I spoke to are aware, I should say. Right now, if Dwayne’s not doing Mania, then they’re looking to do Oba Femi and Roman at Mania.

The Rock Snubs UFC Freedom 250 Event

While WWE and UFC continue to thrive under Endeavor, Dwayne Johnson seemingly has no interest in making an appearance for either company, at least for now.

An earlier report by Time Magazine claimed that UFC boss Dana White had invited The Rock to attend UFC Freedom 250 at the White House in Washington, D.C.

Now, a follow-up report by Vanity Fair has revealed that the 54-year-old will not be in attendance.

A source close to The Rock tells Vanity Fair that he will not be attending,” Vanity Fair wrote. “Representatives for [Adam] Sandler, [Jared] Leto, and [Mario] Lopez say they won’t be either.

Reps for the others did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The White House and UFC did not respond to requests for comment about the guest list.