The Rock’s recent appearance on WWE RAW during its Netflix debut stirred excitement among fans but reportedly disrupted WWE’s plans for WrestleMania 41. Behind the scenes, tensions arose as The Rock’s unscripted Instagram Live sessions and backstage suggestions conflicted with WWE’s creative direction.
According to Billi Bhatti, WWE executives informed The Rock that he would not win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41 due to his packed schedule, which would prevent him from defending the title throughout 2025. WWE’s focus remained on maintaining a champion who could regularly appear on weekly programming.
Bhatti explained:
“The Rock was clearly told, as was I, and as were other people I speak to, that WWE could not afford to have the WWE Championship off television for the rest of 2025. That was clearly conveyed to The Rock.
So, while The Rock knew he was guaranteed a main event match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42 — and that match would be for the championship, with The Rock going in as the champion — he was clearly told that he would not be winning the belt from Cody Rhodes at this year’s WrestleMania because they needed a champion regularly appearing on television, and there were still open programs for Cody to pursue, including a summer program with Randy Orton.”
The Rock was initially expected to face Cody Rhodes in a storyline where each would secure a victory, leading to a lucrative rubber match in Saudi Arabia. Bhatti revealed:
“The whole point of The Rock pinning Cody Rhodes, was for Cody to pin The Rock. This would have set up a rubber match between the two at one and one. A rubber match that Saudi Arabia would have paid a lot of money for because Saudi Arabia’s top priority was to get a major WWE PLE and have The Rock on it.”
While The Rock’s eventual WWE Title win was planned for later in the year, or potentially at the Royal Rumble 2026 PLE in Saudi Arabia, his recent actions raised doubts about his reliability. Bhatti noted:
“The Rock’s title win, for a long time, he knew, was going to come on later in the year and we now know that Saudi Arabia has secured the Royal Rumble. There were talks about it happening at Crown Jewel or possibly Survivor Series, but in the end, they landed the big fish with the Royal Rumble and that’s where I would imagine would be where The Rock was set to win the championship—maybe still. Can’t trust the guy now but may still.”
The Rock’s Instagram Live appearance, which was unsanctioned by WWE, further complicated matters by hinting at his ongoing storyline. Discussions about WrestleMania plans evolved over time, with early ideas including Roman Reigns as a third participant in The Rock vs. Cody match to protect The Rock from being pinned. However, WWE ultimately settled on a one-on-one encounter.
“It was suggested that Roman be inserted into the Cody Rhodes vs. Rock match. This then became a way for The Rock not to be pinned by Cody Rhodes. However, as time went on, WWE decided to stick with a one-on-one encounter between The Rock and Cody Rhodes,” Bhatti explained.
Tensions reportedly began around Survivor Series when The Rock suggested shifting the WrestleMania focus to John Cena. Bhatti added:
“Fast forward to Survivor Series weekend, and that was when The Rock began suggesting that WrestleMania should be more about John Cena.”
The Rock’s involvement in WWE’s plans continues to be a point of contention, with his decisions impacting the creative direction and key matchups for WrestleMania 41.
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