Below are a couple of top WWE news stories of the day, involving The Rock and Jerry Lawler.
• The Rock is reportedly no longer expected to work WrestleMania 41, despite heavy speculation of a showdown with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. This rumored match was teased on RAW after WrestleMania 40.
The Rock made his return to WWE programming at Bad Blood, after Rhodes and Roman Reigns defeated Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu. After the event, on Instagram Live, The Rock addressed Rhodes, saying, “a lot of BS had been going on,” fueling further speculation about a future match.
WrestleVotes later reported that WWE has discussed the possibility of doing The Rock vs. Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41, but that isn’t a lock yet.
However, the Wrestling Observer now reports that The Rock is not scheduled for WrestleMania 41 next April. When asked about the potential triple threat match, a source said, “He’s not going to be able to do Mania. He already gave word that he wouldn’t be able to do that match.” There was no specific reason given, with the Observer adding that “different reasons were given to different people.”
The Observer also noted that when it comes to The Rock, “he’s going to be all in if he does a match,” which means he would have to be in top physical condition. A source explained, “The story is simply his schedule got too heavy, he couldn’t commit to doing it right.”
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• Jerry Lawler’s wrongful death lawsuit over his son Brian Lawler’s in-custody death has been officially dismissed. The Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the court’s decision, bringing an end to the legal battle.
Brian Lawler, known to wrestling fans as “Grandmaster Sexay,” was jailed on July 7, 2018, on charges including DUI and evading arrest. He later committed suicide in the Hardeman County Jail.
Jerry Lawler filed a lawsuit seeking $3 million in compensatory damages and additional punitive damages, accusing the county officials of failing to provide Brian with treatment for drug and alcohol issues, and placing him in solitary confinement where he used his shoelaces to take his life.
Initially, the district court dismissed claims against Sheriff Doolen and Leonard Brown but allowed the case to proceed against three other officials—Judy Wiggins, Ellen Futrell, and William Gonzalez. However, in September 2022, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed that decision, stating that the remaining defendants had qualified immunity, which protected them from being sued.
As a result, all of Jerry Lawler’s claims have now been dismissed.