Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has explained why he missed WrestleMania 41. Over the weekend, 65,000 fans gathered at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for WrestleMania. Their presence was for the whole event with multiple grand matches. However the marquee match was between John Cena and Cody Rhodes. Many were upset when Johnson didn’t appear in that match, especially due to his huge contribution to that storyline.
On Tuesday, the Moana actor shared his reasons on The Pat McAfee Show. He discussed his thought process with WWE officials. There, the Final Boss explained his concerns about overstepping Cena. He mentioned other commitments that limited his availability. Johnson also wanted to avoid taking attention away from the main event. He questioned the need for his involvement in the finale.
Johnson emphasized that the spotlight should stay on John Cena, the 17-time heel champion. He felt inserting himself might distract from Cena’s moment. This decision was made to keep the focus on the current storyline. However, he also bamboozled on seeing Travis Scott towards the end.
“There’s other commitments that I have, and I also want to be careful that we’re not over-stepping too much. Can’t get involved in the finish and I said ‘but why get involved in that finish when the spotlight should just be on John. 17. Heel Champion.”
The Rock on his WrestleMania 41 absence
However, the spotlight still shifted even in his absence as Travis helped Cena. That end for Cena vs. Rhodes was a decision that was criticised as the FE!N singer, who had nothing to do with it, appeared. Rock was expected because he was the one who took John’s ‘soul’ and made him embrace the heel side. Had Rock replaced Scott, WrestleMania 41 would’ve ended rightly.
Ari Emanuel asked The Rock to show up at the Elimination Chamber 2025
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, a TKO Board Director, recently appeared on The Pat McAfee Show. He shared how his surprise appearance at Elimination Chamber came together. The Rock explained that Ari Emanuel, owner of TKO (which owns WWE), called him for help. Ticket sales for the event were slow, and Emanuel wanted to make the show must-see TV.
The Rock described Emanuel as a longtime friend and business partner. Emanuel told him Elimination Chamber needed a boost to become more exciting. The event serves as a lead-in to WrestleMania, but it lacked a compelling hook. Emanuel asked if “The Final Boss” (The Rock’s persona) would show up to create buzz.
After considering the request, The Rock discussed ideas with Emanuel, Triple H, and Nick Khan. He pitched a storyline focused on his character’s motivations. The Rock emphasized that “The Final Boss” doesn’t care about titles, money, or fame—he wants the audience’s “soul.” This idea became the foundation for his surprise return.
“I get a call from Ari Emmanuel, who we know owns TKO. TKO owns WWE. He said, we need help at Elimination Chamber. Ticket sales are a little slow, but beyond that, he goes, what we are finding is with Elimination Chamber, it’s become the pay-per-view that’s been interesting.”
The Rock on his presence at Elimination Chamber 2025
The revelation contradicts earlier claims that The Rock’s WrestleMania plans were set long in advance. It also dismisses theories that his storyline was in the works since last year’s Bad Blood event. Instead, his return was a last-minute decision to boost interest in Elimination Chamber.
