Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson returned to the ring for the first time in nearly a decade on Night 1 of WrestleMania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. But it might not be the final time we’ll see the Final Boss participate in a WWE match.
Not only did The Rock and Roman Reigns end Saturday night with their arms raised, Johnson got the pin that sent Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins to a demoralizing defeat. That all but ensures The Rock will be part of Sunday’s main event, a rematch between Rhodes and Reigns from a year ago that will be contested under Bloodline Rules – allowing The Rock to interfere to his heart’s content should he so choose.
The assumption is that he will, but there’s less certainty about whether this was it for him as an active wrestler. Johnson is expected to start shooting his next movie, “The Smashing Machine” (about the life of MMA fighter Mark Kerr) within the next few weeks.
Yet he’s also a part of the TKO board of directors, with a more vested interest than before in ensuring WWE remains hot. And he seems to have caught the wrestling bug again, revealing in the post-show press conference Saturday night that he had a blast returning to action.
So could there be more matches in his future?
“There might be,” Johnson said before a long, thoughtful pause. “Can’t elaborate that much on that, but there might be. I love what I do and I love our business. And I was born into our business as you guys know, so … we’ll see.”
There has long been speculation that he would face Reigns, a bout that was planned for this year’s event before the decision was made to pivot back toward Rhodes vs. Reigns with the additional elements that have unfolded. Industry observers also believe a Rock vs. Reigns match would be a huge success for WWE, and perhaps the most buzzworthy attraction possible at the current time.
It’s possible either of those matchups could be saved for WrestleMania 41 next spring, with this year’s still to be announced shows in Saudi Arabia or SummerSlam in Cleveland other potential sites. A lot will depend on The Rock’s schedule, but the fan interest is certainly there, and as he confirmed, his personal interest is too.
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