Despite his departure as a full-time WWE wrestler nearly two decades ago, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson never entirely left the place that brought him fame. From the occasional return match when he first left to a surprise promo every year or two, the Brahma Bull remains connected to the squared circle.
The Rock’s most prominent appearances have been at WrestleMania, including back-to-back main event matches with John Cena in 2012 and 2013. His last bout technically happened at WrestleMania 32 in 2016, but in an extraordinarily brief match with Erick Rowan.
A return to the ring was speculated for WrestleMania 39 against Roman Reigns, but it was ruled out early. Don’t count on WrestleMania 40 either. If he ever returns for another match, though, Kurt Angle, on The Kurt Angle Show podcast, said the star of “Black Adam” could still put on a “30-minute match” at WrestleMania (h/t Fightful for transcription).
“He really trains hard, and he has been able to keep his body young and active. When you watch him train, he does a lot of not just weight training and stuff, he does a lot of plyometrics and stuff like that. I believe that he could still wrestle. I believe if he wants to do it, he could put in a good 30-minute match at WrestleMania. I don’t doubt that for a second. He’s able to take care of his body as much as he has lately. I don’t see it being a problem for him.”
The Wrestling Observer reported earlier this year that The Rock wouldn’t get in shape in time for WrestleMania, which Brian Gerwitz, SVP of Development at Seven Bucks Productions, shot down on The Ringer’s Bill Simmons’ podcast.
Over the years, The Rock has consistently posted workout content on social media, making it clear he is in excellent shape. Wrestling a 30-minute match, however, may be a different challenge, especially since he hasn’t had a proper match in a decade. Nevertheless, in the “never say never” business, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him return for another match in a few years.