If Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wants to be part of WrestleMania 39, his schedule should allow it.
Johnson is one of the entertainment industry’s most in-demand talents, whether it’s as a leading man or behind the scenes as a producer. But according to Bryan Alvarez on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Live, his calendar has less on it than usual in the first quarter of 2023 — the exact time for the buildup to the Showcase of the Immortals.
Alvarez said that unlike some years, The Rock has no movies to shoot early next year, freeing him up for other work should he so choose (h/t to Gunjan Nath of ThirstyForNews for the transcription).
He is going to do zero movie commitments for the first quarter of 2023, which would allow him to do WrestleMania without having to worry about movie commitments and also have the time to help launch the first season of the XFL. So actually the timing for doing a WrestleMania match would be excellent this year because he has two different projects which would require him to take time off from movies.
The distinction there is important: Johnson isn’t believed to have agreed to anything yet with WWE, but the scheduling gymnastics it might take would be easier to pull off.
A dream match between Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and The Rock has been heavily rumored and much debated, particularly after Reigns emerged with WWE’s two most important men’s titles with a victory over Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38. The location is just as fitting as the timing, as WrestleMania 39 will be held at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, with a distinct Hollywood theme.
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Paul Heyman recently discussed the idea of Rock vs. Reigns in an interview with Sportskeeda and called it a “fantasy” until Johnson puts his name on a contract. While it’s always good to take Heyman’s quotes with a grain of salt since they come partly in character, there’s definitely truth in the idea that until WWE starts promoting it, it’s wiser to think it’s not going to happen.
That said, for both creative and schedule reasons, 2023 looks like the best chance WWE fans will ever have to see The Rock return for one last WrestleMania main event. Expect that to be a fun thought for many for the remainder of the year, and possibly even into the 2023 Royal Rumble.
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