It has been nearly 10 months since The Rock was seen on WWE television at Elimination Chamber: Toronto. He has been absent since John Cena turned heel by attacking Cody Rhodes, missing WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas.
His involvement in WrestleMania 42 appears to be nonexistent heading into the Royal Rumble at the end of the month, possibly due to his busy schedule.
However, The Final Boss was linked to a potential match at next year’s WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia. It will be the first WrestleMania event to be held outside of North America and just the third outside of the United States.
The event seemed to be the perfect time to make the dream match between The Rock and Roman Reigns happen.
The Rock Opens Up About WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia
Speaking to Arabic TV host Raffi Boghosian on Instagram, The Rock was asked about his thoughts on Saudi Arabia getting a WrestleMania. It’s part of WWE’s 10-year partnership with the Kingdom called Saudi Vision 2030.
Boghosian mentioned the current negotiations between Rocky and Saudi Arabia about his potential collaboration, but the WWE legend had a vague answer.
“Well, I can tell you that I’m excited for the brand of WrestleMania. I’m excited for the Kingdom because that is a big show. I’m also excited, not just for the brand, but I’m also excited for our athletes to be able to participate in an event like that. And that is a global event, so I can’t wait,” The Final Boss said.
Rocky also responded to the rumors of his participation at WrestleMania 43:
“As for conversations I’ve been having, it’s all good. It will always be good.”
The eight-time WWE champion will be turning 54 years old in May. He has not wrestled since WrestleMania 40, when he teamed up with Roman Reigns to beat Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins in a tag team match.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter back in September, the top people of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority are looking to bring the biggest names in WWE history, including legends who have been retired.
While The Rock has not officially retired, he’s still one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood. Due to his status, he’s reportedly expected to get the largest payout among all WWE stars.
The Rock Misses Out on Academy Award Nomination
After appearing in mostly action movies, The Rock went away from his comfort zone and took on a dramatic role. He portrayed Mark Kerr in the film “The Smashing Machine” and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for the first time in his acting career.
However, Rocky and four other actors lost out to Wagner Moura, who took home Best Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama for his performance in the movie “The Secret Agent.”
There was still hope for him to get nominated for an Academy Award, especially after being one of the early favorites. But he wasn’t part of the five-actor shortlist that included Moura, Timothee Chalamet, Michael B. Jordan, Leonard DiCaprio and Ethan Hawke.
The Rock Gets Honest About WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia