The Rock might end up facing 40-year-old WWE star at WrestleMania after all, due to one massive reason

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's latest run in WWE, if that is an apt term, has been a polarizing one, to say the least. However, in professional wrestling, it is not the past that matters, but the future. Recent reports, which have received mixed reactions from wrestling fans, indicate that Saudi Arabia continues to push the company to bring WrestleMania to the country. Furthermore, proposals have reportedly been made for not just a one-off event, but an annual two-WrestleMania schedule, with one taking place in the Middle East while retaining the traditional spectacle in North America.

Saudi officials have also been pushing to have The Rock headline the show, should it ever become a reality, and looking at TKO's recent business decisions and The People's Champion's volatile schedule and practices, it may very well be a possibility.

For years, The Rock vs. Roman Reigns has been a dream match for fans. The road to WrestleMania 40 changed that, and The Brahma Bull vs. Cody Rhodes became perhaps an even more interesting choice.

However, with all that has happened since, from Bad Blood 2024 to the RAW on Netflix premiere to Elimination Chamber in Toronto, the discourse regarding how The Rock has affected Cody's career has again been predominant; however, it may be best to leave the two apart. The clash against Roman Reigns seems like the better option, if this supposed event and The People's Champion's in-ring return were to happen. It could be built up separately without compromising or altering the core of WWE's programming, while also allowing The American Nightmare to continue unfettered as the QB1 of the promotion.

The 40-year-old's own part-time schedule and Hollywood ambitions are a massive reason why the Stamford-based promotion cannot afford to push it back even further. The match could be built with a mainstream build akin to The Rock vs. John Cena, except with WWE & TKO's ever-expanding reach, it could be orchestrated via various other forms of media and PR activity; initiated via subtle worked shoots in Hollywood and the two men taking shots at each other during their respective media appearances.

Having the match in Saudi Arabia, from the company's perspective, could be a major step in expanding its relationship with the country. Meanwhile, the more nostalgia-oriented fanbase could eat it up to the point that no one would regret spending a ton of money to watch the bout, only for it to be a disappointment. One would have to hope that Travis Scott isn't involved in any fashion, too.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has a busy film schedule for the foreseeable future

Dwayne Johnson's packed schedule vis-à-vis his Hollywood roles means he has limited time to commit to wrestling. Johnson's next release is The Smashing Machine, an A24 biopic in which he portrays MMA legend Mark Kerr. The film will have its premiere at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. He’s also set for a Martin Scorsese-directed crime drama with Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt, about a Hawaiian mob boss, set in the 1960s.

Furthermore, he’ll portray a morally complex self-help guru in Breakthrough, a psychological thriller, followed by a return as Maui in Disney’s live-action Moana. Dwayne Johnson is then set to film Jumanji 3 (Dec 2026). These projects blend his blockbuster appeal with bold, dramatic roles, signaling his shift toward deeper storytelling while maintaining his global box office presence.

What that means, for better or for worse, is that it is still unlikely that he ever returns to the ring, considering his schedule, his advanced age, and alleged corporate and creative conflicts. Nevertheless, if stars align and politics allow, the best bet for The Rock ever lacing up a pair of boots would have to be against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, and one that is held in Saudi Arabia, too.

Hopefully, the quality of the build and match, regardless of the numbers it pulls and money it makes, would be somewhere in the vicinity of the road to WrestleMania 40 and not WrestleMania 41. Dwayne Johnson and Roman Reigns could do justice to their legacies as professional wrestlers, and the decision to go ahead with the match despite any potential backlash.