The Rock has subtly confirmed what his WrestleMania announcement will be on WWE SmackDown

The Rock will return on WWE SmackDown tonight, just a week before Elimination Chamber 2025. He last appeared in the sports entertainment juggernaut on NXT's New Year's Evil back in January, where he cut a promo to tell fans that he was always twenty steps ahead of everyone.

The Final Boss may have subtly confirmed what he would do on SmackDown tonight. The show will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana, so he could announce the city as the location of WrestleMania 42 next year.

This is possible due to several reasons.

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WrestleMania 42 is rumored to be held in New Orleans

WWE could return to the Caesars Superdome for next year's WrestleMania, according to the latest update on Backstage Pass. The announcement of New Orleans as the host city for next year's Showcase of Immortals was reportedly supposed to be made before this year's WrestleMania, so it could happen tonight.

The Rock acted like a babyface when he appeared on RAW's premiere on Netflix last month. He could continue acting like that on SmackDown and get cheered by fans after revealing the major news to them.

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The Rock will likely miss WrestleMania 41

A lot of fans are expecting The Rock to do something big on SmackDown tonight. They want The Final Boss to cross paths with Cody Rhodes or Roman Reigns to set up a match for WrestleMania 41.

However, that will likely not be the case. This is because The Brahma Bull's presence at the Show of Shows in Las Vegas this year is not guaranteed. After all, reshoots for Moana are scheduled during that time. The WWE legend has voiced Maui in the movie.

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WWE seemingly has its plans for WrestleMania 41 set already

The Rock has not done anything significant in his last couple of appearances in WWE. He acknowledged Roman Reigns as the Tribal Chief and presented him the Ula Fala on RAW's premiere on Netflix and even praised Cody Rhodes.

His actions last month were probably a confirmation of him not being able to be a part of any storylines in the Stamford-based promotion for the foreseeable future. Otherwise, he would not have changed his behavior suddenly.

Cody Rhodes is set to defend the Undisputed WWE Title against the winner of the Men's Elimination Chamber Match at WrestleMania 41, while Roman Reigns is rumored to compete in a Triple-Threat bout against CM Punk and Seth Rollins. Triple H's booking in the last few weeks is likely an indication that he knows The Rock will not be able to be a part of WrestleMania, which is why both angles are already underway.