Where was The Rock during WWE Royal Rumble 2023? Dwayne Johnson's Instagram post reveals all

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's absence at the WWE Royal Rumble 2023 event dampened the hopes of many fans. The Brahma Bull was rumored to be a surprise entry on the show, but the proceedings didn't pan out that way.

Since 2020, a potential 'clash of cousins' between The Rock and Roman Reigns has gained widespread interest in the wrestling world. The constant jibes taken by both megastars fueled the hype. However, plans for the WrestleMania-worthy showdown haven't come to fruition.

The Rock was expected to win the Men's Royal Rumble Match and headline WrestleMania Hollywood. Unfortunately, given his physical shape and hectic schedule, he missed out on the action. Cody Rhodes is now penned in to fight Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

Dwayne Johnson's mother, Ata Johnson, was present in the Alamodome. But where was The Rock during the Royal Rumble 2023 event? According to his Instagram post, the 50-year-old was busy working out. He had a flight to catch the next day at 4 AM to Texas, the site for the Royal Rumble, after the event had ended.

Dwayne Johnson's inclusion in the latest Premium Live Event would have made for a grand finish. After turning on The Bloodline, Sami Zayn suffered a brutal beating at the hands of Jimmy Uso, Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa. It was the perfect moment for The People's Champion to interfere and send his cousins packing.

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Triple H revealed that The Rock is 'incredibly busy' after WWE Royal Rumble 2023

Dave Meltzer feared that The Rock wouldn't be part of WrestleMania's plans as the deadline for the event approaches soon. The wrestler-turned-actor needs more time to shake off the ring rust.

Triple H also gave a disheartening update on Dwayne's WrestleMania status. During the WWE Royal Rumble 2023 post-show press conference, the Chief Content Officer gave his thoughts on the megastar's return to WWE.

“I just don’t think it’s in the cards. Then again, I don’t know. We always have conversations with him because he loves it (wrestling) so much and we’d love for him to be a part of it… Why wouldn’t we want him to be part of it? This is his home. It’s an open invitation. We don’t lock the door." (H/T TJR Wrestling)

The Brahma Bull previously held the record for the fastest win in WWE. He achieved the feat in his penultimate match against Eric Rowan at WrestleMania 32, defeating the latter in six seconds.