Major Update Emerges On The Rock's Reported WWE WrestleMania 42 And 43 Plans

The Rock disappointed pro wrestling fans all around the world when he failed to appear in the main event of WrestleMania 41 last April.
The Rock had made himself such an important part of John Cena's heel turn against Cody Rhodes, only to vanish into the creative abyss. He no longer cared for Cody's soul and declared on the Pat McAfee Show that his presence was no longer necessary in the story beyond Elimination Chamber.
For fans holding on to hope that some day The Rock would finish his story with Cody Rhodes, you'll have to wait at least another WrestleMania after this latest report. The Rock last competed in a WWE ring when he wrestled with cousin Roman Reigns against Rhodes and Seth Rollins in a 44-minute tag match on night one of WrestleMania XL.

The Rock not wrestling at WrestleMania 42
Andrew Baydala reported Friday that any rumors surrounding The Rock's involvement in WrestleMania are not for the upcoming one in Las Vegas, and that what's under discussion is for WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia.
Baydala wrote, "Before these "rumors" get wild again-
The Rock is NOT wrestling at this year's . The "big offer" under discussion is for next year's Mania 43 in Saudi Arabia, and there appears to be hesitation about proceeding, given that The Rock knows it would most likely be his last match."
Before these "rumors" get wild again-
— Andrew Baydala (@AndrewBaydala) January 2, 2026
The Rock is NOT wrestling at this year's #WrestleMania. The "big offer" under discussion is for next year's Mania 43 in Saudi Arabia, and there appears to be hesitation about proceeding, given that The Rock knows it would most likely be his… pic.twitter.com/fostjw6pRT
Any reported hesitation by The Rock is not about the show's location, but rather its timing. Baydala also reports that if Rock were to commit to wrestling at WrestleMania 43, it could be his last wrestling match ever. There have been no reports to suggest that he'll wrestle after WrestleMania 42 and before WrestleMania 43.
The Rock's presence will affect price of WrestleMania tickets
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported in September that the final price Saudi Arabia pays for all the WrestleMania 43 events for the week could depend on whether The Rock commits to main-eventing the show. The reported price for the show is currently around $100 million.
Any show The Rock wrestles on would be set to break records and be extremely profitable, given his superstardom and the fact that it could be his last match ever. It's also expected that if The Rock commits to wrestling at WrestleMania 43, the match would be against Roman Reigns or Cody Rhodes.

WrestleMania 43 is set to go down in Saudi Arabia in 2027, and will be the first WrestleMania to take place outside North America.
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Aidan has been a contributor to The Takedown since July of 2025. He also currently writes for the Miami Heat & Orlando Magic on SIl. Before joining On SI, he reported for Caplin News and created content individually. He has a bachelor’s degree in Digital Media & Communications at FIU’s School of Journalism. Aidan has spent years producing pro wrestling content on social media and writing about pro sports. He’s a lifelong enthusiast of the business and continues to cover the global wrestling world with an unbiased, but passionate approach. His favorite pro wrestling memory is watching Triple H vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania 28, and legend has it he is still chanting "move the palm trees" to this day.