Fans were disappointed when The Rock was nowhere to be seen at WrestleMania 41.
After playing a pivotal role in setting up the main event angle, many expected “The Final Boss” to make an appearance during Cody Rhodes vs John Cena.
So, why wasn’t The Rock at WrestleMania 41?
The Rock’s Role Leading Up to WrestleMania 41
The story began heating up at Elimination Chamber 2025, when The Rock (in his “Final Boss” persona) confronted Cody Rhodes and challenged him to “sell his soul”. Instead, the segment saw John Cena turn heel—an unexpected twist that had fans buzzing.
This moment was seen as the beginning of a massive storyline that would surely culminate at WrestleMania. But as the weeks rolled on, The Rock disappeared from WWE programming.
The Final Boss faded into the background, leaving fans wondering where the angle was going—and where he had gone.
The Rock says he wanted to step out of the spotlight and let all the spotlight be on John Cena & Cody Rhodes.
He says he called Cena & Rhodes after EC & said “I think the Final Boss’ work is done. — We’ve just pulled off the greatest angle in the history of pro wrestling”… pic.twitter.com/OQBzROcXU3
— WrestlePurists (@WrestlePurists) April 22, 2025
The Rock Explains Why He Wasn’t At WrestleMania
Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, The Rock finally addressed the elephant in the room. His explanation? The work of The Final Boss was “already done”.
“We established something powerful with Cody’s soul. We pulled off one of the greatest angles in wrestling history. I felt it was best to step back and let Cena and Rhodes take the spotlight,” The Rock explained.
He emphasised that his decision was about not overshadowing the story WWE was building with Cena and Rhodes. According to The Rock, he didn’t want to “make it about The Final Boss” at the grandest stage of them all.
I heard everything The Rock said on the Pat McAfee show.
He still should have been there 😂 respectfully.
— Alex McCarthy (@AlexMcCarthy88) April 22, 2025
The Rock Says He Would’ve Booked The Main Event Differently
Internally, WWE had toyed with several creative directions, including Cody turning heel or The Rock interfering in the match’s conclusion.
However, Rock revealed that once Cena embraced his dark side, there was no need for another seismic shift.
“We could’ve inserted The Final Boss at the end… but then where do we go? I had other commitments. I didn’t want to overstep or distract from Cena’s historic 17th title win.”
The absence became even more glaring when rapper Travis Scott made a surprise (and largely criticised) appearance, leading fans to believe The Rock was surely coming next. But he never did.
“The Travis Scott moment? Yeah, I was surprised too,” The Rock admitted. “It made fans think I was about to appear. I would’ve finessed that differently.”
What’s Next for The Final Boss?
The Rock teased that this isn’t the end for his “Final Boss” character. He hinted that WWE could return to the soul-selling storyline down the line—especially if Cody’s character evolves further.
“We’ll get back to it. Cody has a great babyface run ahead of him… but also an unheard-of heel run someday.”
It seems The Rock’s absence wasn’t due to lack of interest—but rather a deliberate creative decision made to attempt to enhance the ongoing story between Rhodes and Cena without overcrowding the narrative.
Reading between the lines, there seems to be some bubbling tension between The Rock and Triple H—or rather, Dwayne Johnson and Paul Levesque.
