The Rock confirms reason he didn't show up at WrestleMania as fans left disappointed
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has confirmed why he skipped WrestleMania 41 despite being involved in the storytelling leading up to John Cena and Cody Rhodes' title match.
The 52-year-old has been playing "The Final Boss" since returning before WrestleMania 40 last year in
Philadelphia
as part of "The Bloodline" alongside family members Roman Reigns and The Usos. "The Rock" has showed up in parts heading into this year's spectacle, getting fans excited over his new, dominant persona.
He orchestrated John Cena's historic heel turn on Rhodes at Elimination Chamber with help from Travis Scott, but he was nowhere to be seen last Sunday during the pair's WWE Championship match, leaving fans confused and furious. "The Rock" has now explained why he stepped back from the storyline, but it only fueled more anger and added more cloud of confusion surrounding
Cena's legendary 17th title win thanks to an interference from Scott
. Cena's win over Rhodes
pushed him clear of The Great Rick Flair
.
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Speaking Tuesday on
The Pat McAfee Show
, he said: "When we were moving forward with John and this idea of him getting crowned at WrestleMania and becoming 17, and being a heel champion, I knew then the best thing for 'The Final Boss.'
"We've established this idea of Cody [Rhodes'] soul. We can always come back to it. I did feel, I made the call, I don't want to be involved in that. Let 'The Final Boss' step back into the shadows. Let all the spotlight go to John, let it go to Cody. Let's not make it about Cody's soul or John's soul. Let's let them do what they do."
"I called John after Elimination Chamber, spoke to him, called Cody, and I said, 'I think 'The Final Boss' work is done. We've established it,'" Johnson added. "We just pulled off the greatest angle in the history of professional wrestling, other than Hulk Hogan turning heel back in the '90s.
John Cena defeated Cody Rhodes without The Rock
(Image: Getty)
"I said, 'This is amazing. We have six weeks. Now, let's build. You guys go and crush it. I'll be right there with you, and I'm always here if you need me, but I think it's best for 'The Final Boss' not to be involved in that finish. Six weeks to plan for that.'
"I loved the finish of [Sunday's] match. I would have finessed things a little differently in how they got there, but that's just me creatively. There are a lot of minds in the room. That's my thought, but still, ultimately, the bottom line was I loved John getting 17. I never had a concern about John pulling this off. My thoughts were always to Cody because of what we've established with him and his story, and the kind of babyface he is.
"So, if done right, and I think if finessed right and nuanced right, down the road, that guy not only has an incredible babyface run again as champion, but also just an unheard of rise as a heel down the road."
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Irish Daily Star
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Irish Daily Star
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