Ticket holders for the February 21 edition of WWE SmackDown were hit with a welcome surprise Thursday evening. WWE announced that “The Final Boss” is set to return. That means The Rock will make a surprise appearance on the Friday evening show. Fans and pundits alike immediately began speculating why he is showing up, with ideas ranging from the start of an angle or to simply pop a rating for the show. And as it always does, speculation is ready to run wild in the world of sports entertainment.
“Strap it,” said WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque via the press release. “When The Final Boss shows up at this time of year, the audience knows absolutely anything is possible. Everything could change in an instant.”
There are no lies in that statement, as fans are reminded of how quickly things almost changed for the worse, heading into WrestleMania 40. After winning his second Royal Rumble in a row, Cody Rhodes’s moment to “Finish the Story” was almost usurped by The Rock’s return who hinted at a match against Roman Reigns with a simple easter egg of sitting at the head of the table.
Fan backlash was swift and WWE shifted direction – a rare change for a promotion that has decades of history pushing back against viewers. The Rock and Reigns went on to defeat Rhodes and Seth Rollins on Night One of WrestleMania 40. Then, thanks to the Avengers of the WWE Universe, Rhodes would defeat Reigns on Night Two.
Expect The Rock to announce New Orleans for WrestleMania 42
Fans and media members alike immediately took to social media to speculate what is the meaning behind The Rock’s appearance. Is he showing up to kick off a major angle for WrestleMania 41? Or is he back to announce New Orleans for WrestleMania 42 and to pop a rating for the show?
The Rock’s involvement in this year’s WrestleMania has been a major talking point. Multiple outlets have reported that The Rock will not be available for WrestleMania. His appearance during the Netflix premiere of WWE Monday Night Raw furthered that narrative. But if anything is certain with Dwayne Johnson it is that things change.
However, fans should not work themselves up too much about what Friday’s appearance means. Reports popped up days ago that WrestleMania 42 is heading to the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. This is the type of news that The Rock would show up for to create a buzz about the two-night affair.
The Final Boss’s next appearance on WWE SmackDown is more than enough to stay tuned. Keep expectations low but hope for a surprise. What can start as an announcement of 2026’s WrestleMania can quickly turn into a major angle for the promotion.