5 Reasons why WrestleMania 41 may not need the Rock
Ever since he competed at last year's WrestleMania and appeared during each night's closing contest, The Rock's involvement in WrestleMania 41 has been a point of discussion.
Will he pop up soon to set up his path to Las Vegas? Could he finally pick a side in the Bloodline drama? While some fans would welcome his return to WWE at the same point as last year, The Show of Shows doesn't necessarily need his presence to be successful.
WWE has a loaded roster, several main-eventers, and a lot of things going for it heading into 2025. WrestleMania 41 doesn't need The Rock for the next five reasons.
#5. Being in Las Vegas will likely mean UFC participation
WWE merged with UFC under the TKO banner in the final quarter of 2023. That partnership led to more crossover appeal between the two physical sports. It also amped up the advertising/sponsorship usage by WWE.
UFC has long plastered its octagon and mat with the names of sponsors. In turn, WWE has a huge Prime logo on the mat for every show. Producers also sprinkle in random advertisements throughout the show and mid-match.
Other than Tai Tuivasa and Michael Chander, the two companies haven't featured much crossover. WrestleMania 41 emanates from the MMA promotion's home base in Las Vegas.
The show can be bolstered by many UFC fighters instead of The Rock. Names like Israel Adesanya, Jon "Bones" Jones, Chandler, and others could pop up in various segments.
#4. Other WWE Legends exist
One reason WrestleMania 41 doesn’t need The Rock is that there are many other legends who can appear at the show.
In past years, the Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, and others have participated in The Showcase of the Immortals. John Cena will have a big spot next April as well.
Depending on one big name to make the show isn’t something that WWE needs to do. The company has an extremely deep bench of legends from all eras that can help pop certain segments. For instance, Trish Stratus always gets a good reaction.
#3. More opportunities for other titles to get on the WrestleMania 41 card
Even before the creation of the Women’s United States and Intercontinental titles, WWE had more than enough championships to showcase at WrestleMania. However, in reality, every title wasn’t booked for the show. At WrestleMania 40, the United States Championship and both sets of tag team titles were left off the card.
In fact, the tag team titles and the United States title didn’t get defended on a PLE until SummerSlam. Chelsea Green has killed it in her return to WWE and should be featured in April.
With more championships than ever and with the introduction of the new women's belts, the extra time/spots should be allotted to them instead of a likely time-consuming appearance from The Rock.
#2. WWE already has a loaded roster
Every wrestling promotion says it is the best in the world. WWE usually has the right to say this, as it's been the biggest promotion in the world for decades. The roster has improved every year, but some stars get more of a spotlight than others.
Heading into 2025, WWE has many big names that should be featured at WrestleMania 41. Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Charlotte Flair, Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, and Gunther are just a few of the top names.
If they aren't battling each other, they'll be in featured spots in Las Vegas. That doesn't even include Liv Morgan, Solo Sikoa, LA Knight, Bron Breakker, Sami Zayn, Jey Uso, Iyo Sky, Drew McIntyre, and Bayley.
That's over 15 superstars without tag teams. WWE's roster is so loaded that it shouldn't need to constantly rely on a person who only shows up for a few months because his family is in a prominent program.
#1. Royal Rumble winners should main-event both nights
Another reason why The Rock isn’t necessarily needed for WrestleMania 41 is the fact that WWE can truly have both Royal Rumble winners headline a night of the show. If The Great One competes, he'll take one of those spots for himself, like at WrestleMania 40.
In the past, commentators always claimed that whoever wins those Rumble matches has the honor of closing The Show of Shows. But in reality, the honor has only gone to select stars. Seth Rollins, Bayley, Rhea Ripley, and others won their Royal Rumbles but didn’t get to close the show.
Not relying on The Rock will allow someone who has earned the right to actually main-event WrestleMania 41.