Why It Looks Less Likely Than Ever That The Rock Will Compete At WrestleMania 43

The Rock has been involved with WWE again in recent years and even wrestled his first match in almost a decade at WrestleMania 40. Despite some fans hoping The People’s Champ might wrestle a few more matches after that outing went so well, it hasn’t happened. The most logical next place for Rock to wrestle again would be WrestleMania 43, but even with seven months still to go, it’s already starting to look like that’s pretty unlikely.

The Rock’s Recent Physical Transformation

WrestleMania 43 will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It will be the first WrestleMania in WWE history to be held outside of North America. Not only will that spur on WWE to make it feel like one of its biggest shows ever, but it also needs to put on a spectacle big enough that it attempts to drown out the controversy attached to holding an event that big in a country many fans are upset the company still has a relationship with.

When running through the list of big names WWE can call upon to make a show feel like one of the biggest ever, The Rock is right up there near the top of the list. However, as highlighted by Cageside Seats, the future Hall of Famer’s current physique suggests he is neither in shape for WrestleMania, nor is that going to change any time soon.

The Rock Has Slimmed Down For A New Role

The Rock took to Instagram after being flooded with questions about his new look to confirm what’s going on. He revealed that he has been healthily slimming down for a role in Lizard Music, which is filming right now. Rock currently weighs 235 lbs, the lightest he has been since his senior year of high school. However, not only did he say he had lost the weight for a role, but he added he has “never felt better” than he does right now, suggesting that, unless an upcoming role demands it, he might not put the weight back on.

This is the latest in a handful of factors that suggest Rock won’t be getting back in the ring for WrestleMania 43. The former WWE Champion will be filming a new Fast & Furious movie soon, and it’s believed those obligations would clash with potential WrestleMania prep. The Wrestling Observer’s Dave Metlzer also suggested the Saudi Arabian government isn’t as willing to splash out on big names as it was when it first got into bed with WWE. There were rumors years ago, before The Rock returned to the ring at WrestleMania 40, that the Saudi government offered The Rock $20 million to wrestle a single match, provided he won and ended the night as WWE Champion.