Steve Carrier on February 21, 2025
The Rock’s return to Friday Night SmackDown on February 21 wasn’t originally in the plans, but according to Dave Meltzer, WWE made the call at the last minute to bring The Final Boss to New Orleans. Now, speculation is running wild about what’s really going down on SmackDown—and whether this could be the moment that locks in his WrestleMania status once and for all.
Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that “Dwayne Johnson was a last-minute add to the 2/21 SmackDown show in New Orleans.” While there’s no official word on why WWE made the decision, Meltzer noted that Johnson is expected to deliver “a big beautiful gift to the city of New Orleans,” which could very well be the announcement of WrestleMania 42 heading to the city in 2026.
That’s not the only thing fans are wondering about. The Rock’s WrestleMania status is still up in the air, and Meltzer pointed out that his appearance on SmackDown could be the turning point. “What the reason is would be conjecture, and whether he’s going to wrestle at Mania would be either a for sure yay or nay after this appearance one would think.”
The timing is also interesting—Meltzer noted that The Rock has previously said he needs nine weeks of intense training to prepare for an in-ring return, and WrestleMania is exactly nine weeks away.
Whether this is just a big WrestleMania location reveal or something even bigger, The Rock isn’t showing up empty-handed. “The Final Boss is coming to handle business, deliver a big beautiful gift to the city of New Orleans and f** up a certain someone’s life with the Final Boss gospel.”*
Could this be the night WWE finally locks in The Rock’s WrestleMania plans? Or is he strictly here for business? Drop your thoughts below!
February 21, 2025 9:19 am
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