WrestleMania 41 in Flux as The Rock Forces Major Changes to WWE’s Creative Plans

The Final Boss shook up SmackDown, but his return wasn’t something WWE had locked in for months.

According to Fightful Select, The Rock’s appearance and the massive WrestleMania 42 announcement were finalized just days before the February 21 episode.

Sources inside WWE revealed that creative was caught off guard, with talent shocked when they learned The Rock would be showing up. His involvement led to major changes—including Cody Rhodes being pulled from the original SmackDown main event and plans shifting on the fly.

The Rock didn’t just drop the bombshell that WrestleMania 42 will take place in New Orleans next year—he made it personal. Standing in the ring with Cody Rhodes, The Rock made his intentions crystal clear: he wants Cody’s soul. The TKO Board of Directors member told Rhodes to think about it and give him an answer at Elimination Chamber on March 1.

As for what this means for WrestleMania 41, everything is now up in the air. For months, WWE had been moving forward under the assumption that The Rock wasn’t going to be available. Plans had been in place for Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena and different combinations of Roman Reigns, CM Punk, and Seth Rollins in the top title matches.

One top talent even joked that WrestleMania was “at the mercy of Dwayne.” That might not have been far off—because now, just weeks before WrestleMania 41, everything is on the table.

Behind the scenes, Christian Scovell was listed as the writer for The Rock’s segment, as he typically works on Cody Rhodes’ storylines. Meanwhile, Michael Hayes handled production duties. But for those wondering if The Rock was working off a strict script—the answer is no. The Great One does what he wants, and that includes throwing in an unscripted F-bomb mid-segment.

The Rock just flipped the entire WrestleMania landscape on its head, and WWE is scrambling to keep up. What was once a clear path for Cody Rhodes has now turned into a power struggle with The Final Boss looming over it all.

With Elimination Chamber just days away, all eyes are on Cody—does he bow to The Rock’s demands, or does he fight back? One thing’s for sure: WrestleMania season just got real. What do you think Cody should do? Let us know in the comments!