"That's not episodic" - WWE legend shuts down fans' backlash over The Rock's absence at WrestleMania 41
The WWE Universe anticipated The Rock's appearance at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, but that didn't happen. Recently, JBL responded to the backlash from fans concerning The Great One not showing up at The Show of Shows.
In the closing moments of the Undisputed WWE Championship match between Cody Rhodes and John Cena, rapper Travis Scott came out to assist the 48-year-old. However, fans expected The Final Boss to appear instead of Scott. While The Franchise Player did indeed become a 17-time World Champion, some argued that the ending was underwhelming due to Dwayne Johnson's absence.
On the Something To Wrestle podcast, JBL offered his perspective on professional wrestling dynamics following fan outcry over The Rock not being at The Showcase of The Immortals. The Wrestling God claimed that booking moments that could anger fans was often more effective for episodic storytelling than feel-good conclusions.
"Look, I'm not taking shots at the fans; I'm just telling [you] what my perspective of the business [is]. And you're going to book this hotshot moment; you're going to have The Rock come down; you're going to have the glass break [Stone Cold Steve Austin appear]; you're going to have all this stuff happen," Layfield said.
The WWE Hall of Famer added:
"Everybody's going to go, 'Oh man,' and all of a sudden, [John] Cena's going to get that 17-time World Championship; everybody's going to stand up and cheer and go, 'Alright man, that's fantastic!' That's not episodic. That's a culmination. That's a finale. It's tough to follow that. Instead, you do something where fans are pi**ed off. That's the wrestling business." [From 44:22 to 44:59]
The Rock reveals why he did not appear at WWE WrestleMania 41
Dwayne Johnson recently made his virtual presence felt on The Pat McAfee Show following WrestleMania 41. During his chat with the WWE RAW commentator, The Final Boss shared why he held himself back from making an appearance on April 20, 2025.
The Rock revealed that he wanted the storyline to revolve around John Cena winning the world championship and Cody Rhodes suffering a massive setback.
"I made the call; I don't wanna be involved in that. Step back. Let The Final Boss step back into the shadows. Let all the spotlight go to John. Let it go to Cody. Let's not make it about Cody's soul, eventually, or John's soul. No, let's let them do what they do," he said.
It will be exciting to see if The Brahma Bull returns to WWE TV in the coming weeks.
Please credit the Something To Wrestle podcast and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.
