The Rock's SmackDown segment was "supposed to be strange," WWE legend thinks
The Rock appeared in a cryptic segment with Cody Rhodes on the February 21 episode of SmackDown. WWE Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) watched the show and enjoyed the wrestler-turned-actor's mysterious message to The American Nightmare.
The in-ring segment began with The Rock announcing New Orleans, Louisiana, as the host city of WrestleMania 42 on April 11-12, 2026. The Final Boss also praised Rhodes before telling the Undisputed WWE Champion he wants his soul.
JBL said on the Something to Wrestle podcast that the TKO board member's confusing words perfectly suited the storyline:
"I thought it was strange and I thought it was probably supposed to be strange. Sometimes you do stuff that you don't have a finish to. It's why you call it episodic television, and I thought that's what that was. I have no idea what 'I'm gonna take your soul' [means]. I don't think anybody else does. I thought it was incredibly well done. It looked uncomfortable, and I think that's how it was supposed to look." [2:58 – 3:17]
The Great One also revealed he will appear at Elimination Chamber on March 1. At the event, he wants Rhodes to let him know if he will agree to be "his champion."
JBL on The Rock taking a spot from full-time WWE stars
SmackDown was originally supposed to feature Cody Rhodes in six-man tag team action and a one-on-one match between Liv Morgan and Naomi. However, plans changed after The Rock's last-minute addition to the show.
JBL wrestled for WWE when Hulk Hogan, Sycho Sid, and The Ultimate Warrior's returns caused controversy. Given The Rock's star power, the former WWE Champion has no problem with the 52-year-old's sudden return to television.
"You've got the biggest movie star in the last 20 years coming back to WWE," JBL continued. "There's no downside to this. A lot of people have always gotten mad about guys coming back. We got mad about The Warrior coming back, about Sid coming back, about Hogan coming back, about The Rock coming back. Look, if you're big enough, you don't need them, but there ain't nobody bigger than that man, so it's always great to have something like that come back because it really does help the show." [3:20 – 3:48]
In a post-SmackDown press conference, the Hollywood star hinted that his storyline with Rhodes will not lead to a match between the two.
Please credit Something to Wrestle and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
