With Pat McAfee teasing a massive surprise for last night’s SmackDown, speculation once again centered around WWE legend Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The Rock had been mentioned as a potential mystery advisor for Randy Orton over the phone. However, the reveal involving McAfee ultimately disappointed many wrestling fans and even some talent, though it did please ESPN and TKO’s Ari Emanuel.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer notes that we learned from last year in Toronto that when stadium ticket sales are slow, Emanuel tends to call The Rock—something CM Punk hinted at in a recent promo. Meltzer adds that behind-the-scenes sources indicate that The Rock's appearance is unlikely.
However, he includes the usual caveat that a big surprise of that magnitude often comes with misdirection and is typically known only to a select few within the company. Ticket sales have been noticeably disappointing for this year’s WrestleMania, prompting WWE to bolster the event by naming John Cena as the host. The only other names that might attract more attention than Cena could be Steve Austin or The Rock. Therefore, while it's impossible to predict definitively, the current information suggests not to get your hopes up for The Rock’s involvement.
