The Rock’s role in WWE SummerSlam 2025 remains uncertain, but a former insider alleges that The Final Boss deliberately undermined WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas. This claim raises questions about backstage conflicts and how they affected WWE’s major events leading up to SummerSlam 2025.
The Build-Up and Fallout from The Rock’s Heel Turn
In 2024, The Rock stunned fans by turning heel during the WrestleMania XL kickoff event in Philadelphia, establishing his new persona as The Final Boss. This shift ignited excitement and boosted WWE’s weekly shows ahead of the Showcase of Immortals. However, WWE’s efforts to replicate this momentum at WrestleMania 41 did not go as planned.
Originally, The Rock was expected to be heavily involved in WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, where he offered Cody Rhodes a chance to join his side and become champion. Rhodes declined, while John Cena accepted The Final Boss’s proposition, setting up a tense storyline heading into the event. Yet, The Rock did not appear at WrestleMania 41, leaving fans and insiders alike wondering why the storyline abruptly ended without explanation.
Backstage Tensions and the Replacement Angle at WrestleMania 41
According to former WWE employee Tommy Carlucci, who spoke on Behind The Turnbuckle Studios, The Rock’s absence at WrestleMania 41 was no accident. Carlucci suggested that ego clashes behind the scenes led The Rock to intentionally sabotage the event. As a result, WWE replaced The Final Boss’s role in the storyline with rapper Travis Scott, who was brought in to support the angle involving Cody Rhodes and John Cena.
“If he doesn’t show up [SummerSlam 2025], then we’ve got some real issues going on, Coach. I think he sabotaged WrestleMania, Coach. He sabotaged. And then they put that Travis Scott on, and then he knew that he was going to s**t the bed and people were going to crap all over it, but he doesn’t care, man. It’s his ego. He’s got an angle for everything,” Carlucci said. —Tommy Carlucci, Former WWE Employee
This insider perspective highlights alleged conflicts that may have undermined WWE’s event planning leading up to SummerSlam 2025. It also suggests The Rock’s ego played a key role in disrupting creative plans and forcing the company to pivot unexpectedly.
Uncertain Future for The Rock at SummerSlam 2025
Reports now indicate that The Rock, aged 53, might not appear at WWE’s first-ever two-night SummerSlam event in New Jersey. His absence continues to fuel speculation on how WWE plans to resolve the ongoing storyline between John Cena and Cody Rhodes without The Final Boss’s involvement.
With The Rock’s participation in question, WWE fans are left eagerly awaiting how the company will navigate this pivotal storyline at SummerSlam 2025, amid the tension and uncertainty surrounding The Final Boss’s future in the promotion.
