Why Was The Rock Absent From Royal Rumble 2023 Despite Being in the Same City as the Event’s Venue?

The 2023 edition of the Royal Rumble was a soaring success. Fans were treated to two Royal Rumble matches, title matches, and the first-ever Pitch Black Match, all in one night. And if there is one thing that event is most known for, it is having megastars make their return.

Whether it be John Cena’s iconic 2008 return or Edge’s miraculous comeback in 2020, the Royal Rumble manages to create the loudest crowd pop of all events. And the fans were expecting the same to happen in the 2023 edition of the event with the return of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. Despite being in the same city as the event’s venue, he did not return. Not even to attend it as a spectator. But why?

The mystery behind the missing megastar

“The Rock is surely going to return” is a thought that surely must’ve come at least once in the minds of every wrestling fan who was witnessing the spectacle that was the 2023 Royal Rumble. After all, it has a track record of being the chosen event for making megastars make legendary returns.

But unfortunately, their expectations did not come to fruition. The most electrifying man in all of sports entertainment was missing from the entire event despite being in the same city. While some speculated a souring relationship between the Hollywood icon and the WWE, Triple H came forward to address the reason behind the ‘Brahma Bull’ missing the event.

During the post-rumble press conference, Triple H unveiled the reason behind Johnson’s absence, “He’s incredibly busy. And I can say this as a guy that sort of, we kind of grew up as two young kids fighting each other for the spot, right, and having battles over it, and in the best way, pushing each other. We all were in that time,” The Game said.

He further added, “There’s a part of him that if he could be here for this if he could be here for this WrestleMania in Hollywood, he would turn over every stone and walk through fire to be able to do it if he could. I just don’t think it’s in the cards. But then again, you don’t know.”

So now we all know that it was just the biggest star in Hollywood being as busy as ever. And WWE did make up for it by bringing in the 51-year-old back just in time for the 2024 Royal Rumble. But what plans lie ahead for the megastar?

The possible plans for the People’s Champ

The most electrifying man in all of sports entertainment is back, and he is looking for more to come after his record-shattering comeback on RAW. And with the reception he got from fans worldwide, WWE will have to plan their next move quite meticulously to make the most of it.

ALSO READ: “More to Come”: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Teases More WWE Appearances Days After His Groundbreaking Return on Raw

And there are a few options they can go for as possible storylines. The first option is the obvious one: The Rock vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. A dream match for many that will surely sell out the arena before WWE could count to 10 Mississippis. However, according to various sources, this might not be the plan in the mind of the biggest promotion in the world. Apart from Reigns, there is also the possibility of facing the current WWE sensation, CM Punk, who too made his grand return to the company after 9 years away from it.

Two returning mega-icons feuding against each other is something that surely would rope in massive numbers as well. Also, making the Rock dethrone Roman Reigns would mean that he would have to stay in the company for at least a few more months, which, considering the icon’s busy schedule, seems less likely to happen.

What do you think? Who could the Rock square off against? Or who else, apart from Reigns and Punk, could feud with the ‘Brahma Bull’? Let us know in the comments.

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