The Rock Can't Retire at WWE WrestleMania 43 Amid 'Good Talks' With Saudi Officials

As soon as it was announced that WrestleMania 43 would be held in Saudi Arabia, rumors began circulating about legends being part of the event. The Rock has been one of them and is the most logical household name to compete with who isn't currently an active member of the WWE roster.

The 53-year-old has been busy continuing his Hollywood acting career, which has earned him widespread praise for his role in the 2025 biopic The Smashing Machine. He sat down with RaffiTalks to discuss several topics, including Mania being held in Saudi Arabia.

The Rock was asked about potential negotiations between himself and Saudi officials, and the TKO board member suggested they have been positive:

"I can tell you that I'm excited for the brand of WrestleMania, I'm excited for the Kingdom because that is a big show. And I'm also excited for our athletes to able to participate in an event like that and that is a global event."

He added:

"In terms of the conversations I've been having... It's all good, it will always be good."

The Rock last competed in a WWE match back at WrestleMania 40 when he teamed up with Roman Reigns and defeated Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins in night one's main event. He has since made sporadic appearances, including in John Cena's heel storyline, but was absent from WrestleMania 41.

Why The Rock Can't Retire at WrestleMania 43

The Rock looks increasingly likely to be competing at WrestleMania 43, and fans are already speculating who his opponent will be. The obvious answer is Reigns, given their history and the desire to see the two family members go to war in another Bloodline saga.

The Final Boss even admitted he'd be "honored" to share a ring with Reigns at some stage but would want the OTC to have his hand raised. Given that Saudi Arabian officials will want to book a historic WrestleMania, this feels like their headline match.

But if The Rock does return to the ring, it could be his final match, given he is now in his fifties and been extremely busy in Hollywood. He revealed last year that he was meant to retire at WrestleMania 29 against Cena, but he's since had two matches.

A Rock retirement should occur in his homeland in front of the millions who watched him throughout his storied career. That might mean booking a two-match series between him and Reigns, much like his Twice in a Lifetime feud with Cena.