When was the last time The Rock officially competed in a WWE ring? Exploring the impact of his time away from wrestling 

The Rock, known as one of the greatest and most successful pro wrestlers in WWE, will be making his return to the ring this Saturday at WrestleMania XL. He will be teaming up with Roman Reigns to take on the duo of Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins in a highly anticipated match.

Despite his busy Hollywood schedule, fans still have the opportunity to see The Rock make occasional returns to the ring. This was evident during his last match, where he gave an electrifying performance at WrestleMania 32 on April 3, 2016 at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, leaving fans with goosebumps.

At ‘Mania 32, the WWE legend made a surprise return, initially believed to be for a promo. However, Bray Wyatt and The Wyatt Family unexpectedly interrupted The People’s Champ. This resulted in a verbal showdown and eventually led to Rock challenging Erick Rowan to a spontaneous match. The match, which lasted a mere six seconds, saw The Brahma Bull delivering a Rock Bottom to pin Rowan. As a result, this set a new ‘Mania record for the shortest match in the event’s history.

The Great One’s appearance marked the end of a three-year rivalry with John Cena, during which the two WWE icons engaged in a intense feud from 2011 to 2013 that was widely seen as a symbolic passing of the torch.

At WrestleMania 28, Rock emerged victorious over Cena in a highly anticipated ‘Once In a Lifetime’ showdown. Taking advantage of Cena’s attempts to mimic him, Rock delivered a devastating Rock Bottom to secure the win. However, their rivalry continued the following year at WrestleMania 29, now dubbed ‘Twice In a Lifetime.’ This time, Cena emerged as the victor and captured the WWE Championship.

The Rock’s WrestleMania Tag Team Match Will Have Added Security Measures

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has expanded his repertoire since defeating Erick Rowan eight years ago. He has taken on leading roles in popular Hollywood films such as Fast X, Red Notice, and Black Adam.

Although he was considered as a potential candidate for the US Presidency this year, The Great One ultimately did not pursue a political career. Instead, he joined the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings (WWE’s parent company) earlier this year.

Despite this, The Rock has not competed in a match since ‘Mania 32. Fans will undoubtedly be curious to see how he performs at Lincoln Financial Field. At 51 years old, he faces the challenge of keeping up with three of WWE’s most skilled superstars.

Placing the WWE legend in a tag team match is ideal for him to regain his in-ring skills. Many returning veterans struggle with ring rust, but by teaming up with stars like Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and Seth Rollins, he will be able to improve.

The Rock’s Potential Singles Match with Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40

Despite being brought out by Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes on SmackDown, The Rock seemed destined to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

Despite the People’s Champion coming face-to-face with his cousin Roman Reigns, many believed that this would be the main event at WrestleMania 40. However, the fans had a different opinion and demanded that Cody Rhodes be given the opportunity to have his rightful world title match against The Tribal Chief.

Despite initially catering to the WWE audience, Rock’s decision to turn heel and adopt the persona of The Final Boss has ultimately proved to be a successful move. Despite playing the villain, he has managed to captivate fans with this character.

Despite the supposed feud between Rhodes and Reigns, it appears that there is a stronger animosity between him and Rock. The March 25 episode of RAW saw the American Nightmare being left bloodied by the newest addition to The Bloodline.

As a result, The Rock may choose to continue his time in WWE even after ‘Mania. A highly anticipated match with Cody is essential, considering the incredible chemistry they have displayed leading up to The Showcase of the Immortals.