Why The Rock is not expected to have a match at WWE WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia
WWE WrestleMania 43 is scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Saudi organizers are reportedly hoping to have Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wrestle at the event. However, Vin Diesel recently revealed that Fast Forever, the final film in the Fast & Furious franchise, is expected to begin filming in December.
During Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com discussed how The Rock’s role in that movie could affect WrestleMania plans. Meltzer noted that Rock could still make an appearance at the event, but if filming begins in December, him actually wrestling at WrestleMania would be “very unlikely.”
Meltzer stated the following…
“That movie is gonna take months to film, if he is in it, which he is scheduled to be in it, that him doing a match at WrestleMania would be out the window. I mean, could he fly to Saudi Arabia and show up? Of course. Of course he could, and he could always do that.”
“I know that the Saudis really wanted him to wrestle on that show next year, and if they offer enough money, there may be a way, but I don’t know where he’s gonna get time to train when he’s doing a movie like that. And I don’t see him doing something in the ring without training. He has too much pride, if that’s the right word, to go out there and half-a** it. I mean, the one thing that you could say is every time he came back, he trained his a** off.”
“I don’t see him doing a match. Now, as far as showing up for an appearance, I could certainly see that.”
“To get Dwayne to do something at this stage, especially in Saudi Arabia, the amount of money would be giant. But, like I said, from a timing standpoint, I think it would be very unlikely he’s doing a match.”