The Rock says negative fan reception “hurt his heart” after WWE return

In a recent interview, Dwayne “The Rock”Johnson opened up about his thoughts on the underwhelming response from fans to his WWE comeback.

In late 2023, The Rock made an impressive comeback to WWE programming after being away from the company for several years. He then assumed a more significant role in early 2024.

The WWE’s original intention was for Rock to face his actual cousin, Roman Reigns, in a match that would result in Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes being removed from the Wrestlemania XL main event.

Despite this abrupt change, fans refused to accept it and instead showed their support for Rhodes by turning their backs on the former “People’s Champ.”

During a conversation with Will Cain, which can be viewed at https://youtu.be/vODRYedvIE0?si=4dT8eAnDW1_MxrHV, Rock revealed that the response had a deep emotional impact on him. He further explained the reasons behind his decision to rejoin the WWE as a performer.

(Relevant conversation begins at 20:52 and ends at 23:10)

According to Rock, the initial plan was for me to return as the popular good guy and go up against Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship, creating the ultimate Wrestlemania main event.

However, he soon came to the realization that the WWE Universe was not in favor of this idea. As a result, he strategically set himself up for an epic heel turn just before Wrestlemania XL.

Rock shared his thoughts on the negative fan response, admitting that it initially bothered him. However, he later came to understand that there were some disappointed fans in the audience. This realization deeply affected him.

The immediate backlash from supporters prompted Rock to phone WWE President Nick Khan and propose a surprising change to his character. He asked Khan, “What if I transformed into the ultimate villain?”

Khan’s agreement breathed life into Rock’s latest persona, “The Final Boss,”which earned him a spot in the Wrestlemania XL main event alongside Reigns.

At Wrestlemania XL, the highly anticipated match between Rock and Reigns versus Rhodes and Rollins will take place, but as teammates rather than opponents. This exciting event will be the highlight of night one, with a lively crowd in Philadelphia cheering them on.