The hype for WrestleMania XL has skyrocketed among the WWE faithful, as Dwayne Johnson is set to turn away from Hollywood cameras for a moment and compete in an official match for the first time in nearly a decade. He faced Erick Rowan at WrestleMania 32 in 2016, defeating the 42-year-old in just six seconds.
Much has been made about his supposed rivalry with his cousin Roman Reigns in recent times. As such, many believe he is the chief reason behind the Rock coming out of retirement. However, it seems, another family member pushed him to jump back into the ring at the age of 51.
Who Motivated Dwayne Johnson to Return to WWE
In January, Dwayne Johnson returned to WWE, fueling the idea of him taking on Roman Reigns in April’s WrestleMania XL, which will take place at Lincoln Financial Field on the first weekend of April.
As per PEOPLE, Johnson and Reigns’ in-ring characters are both members of the iconic Anoa’i pro wrestling dynasty. The 38-year-old, who has been the reigning Undisputed WWE Universal Champion for more than 1200 days, has apparently implied he’s the leader of the Anoa’i family.
This storyline raised hopes of Johnson taking on the Tribal Chief for the title of the greatest wrestler in the family. Early this month, the two stood eyeball-to-eye-ball in the ring. They didn’t speak a word, but their stand-off was enough to raise the temperature in the arena, leading to the crowd going berserk.
However, as much as the idea of Reigns pulling Johnson back into the ring is exciting, he may not be the Hollywood star’s main motivation to step back into the ring.
Speaking to E!, the wrestler-turned-actor suggested his youngest daughters were a big part of his motivation to add his name back into WWE’s storyline ahead of WrestleMania XL. He also jokingly revealed that his daughters asked if he could drop an elbow on their mom.
The Fast and Furious star is married to Lauren Hashian. The pair share two daughters. Previously, he was married to Dany Garcia; their daughter, Ava Raine (22), is signed to WWE.
Dwayne Johnson Is Unlikely to Fight Roman Reigns in Wrestlemania XL
Interestingly, the WWE fans’ desire to see Johnson take on Reigns in a one-on-one battle may not materialize. Despite this big buildup we’ve seen in recent weeks, it’s understood the pair won’t face each other for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
According to Wrestling Inc., Cody Rhodes will now fight Reigns after WWE received criticism from fans for sidelining Rhodes, who won the 2024 men’s Royal Rumble.
Having said that, this change of plans is unlikely to take away much spotlight from Johnson, who recently raised eyebrows after slapping Rhodes in the face during the WrestleMania XL media event in Las Vegas on Thursday.
The reason for the attack? Rhodes talked about his family with disrespect, the Rock revealed through a post on Instagram.
