Since the early days of The Attitude Era, two of now running the creative content for WWE and The Brahma Bull sitting on the Board of Directors for its parent company, TKO Sports, their conflict may irreversibly damage the WWE product.
While The Rock's return to the WWE fold has been entertaining at times, it's also been a little confusing. His involvement (or lack thereof) with WrestleMania 41 led many to believe he purposely tanked the show, due to not getting everything he wanted in the end. Despite some recent interviews where Dwayne Johnson somewhat denied these allegations, it has led a portion of the WWE Universe to wonder if his old beef with Paul Levesque might have resurfaced at the worst possible time.
Behind the Curtain: The Power Struggle Between The Rock and Triple H
The Two Have Been Rivals in and Out of the Ring
The two men could not be more opposite. Johnson, a former University of Miami football player, had aspirations of ing the NFL, only to fall back on professional wrestling due to his family ties in the industry. Levesque, instead, was not born into the business, but he pursued bodybuilding and pro wrestling from a very young age, dreaming that he would achieve greatness in WWE.
When their paths eventually crossed, that dichotomy made for a perfect rivalry. Their ladder match at SummerSlam 1998 is still considered one of the best in the promotion's history. The Rock had climbed to the top of the WWE mountain already, but Triple H was gaining on him quickly.
However, the 90s were also a time when HHH and his running buddy, Shawn Michaels, made life hard on The Rock. Rumors say that they saw him as a threat and undermined him on several occasions behind the scenes. It's entirely possible that this is something that Johnson has never forgotten or forgiven - no matter how many hearts and flowers he throws their way today.
WrestleMania 41’s Shifting Storylines Exposed the Cracks
The Rock's Lack of Participation Was a Clue That There's Trouble
Near the conclusion of the WrestleMania Night 2 main event, John Cena and Cody Rhodes had left a lot of scrap iron lying around the squared circle. They had fired off the big guns, and the match was still in doubt, when music started playing. Naturally, the crowd expected The Rock to come in and tie up the loose ends on this angle, which involved him holding the 'soul' of Cena.
Instead, it was rapper Travis Scott who emerged. Scott has been a part of The Rock's entourage in WWE, and he even legitimately laid a real shot that injured Cody at Elimination Chamber. This upset not only the fans on hand, but it ruined what was otherwise a great event for the viewers at home, as well.
When questioned on The Pat McAfee Show a couple of days later, Johnson's answer about not appearing at Mania was more of a non-answer. He sidestepped the interviewer's inquiries, instead just using general, political replies. That added to the swirling conspiracy theories that he and Triple H butted heads over the story and the movie star's involvement.
Fan Backlash Was Swift—And Justified
The WWE Universe Was Not Happy With the Historic Match's Finish
The internet backlash was almost immediate, as most online said they felt the confusing finish tainted WrestleMania 41 as a whole. There were solid matches, but this was one of the top storylines, and it involved some of the most prominent names in the promotion's history.
They certainly had plenty of reasons to voice their opinions on what was not the original plan laid out at Elimination Chamber, despite any excuses the creative conglomerate could come up with. The harsh reality is, the company let down its fan base at a time when they have come to expect excellence. As the days ed, more and more of the WWE Universe began claiming that the fault lay either on Rock's shoulders or Triple H's.
The fans are certainly justified. After all, without them, there is no WWE or pro wrestling, in general. Often maligned for being too critical, this time the paying customer had a right to question management. The final ten minutes of John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes essentially spoiled the soup. When called out by Busted Open Radio host, Dave LaGreca, The Rock delivered a petty response that took a shot at pro wresting as a whole, highlighting how everything is "a complete work" so there is no reason for fans to get angry.
What This Rift Means for WWE’s Future Booking Power
Will The Company's Creativity Crater in 2025?
Does this mean The Rock is done with WWE, for now? That's the more-than-likely scenario in all this. The Final Boss has so many other commitments, including shooting a movie with Martin Scorsese that may be the real reason behind his WrestleMania absence, that it's easy to envision him merely acting as a creative contributor for the better part of this year. He's also going to want to separate himself from this trainwreck, to protect his 'branding' as a global movie star and Hollywood personality.
However, this leaves WWE in deep water. In the minds of fans and critics, they were denied a proper ending to a story they were heavily invested in. It made both Cena and Cody look bad, as well, with a confusing exchange at the end. As 2025 rolls on, it will be Triple H's show, for the most part. However, he's had a few potholes in his booking already this year. Still, for WWE to bounce back from this embarrassing event, The Game will have to come up with some more interesting angles while trying to manage the John Cena heel turn and retirement. That's going to need to be a delicate balance within the angle.
What happened in Vegas didn't stay in Vegas. As much as WWE tried to mask the very real conflict between The Rock and Triple H in the past few years, it's pretty evident there are still some issues there. For the fans to fully trust the booking of the show, there has to be a united front when it comes to storylines and production. That won't happen if Triple H and The Rock don't get on the same page, no matter the reasons for their rift.
