Cody Rhodes does not believe the door is necessarily closed on a major WWE singles match with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
The possibility has lingered over WWE’s biggest events for years, particularly after The Rock’s return to the company’s central storyline heading into WrestleMania 40. A match between Rhodes and The Rock has never taken place, and neither has the long-discussed showdown between The Rock and Roman Reigns. Yet Rhodes feels The Rock could still have a limited number of meaningful in-ring appearances remaining if he chooses to make them.
Speaking on Insight With Chris Van Vliet, Rhodes was asked directly about the prospect of facing The Rock one-on-one. The Undisputed WWE Champion did not offer a prediction or suggest that a match was imminent. Instead, he stressed that The Rock is the only person who can determine whether his wrestling career includes another chapter.
“It’s not that I’m evading that answer. It’s that I don’t really know how to answer because I think personally he has a couple of matches probably left to do,” Rhodes said. “I think that personally, but I also know looking at WrestleMania 40, and another guy who he’s given all, continues to give all as part of the board, he could easily say that was a great final piece as a performer in a wrestling ring. That’ll be up to him. That’ll certainly be up to him if there’s more and what those matches might be. I don’t think any wrestler would ever look you in the eye and tell you they wouldn’t want a match like that.”
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Rhodes’ answer captures the unusual position The Rock occupies in modern WWE. He is one of the most recognizable names in the history of professional wrestling and remains capable of instantly changing the scale of a WWE story. At the same time, he is not a full-time active wrestler, and every potential return must be viewed through the reality that his schedule, commitments, physical preparation and personal interest all factor into whether a match can happen.
At 54 years old, The Rock’s most recent match remains the WrestleMania 40 night one main event. Teaming with Reigns, The Rock defeated Rhodes and Seth Rollins in a tag team match that positioned the following evening’s Undisputed WWE Championship bout under Bloodline Rules. The decisive moment came when The Rock pinned Rhodes, handing Rhodes a high-profile loss before Rhodes’ championship challenge the next night.
That result mattered beyond the tag match itself. The Rock’s presence gave the Bloodline story an added layer of power and unpredictability, while his victory over Rhodes established an unresolved thread that has never received a traditional singles-match conclusion. In a business built around marquee attractions and unfinished rivalries, that history makes Rhodes versus The Rock an immediately understandable WrestleMania-level proposition.
WrestleMania 40 Left Major Questions Behind
The Rock’s WrestleMania 40 return was not framed as a brief nostalgic cameo. He entered the story with authority as “The Final Boss,” aligned himself with Reigns, and became an influential presence in the conflict surrounding Rhodes’ pursuit of the Undisputed WWE Championship. His involvement transformed a rivalry that already carried considerable emotional weight into something even larger.
For Rhodes, the weekend included both frustration and triumph. He was pinned by The Rock on night one, then entered a Bloodline Rules environment on night two with the championship on the line. The Rock’s actions helped shape the conditions Rhodes had to overcome, making their shared history more substantial than a simple hypothetical dream match.
The Rock had indicated around that period that additional matches could be possible. However, two-and-a-half years have passed since WrestleMania 40 without another in-ring bout from him. That gap is central to Rhodes’ measured response. He can see a scenario in which The Rock has “a couple of matches probably left to do,” but he also recognizes that WrestleMania 40 may ultimately stand as The Rock’s final appearance as an active performer.
That uncertainty is not an unusual element of The Rock’s WWE relationship. His returns have often been significant precisely because they are not routine. A Rock appearance can bring immediate attention to a storyline, but it can also create enormous expectations about what comes next. When the performer involved is a global figure with a singular place in WWE history, even a tease of a match can become a long-running subject of discussion.
Rhodes Understands the Scale of the Opportunity
Rhodes did not attempt to present himself as entitled to the match. His comments instead reflected the perspective of a wrestler who understands what sharing a ring with The Rock would mean. As he put it, no wrestler would realistically reject an opportunity of that magnitude.
A singles match with The Rock would offer Rhodes an opponent whose legacy extends across multiple generations. The Rock was a defining WWE star during the Attitude Era and became one of the most prominent crossover entertainers ever produced by the wrestling industry. His returns to WWE have consistently been treated as major events, whether they involved matches, confrontations, or storyline appearances.
For Rhodes, there is also a personal professional dimension. Rhodes has spent years building himself into one of WWE’s modern standard-bearers, and his WrestleMania 40 victory completed a journey that had been defined by persistence and the pursuit of the championship. A confrontation with The Rock would not simply be a celebrity attraction. It would place Rhodes opposite a performer who already played an important role in one of the most consequential weekends of Rhodes’ career.
The fact that The Rock pinned Rhodes in their only match together at WrestleMania 40 gives WWE a clear foundation if the two ever meet. There is no need to manufacture a reason for Rhodes to want the match. The result, the Bloodline association and the magnitude of the occasion are already part of the company’s history.
The Reigns Match Also Remains Unresolved
Rhodes versus The Rock is not the only enormous match connected to The Final Boss. A singles encounter between The Rock and Reigns has been discussed for years and was at one point on the table. As of 2026, that match has not happened either.
That unresolved possibility helps explain why Rhodes is unwilling to guess at The Rock’s plans. If The Rock does wrestle again, there are several paths that could be viewed as fitting major final attractions. Reigns represents family history and an epic matchup that has been discussed on a grand scale. Rhodes represents unfinished business from WrestleMania 40 and a collision between two of WWE’s most important figures from different eras.
Rhodes’ point is that these choices belong to The Rock. There is no indication that a decision has been made concerning another match, nor did Rhodes claim knowledge of any internal plan. He simply offered his personal belief that The Rock may have more left to give in the ring while acknowledging an equally plausible alternative: that The Rock may regard WrestleMania 40 as the perfect final performance.
The Rock Has Remained Part of WWE Stories
Although The Rock has not wrestled since WrestleMania 40, he has not vanished from WWE’s creative landscape. He has made additional appearances connected to The Bloodline and Rhodes. One of those storylines ultimately led to John Cena’s notable heel turn at Elimination Chamber 2025.
Those appearances reinforce that The Rock can still influence WWE without competing. His character’s involvement can alter the direction and tone of a major program even when no match is attached. That is another reason any conversation about his future must distinguish between a WWE appearance and an in-ring return. The former has continued; the latter has not.
For fans hoping for Rhodes versus The Rock, that distinction leaves room for optimism without turning speculation into certainty. The Rock’s ongoing WWE story presence means there are existing connections available if he decides to wrestle. But Rhodes’ own comments make clear that no one should assume that decision has already been made.
A Dream Match Still Waiting for Its Moment
The appeal of The Rock against Rhodes is easy to understand. It would feature a current WWE centerpiece against an all-time icon, backed by a built-in history from WrestleMania 40. It would also provide a rare opportunity to revisit a rivalry that never moved beyond tag team competition and storyline confrontation.
Still, Rhodes’ words provide the most grounded way to view the situation. He believes The Rock may have “a couple of matches probably left to do.” He also accepts that The Rock could decide his WrestleMania 40 match was the final piece of his in-ring legacy. Until The Rock makes that choice, any proposed opponent remains a possibility rather than a promise.
Rhodes would plainly welcome the opportunity. So would nearly any wrestler placed in his position. But for now, WWE’s biggest unanswered match questions involving The Final Boss remain unanswered — and the eventual answer, if there is one, will come on The Rock’s terms.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.