Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made an appearance on today’s edition of The Pat McAfee Show to discuss the events of this past weekend’s WWE WrestleMania 41. The Rock revealed that while he knew the outcomes of the matches, he intentionally avoided learning the specifics of how those finishes would be executed. He noted he was at home while watching on the couch.
A significant topic of discussion was John Cena’s recent heel turn, which began at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view and culminated in Cena capturing the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41. The Rock offered his perspective on this character shift.
“The way John, at the end of the night, raising the title, that was the bottom line, that was the north star, and I think he’s going to have this insane run as a heel.” The Rock later stated. “When we talked about this turn a few months ago and he did it, I gave him so much credit because what he’s attempting to do takes guts, because there was no blueprint for heel John Cena, so he was creating it as he went along, he was crossing t’s and dotting i’s as he went forward, and I can’t wait to see this heel run for the rest of the year. He’s not a bad guy, he’s just telling the truth.”
"I loved the finish of the main event on Saturday night..
I loved every second of it" ~ @TheRock #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/DO0L87RM6r
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 22, 2025
The Rock also shed light on the genesis of Cena’s heel turn, revealing a conversation with Ari Emanuel, the head of Endeavor, a month prior to the Elimination Chamber. According to The Rock, ticket sales were a concern, prompting a need for a compelling storyline. It was Triple H who ultimately suggested the idea of Cena turning heel.
“I had an idea: the most important thing about the Final Boss is that he wants your soul,” The Rock stated. “Cody, I would make your dreams come true. It was a test to see how people would react if Cody sold out. I didn’t want to make Cody heel yet, but I did want to give him reasons to do so. I talked to Triple H about it, and he suggested Cena turn heel.”
Following the Elimination Chamber event, The Rock felt his role as “The Final Boss” in the storyline had reached its natural conclusion.
“I knew then, the best thing for the Final Boss is we’ve established this thing with Cody’s soul, I don’t want to be involved in that, let the Final Boss step back into the shadows, let all the spotlight go to John and Cody, not make it about Cody’s soul or John’s soul, let them do what they do. I called John and Cody after the Elimination Chamber, and I said I think the Final Boss’ work is done. We just pulled off the greatest angle in wrestling history. I’m always here if you need me, but it’s best for the Final Boss to not be involved in that finish.”
The Rock about Cena's heel run pic.twitter.com/OEtt4NPHaU
— ☆Cell☆ (@CellIWC) April 22, 2025
The Rock on why he was not at #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/lY0ykonLAP
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) April 22, 2025
Expanding on this, The Rock explained his reasoning for stepping back from the immediate storyline. “They know when I come to them and I lay this out, and here’s how I really feel how it should go. We can insert the Final Boss into this finish, but where do we go? ‘I can get involved, but why get involved in that finish when that should just be focused on John, a 17-time champion, and what 2025 looks like. That is the anchoring storyline. The soul, we’ll go back to it.”
Finally, The Rock briefly addressed the unexpected appearance of Travis Scott during a WrestleMania match, stating his surprise but also suggesting he would have made adjustments had he been involved in planning that aspect of the show. “I was very surprised to see Travis Scott, but that made people wait for the Final Boss. I would have adjusted things.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Pat McAfee Show with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
