There is only one week until WrestleMania 40, and the lineup looks very different from what we thought it would be a few weeks ago. Among the forecasts, there is one name that sticks out as interesting: The Rock, who quit WWE twenty years ago to pursue a career in Hollywood.
Nobody even had a chance to guess that The Rock would turn up, except maybe one person, Booker T. Some may be surprised to hear that Booker T predicted The Rock’s comeback at WrestleMania 40 exactly ten years ago.
The Rock’s WM 40 participation foretold by Booker T
The original plan for The Rock’s comeback to WWE was to face off against his cousin Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. However, things turned surprisingly when Cody Rhodes became involved after the Royal Rumble. It felt like The Rock might not be involved when WWE named Rhodes and Reigns as the main event for WrestleMania 40.
Then finally, on Friday Night SmackDown on March 8, his WrestleMania match was confirmed: a tag team bout on Night 1 alongside Reigns against Rhodes and Seth Rollins. However, recognizing his profound love for wrestling despite his Hollywood success, Booker T surprisingly predicted The Rock’s return a decade ago.
The Rock has had a lot of success in Hollywood, but wrestling is in his blood because he comes from a famous Samoan family. According to Booker T, The Rock’s heart was always set on wrestling. His statement over ten years ago mirrored these feelings: “He’s a big-time superstar now. He’s a multimillion-dollar actor now. But wrestling is, is in your heart, it’s in your blood. It’s something that really never goes away. And I can expect to see Rock trying to sneak in WrestleMania 40.”
The Rock’s animosity for Cody Rhodes has become more personal as WrestleMania draws near. The fan favorite has fully embraced his heel role and now goes by the moniker “The Final Boss” to reflect his newfound brutality. Booker T seems to be acknowledging the 51-year-old’s new recognition and heel change.
Booker T left impressed with The Rock’s “Final Boss” persona
The excitement around Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and The Rock is building as WrestleMania 40 draws closer. Ever since The Rock made his appearance on “SmackDown” in January, everything has been centered on these four main event participants. With his massive star power, the tension is at an all-time high as we approach the main event in just one week. Meanwhile, some people are wondering if Brahma Bull is making Roman Reigns and the others look less important.
Hall of Famer Booker T. doesn’t see any problem with this because he knows that The Rock is a star and that he gets a lot of attention, especially for his debut as a heel character. Recently on “The Hall of Fame” show, Booker T praised The Rock’s performance as a “Final Boss” and talked about how exciting it has made the road to WrestleMania.
He said, “I think The Rock’s doing some really great work, as far as being a heel’s heel. Not buying into the way people look at it today, but the way he went out and did it back in the day, and seeing if it still works. Me personally, outside looking in, it’s got everybody buzzing, everybody’s up, talking about what’s going on. And for me, I think this is one of the most intriguing WrestleMania seasons that we’ve been in in quite some time.”
Out of all the WrestleMania events you’ve seen in the last two decades, which one stands out to you as the most entertaining? Share your thoughts in the comments.
