The Rock sparked some buzz this week with a pointed Instagram comment directed at “Busted Open Radio” host Dave LaGreca, just moments after appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show.” His remarks quickly gained traction, both online and among WWE talent and backstage personnel.
Several WWE stars have taken note of The Rock’s noticeable absence from recent programming, including WrestleMania 41 and the promotional lead-up to the event. Not only did he not appear on the show, but he also refrained from promoting it on social media — a decision that didn’t go unnoticed. Fightful Select is reporting that one talent pointed out that while The Rock stayed silent leading into WrestleMania 41, he wasted no time jumping on a podcast afterward to discuss being approached to help drive ticket sales and to air some frustrations surrounding the event.
According to a WWE source, The Rock was indeed contacted to help boost ticket sales for Elimination Chamber: Toronto, which was considered a major internal success. Prior to that, WWE’s creative teams had been instructed to move forward under the assumption that The Rock wouldn’t be involved in WrestleMania 41. Some still held out hope that plans might change after Elimination Chamber: Toronto, but were ultimately advised not to anchor any major storylines around him.
One veteran WWE talent shared that while the locker room always welcomes The Rock’s presence, there’s a lingering perception that “the card is at the mercy of Dwayne,” echoing comments made by a top star last year. This perception reportedly presents a dilemma for The Rock himself — one where he may hesitate to disrupt creative plans, even if he underestimates the extent of his influence on the overall WWE narrative.
Despite online chatter suggesting tension between The Rock and Triple H, multiple WWE sources insist that if any issues exist, they haven’t trickled down to the locker room. While a respectful but occasionally strained professional dynamic between the two has been speculated on for years, there’s no sign that it’s impacting day-to-day operations.
Overall, the backstage sentiment wasn’t anger — it was confusion. One performer suggested that The Rock’s reserved approach this year might be an “overcorrection” following how things unfolded previously, though they emphasized that the circumstances now are very different. What stood out most to many was the fact that The Rock didn’t even acknowledge WrestleMania this year. “It was just weird,” one source commented. “We all found it kind of odd that he didn’t say a word about the show.”
As for The Rock’s cryptic Instagram reply to LaGreca’s viral rant, it left some in WWE wondering what he was really trying to say. “Is he suggesting it’s all a work?” one talent questioned. “Like, when he talks to us backstage, is he still in character? Was the McAfee interview part of the act — even though he said it wasn’t?”
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