TKO Board Director Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson appeared on the post-WWE Smackdown press conference following the show to discuss various topics, including New Orleans hosting WrestleMania 42.
The Rock said, “New Orleans for us as a company and a brand, as WWE, has always been an amazing city dating back from when I had the privilege of lacing up the boots and running around, and raising an eyebrow, dropping People’s Elbows on some fools around here. But New Orleans has always been an amazing city. Big wrestling city, big wrestling town. I’ll take it back even further from when I was in the business. I grew up in the business of professional wrestling. My dad, my grandfather, my uncles, my cousins, my grandmother — the history goes way back. But here in New Orleans was very, very special. [It] was always a big wrestling city in the ’70s and certainly the ’80s. Especially the early ’80s. Junkyard Dog, guys like that, Michael Hayes, the Freebirds, there was a lot that happened here in the city of New Orleans. So as we look as a company, we start to look at geographically, where’s a great destination point to bring fans? And where can we hold a two-day event, that’s WrestleMania, that can be robust and not only bring a lot of dollars and jobs and opportunities to the city, but also a great city that’s been so good to us over the years? So the decision was a fairly easy decision once we did the diligence. And I was happy to go out there tonight and make that big announcement.”
On his segment with Cody Rhodes on Smackdown:
“With Cody? Oh, I love that. I gotta tell you. For those of you guys that don’t know, I grew up in the world of pro wrestling. My dad, my grandfather, and to be able to come back in this way as the Final Boss and to be able to get in the Final Boss’ skin and be able to become that in this venue here in New Orleans? And really, I think, take the audience on a fun experience and ride where I’m singing, I’m dropping the announcement of WrestleMania, here we come 2026, I’m singing, ‘Oh when the Saints come marching in…’ Then I tell them, ‘You can’t sing with me!’ Then bring Cody Rhodes come out and offer him this big ideology of, ‘You know, you are our champion and you’re amazing but I want so much more for you.’ And then at the end, the Final Boss says, ‘I want your soul.’ And I think what that does in this wild, crazy world of pro wrestling is that to me, it just becomes something that’s unpredictable. In the world of pro wrestling, as we all know, everything will culminate to a match. Whatever happens, it will all end up in the ring. What I really love about this rare air space that we’ve gotten to with the character of the Final Boss, is like this White Whale unicorn. With the Final Boss and Cody Rhodes, it’s not about the WWE Title, it’s not about having a match. It’s not about punching or kicking or bleeding or any of that that is so a part of this world. It never has to culminate to a match. That’s a really special place to be I think, like creatively, and just think character-wise and how much fun you can have. I grew up in the business, as did Cody. His dad and my dad were friends, they’re no longer with us. But to be able to have a storyline with two characters who are very popular — to never have to get in the ring for a match but still hold this really unique, compelling, and off-putting and kinda weird, ‘He wants his soul, what does that mean?’ I loved it, I loved every minute. And Cody did too as well. We had a few tequilas after tonight.”
You can check out The Rock’s comments in the video below.
(H/T to 411Mania.com for transcribing the above quotes)
