When the Rock Refused To Fight Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30 for a Movie

Find out why The Rock refused to fight Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30. Read on to know why The Brahma Bull rejected facing The Beast Incarnate.

By Mohammad Bilal

Published on Aug 15, 2024 | 02:20 AM IST | 181.2K

The Rock (L) and Brock Lesnar (R). Photo: Getty

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson once refused to face Brock Lesnar for a match at WrestleMania 31. And the reason was he didn’t want to delay his Hollywood projects. It is a bit difficult to digest this fact, but it is what it is.

However, it wasn’t that The Rock never wanted it. Facing Lesnar in a rematch after their encounter in SummerSlam 2002 was always on The Final Boss’s mind. In fact, The Rock once said that if there are three wrestlers whom he would like to face in WWE before he retires, they would be Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar and Triple H.

But it was his match with John Cena at WrestleMania 29 that became a major reason for him backing out of the match against Lesnar. The Rock tore his abdomen during the match with Cena, and for that he underwent surgery. This delayed his movie shoots, and he then decided to not appear at WrestleMania 30.

Although The Great One said in December 2013 that his plans for The Rock vs Brock Lesnar match were shelved for WrestleMania 30, it was possible for WrestleMania 31. But it never took off.

So, at WM 30, WWE booked Brock Lesnar against The Undertaker, which ultimately led to the end of his streak, while at WM 31, Lesnar was booked against Roman Reigns when Seth Rollins cashed in his Money In The Bank contract and became the WWE Champion for the first time.

So, would The Rock vs Brock be an epic battle? Yes, it could have been a phenomenal hit, especially at WrestleMania, as the two would have gone head-to-head nearly 12 years after their SummerSlam 2002 bout.

In 2002, Brock beat The Rock fair and square for the WWE Undisputed Championship. Dwayne had to go shoot 'The Scorpion King', and he thereby dropped the title to Lesnar, and Lesnar had just won the Royal Rumble to qualify to face The Great One in a match.

Is the match still possible? The Rock vs Brock Lesnar still has an outside chance, but it would need all the cards to fall at the right spot. Firstly, Lesnar should make a clean return from the Janel Grant sexual trafficking lawsuit, where he has been referenced. Secondly, The Rock would then have to make space for another WrestleMania event, apart from facing Roman Reigns which is expected next year. So yes, Rock vs Brock might or might not happen in WWE.