Backstage News On Major Announcement From The Rock Set For Tonight's WWE SmackDown

Less than 48 hours ago, plans for the February 21 episode of "WWE SmackDown" were seemingly set in stone, and more matches and segments were likely to be announced leading up to the show. However, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson decided to drop a bombshell on WWE by announcing that he would be appearing on "SmackDown," reportedly leading to a number of planned matches and segments being changed. However, the question on everyone's lips is a simple one, what will The Rock be doing on "SmackDown?"

According to PWInsider (and as many fans expected) The Rock will be the man to announce the location of WrestleMania 42, set to take place in the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The venue previously hosted both WrestleMania 30 in 2014, and WrestleMania 34 in 2018. The dates of the event are not yet confirmed, and it's not yet known if The Rock will be announcing those dates Friday night. He could also be a part of a press conference reportedly set to air following the conclusion of "SmackDown" at 11pm ET, and PWI allowed that "there may be more to his appearance." They also report that none of this was planned in advance, and that "the involvement of The Rock for tonight was literally something that happened last night and internally, the company shifted plans to pivot towards his appearance."

The Rock's involvement in WWE programming has been up in the air in 2025, as many assumed he would be part of WrestleMania 41. It was initially rumored that he would be wrestling Cody Rhodes, despite the idea of a match with Roman Reigns being on the table for many years. Due to his acting commitments, The Rock wasn't believed to be wrestling over Easter weekend, but with this upcoming "SmackDown" appearance, perhaps "The Final Boss" might have made some arrangements for himself regarding WrestleMania 41.