The Rock and Steve Austin Reportedly Demanded by Saudi Arabian Officials for WrestleMania 43

The Saudi Arabian officials are reportedly pushing for the involvement of The Rock and Steve Austin at WrestleMania 43 in Riyadh.

The Rock and Steve Austin Reportedly Demanded by Saudi Arabian Officials for WrestleMania 43

The Rock and Steve Austin might be a part of WrestleMania 43 [via- WWE]

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After earning the distinction of hosting its first-ever Royal Rumble later this month, Saudi Arabia will stage WrestleMania 43 in 2027 as well. It’ll thus become the first WrestleMania in history to take place outside of North America.

That being said, there’s already a major push from the Saudi Arabian officials to lure two massive Attitude Era stars into the two-night spectacle in Riyadh. Andrew Baydala subtly quipped that the aforementioned names are bald. And as one would’ve guessed it already, Baydala was talking about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

Back in September, it was noted in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Saudi Arabia had been pushing for The Rock to take on either Roman Reigns or Cody Rhodes in one of the main events at next year’s WrestleMania.

As far as The Great One’s status for WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas is concerned, he’s reportedly not slated for a match, as per Andrew Baydala. In the above clip, one could hear Baydala affirming that there’s hesitation from The Rock‘s camp about proceeding to have his next match in Saudi Arabia, as it’s very likely to be his last.

Baydala further claimed that ‘The Final Boss’ is booked through the entirety of 2026 with his Hollywood commitments, which aren’t expected to wind down anytime soon. Speaking of Rock’s great rival, Steve Austin, he recently talked about the possibility of wrestling again.

While appearing on Chris Van Vliet‘s podcast, ‘The Texas Rattlesnake’ didn’t completely rule out the prospect of having another match, even though he clarified he wasn’t pushing for it. Austin said he still does Hindu and free squats to keep himself in shape while noting that he’s always had strong legs, so those exercises help him maintain his lower body strength.

When did The Rock and Steve Austin have their previous matches in WWE?

The Rock and Steve Austin may never wrestle again, but if there’s ever going to be a show where these icons might lace up a pair of wrestling boots for one last time, it’s WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia. ‘The People’s Champ’ most recently stepped in the ring at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia, where he teamed up with his cousin Roman Reigns to beat the duo of Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.

The Rock and Steve Austin
The Rock and Steve Austin [via- Cageside Seats]

The Smashing Machine actor was, at several points, reported for another match at last year’s WrestleMania in Vegas. However, the can kept getting kicked down the road in regard to hashing out Johnson’s opponent. The Great One’s filming schedule eventually kept him from committing to wrestling a full-length match.

After Rock orchestrated John Cena’s heel turn in March 2025, there was heavy speculation about him forming a temporary on-screen alliance with Cena, and its payoff culminating at WrestleMania 41. But that didn’t end up happening either. Coming to Steve Austin’s previous match in WWE, it happened back at WrestleMania 38 in 2022, where he ousted Kevin Owens.

It was impromptu but extremely rewarding for the fans who were anxiously waiting to see the Attitude Era great come out of retirement for the first time since 2003. Austin admitted in a recent conversation with Chris Van Vliet that he stiffed out Owens at various points in the match.

‘The Baddest S.O.B. on the Planet’ also revealed that WWE handpicked ‘The Prizefighter’ as his opponent due to how much the company trusted him in carrying a then 57-year-old Austin to a decent match in the main event of WrestleMania.

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