A women’s match seems to have been cut since Dwayne Johnson was announced, and we have a rumor about what Rock will do on the Feb. 21 show in New Orleans.
Sean Rueter has been thinking too much about pro wrestling since at least WrestleMania I, and blogging about it for SBNation & Cageside Seats since around WrestleMania 28.
Even if his announcement has nothing to do with wrestling at WrestleMania 41, it seems like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s return to WWE television tonight (Feb. 21) on SmackDown may keep the pro wrestling rumor mill busy until April’s event is Las Vegas.
We’re already getting several reports about The Rock’s appearance, which Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Dave Meltzer says “was a last-minute add” to tonight’s show. Meltzer is one of many speculating that the fact SmackDown is in New Orleans could mean Johnson will make the rumored announcement that next year’s ‘Mania will return to the Big Easy.
X/Twitter scoopster WrestleVotes indicated that’s what they’re hearing as well:
Votes would later post that two matches previously announced for this week’s show are now off the card for tonight:
Tonight’s SmackDown plans have been reworked following the announcement of The Rock’s appearance. Rumblings that both Naomi vs. Liv Morgan and the six-man tag featuring Cody, Priest & Strowman vs. Solo, Jacob & Tama Tonga are off. Drew McIntyre vs Jimmy Uso is still scheduled to take place.
The trios match featuring Cody Rhodes, Damian Priest, Braun Strowman, Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu & Tama Tonga that Votes mentions is still listed on WWE.com as of publication time, along with the McIntyre/Uso clash and the Tag title tilt between #DIY and Pretty Deadly. The women’s match is nowhere to be found, and SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis’ announcement of Morgan vs. Naomi and the six-man, and an Instagram post promoting the women’s bout, have been deleted.
If WWE does end up removing those two matches, (a) it might indicate Rock will be doing more than just revealing the WrestleMania 42 news — like setting up a possible WrestleMania 41 match for himself, and (b) it’s already kicked the debate about Triple H’s booking of the main roster women’s scene into a higher gear. Even before yesterday’s report about unhappiness in the locker room, some fans were asking why the ladies don’t get more of the approximately five-and-a-half hours of main roster TV time each week; bumping Liv and Naomi for an open-ended Rock segment will only draw more, and result in existing ones being asked louder.
We’ll see what ends up making, and being said, on the show in a few hours.