Saturday is a special day for The Rock. The man who won eight WWE Championships, starred in classic films like The Tooth Fairy and The Smashing Machine, and left everyone high and dry at WrestleMania 41 is celebrating his birthday, as “The People’s Champion” turns 54.
With “The Final Boss” ready to blow out the candles, one wonders what he might wish for: an Academy Award, a surge in Papatui and Teremana sales, Cody Rhodes’ soul — or his eternal damnation at the hands of “outside forces”?
As a wrestling
pundit and aficionado, though, I can’t help but wonder if we’ll ever see Rocky in a ring one more time. By no means is 54 a cutoff. Ric Flair had his last match at 73. Flair’s former rival, Sting, called it a career just before his 65th birthday, and Goldberg wrapped up at 58.
If Rock needs further inspiration, his greatest adversary, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, returned for one last main event at Night One of WrestleMania 38 in 2022. Austin was 57.
All that to say, Rock still has time for one more match, but the clock is ticking. His absence from WWE, however, after failing to appear at last year’s WrestleMania, despite initially factoring into the Cody Rhodes versus John Cena main event, left a sour taste.
If he does return, WrestleMania 43 next year in Saudi Arabia could be a likely stage for the wrestler-turned-film star. Past reports suggested officials would pay top dollar to bring him in. What comes next for the birthday boy in pro wrestling remains to be seen.
For now, on behalf of Cageside Seats, happy birthday, Rock. May you feel the mana and warm wishes — even though you did blow us all off in 2025.
Cheers, big guy.
