The Rock Questioned on WrestleMania, Rapper Lil Yachty Eyes WWE Role, Rumors on Natalya’s Heel Turn
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
The Rock Talks WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia
Amid speculation that he could return to compete in a match at WrestleMania 43 in 2027, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson discussed the upcoming debut of WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking this week to Raffi Boghosian of Raffi Talks (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), The Rock commented on WrestleMania emanating from Saudi Arabia for the first time ever next year.
“Well, I can tell you that I’m excited for the brand of WrestleMania.” The Rock said. “I’m excited for the Kingdom because that is a big show. And I’m also excited—not only for the brand—but for our athletes to be able to participate in an event like that. That’s a global event, and I can’t wait.”
When pressed to address the notion of conversations about having a match at WrestleMania 43, The Rock said, “In terms of the conversations I’ve been having, good or bad? Well, it’s all good. It will always be good.”
Since the start of the working relationship between WWE and Saudi Arabia, which began in 2018, it has been a regular occurrence for WWE legends to appear or wrestle on the shows.
The Undertaker, Goldberg, Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Kane are just a few examples over the years.
While The Rock has not had a match in Saudi Arabia, he is one of the biggest stars WWE can possibly deliver, and it would make sense for Saudi Arabian officials to want him on the WrestleMania 43 card to make it the most significant event possible.
The Rock, who is part of TKO’s board of directors, last had a match at WrestleMania 40 when he teamed with Roman Reigns in a winning effort against Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.
Last year, The Rock did not wrestle, but he played a big role in John Cena’s heel turn, which led to a rivalry with Rhodes.
Whether The Rock has a match at WrestleMania 43 is likely entirely up to him, but based on his response this week, he doesn’t seem ready to make a commitment one way or the other.
Lil Yachty Talks Interest in Joining WWE
Rapper and WWE superfan Lil Yachty went on record this week regarding his desire to work with WWE in a non-wrestling capacity.
During an appearance on the Impaulsive podcast with WWE Superstar Logan Paul (h/t Upton), Yachty declared that he would like to be a manager in WWE, saying, “I’m always like, man, I don’t think I’d ever want to wrestle. I’d want to be a manager because I’m really good on the microphone. I’m good off the spot. I can talk.”
Yachty continued by noting that he follows the product religiously and would be able to transition seamlessly into WWE, saying, “Not only do I love it, but I’m so up to date and so into every storyline. You could throw me in at any point, anywhere, and I know I could lock in.”
He even tried to shoot his shot by appealing to WWE president Nick Khan, saying, “All right, give me a shot. Let me get a 10-day contract. Let me show you what I can do, and then you decide. I’ll take a chair shot to the back.”
WWE has always been open to working with celebrities in various roles, including allowing them to wrestle matches.
Some of the working relationships with musicians in particular have been fruitful for WWE, including Bad Bunny and Jelly Roll, both of whom were praised for their in-ring work in recent years.
While Yachty would prefer to use the gift of gab rather than his fists to make an impact in WWE, it won’t be a shock if WWE gives him an opportunity at some point, just as it has done with so many other celebrities.
WWE’s Reported Reaction to Natalya’s Heel Turn
Natalya’s heel turn on Monday night’s episode of Raw was reportedly well received by many within WWE.
According to PWInsider.com (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), many in the company were happy with the segment, and there is reportedly a belief that Nattie is deserving of the opportunity to test out a new character.
During a Women’s Intercontinental Championship match between Becky Lynch and Maxxine Dupri, Natalya was in Maxxine’s corner. However, when Dupri attempted to pin Becky late in the bout, Nattie put Lynch’s foot on the rope.
A shocked and distraught Maxxine lost focus, allowing The Man to take advantage and beat her to retain the title.
After the match, Natalya and Maxxine had a confrontation that saw Nattie viciously attack Dupri and lock her in the Sharpshooter.
Prior to the heel turn, Natalya had been helping Dupri, as seen in training vignettes leading up to her initial title opportunity against Lynch and after she had beaten Becky for the title.
Maxxine’s reign was short-lived, though, as she dropped the women’s IC title back to Lynch on the Jan. 5 episode of Raw and then lost the rematch due largely to Nattie.
Over the past year, Natalya has been testing out a different character during appearances outside WWE, calling herself “The Low-Key Legend” Nattie Neidhart.
Monday’s segment may have been the catalyst behind that character coming to WWE programming, which figures to make Natalya a far more compelling part of the women’s division.
