With the Royal Rumble rapidly approaching, fans around the professional wrestling world have one major question: could Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson make his triumphant in-ring return to the WWE Universe in Indianapolis?

I mean, think about it: John Cena is set for the match, as is CM Punk, and even if cousin Roman Reigns, who many want to see wrestle The Rock at the “Showcase of the Immortals” in Las Vegas, comes in April is also on the card; why not bring “The Final Boss” into the ring to set up a huge match at WrestleMania 41?

Now granted, would it be awesome to see The Rock win the Royal Rumble? Yes, that would be an all-time great moment and could set things up for some amazing moments down the line. The problem? The Rock would have to be willing to work over a dozen television shows plus other events to really justify such a moment, which just might now be in the cards in 2025.

Discussing the challenges of booking “The People's Champion” in 2025 with the New York Post, Paul Heyman broke down the challenges of booking the legend, as he is simply too busy to be consistently available.

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“There is a leadership by example to be set by someone who’s on the board of directors, much like Dwayne’s responsibilities as just a star of a movie are far different than when he’s one of the executive producers of the movie as well,” Heyman told the New York Post. “So he’s not just a talent; he’s a member of the board of directors. And so, there is a process by which creative has to flow seamlessly here, and he has to be part of that seamless flow. There’s a balancing act, and I think he and everyone involved in potential Rock creative are finding that balance.”

Could WWE find a way to thread that needle? Sure, The Rock is a member of WWE's board of directiors and as a result, if he can add extra eyes to shows, sell a few more tickets, or tie up a massive endorsment deal, he will directly benifit from that effort financially in a way almost no other wrestler would. But for now, betting on a big Royal Rumble Rock win feels unlikely, even if he ultimately does make an appearance on the show in one form or another.

Why? Well, for one, he probably isn't in ring shape, and even if he is, why would WWE give away his big in-ring return for free when they could sell tickets and draw huge social media numbers by advertising a match for a future event, be that the Elimination Chamber, a Netflix special event, or at WrestleMania 41? In this new media landscape, where ratings sometimes matter more than PLE numbers, using The Rock to do numbers like his appearances on NXT makes more sense than a surprise appearance or even a Royal Rumble win.