Fans Decode The Rock’s Cryptic Three-Count Gesture After WrestleMania 42 Venue Shake-Up
M. G0MEZ, a former sports radio anchor from San Diego and lifelong pro wrestling fan since 1985, brings you an insider’s perspective on one of WWE’s most puzzling moments — and what it could mean going forward.
Last October, during WWE’s fall premium live event Bad Blood, The Rock made a surprise and somewhat mysterious appearance. Standing at the foot of the aisle, he locked eyes with Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, and Cody Rhodes. Then, slowly and deliberately, he counted to three with his fingers before making a chilling cutthroat gesture — and walking away without a word.
Fans were left scratching their heads. What was The Rock signaling?
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the crowd, Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu — fresh off their match against Reigns and Rhodes — were caught on camera with Sikoa saying, “It’s part of the plan.” But what plan?
At the time, the wrestling world was left in the dark. Now, with recent developments surrounding WrestleMania 42, fans believe they may have cracked The Rock’s cryptic message.
Social media sleuths analyzed the gesture and came to some telling conclusions:
- The Rock vs. Roman Reigns? Not happening.
- The Rock appearing at WrestleMania 41? Not happening.
- WrestleMania 42 in New Orleans? Also not happening.
The backstory helps shed light on this mystery. In January 2024, The Rock returned to WWE during the first Raw of the year and teased a much-anticipated showdown with Roman Reigns. The buzz was enormous. But when Cody Rhodes won the men’s Royal Rumble, controversy erupted. Many assumed Rhodes would step aside, letting The Rock face Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Title at WrestleMania XL. Instead, WWE changed course: Rhodes battled Reigns for the title, while The Rock teamed with Reigns in a tag match against Rhodes and Seth Rollins.
Post-WrestleMania, The Rock teased another showdown — this time against the new champion Rhodes. Fans speculated this dream match would headline the next WrestleMania. However, rumors soon emerged that The Rock wouldn’t be booked for WrestleMania 41.
When a fan confronted him on Instagram about these rumors, The Rock fired back, “Don’t believe any of that bullshit,” fueling speculation. He later reappeared on Raw’s Netflix debut in January 2025, presenting Reigns with the Ula Fala after a victory and settling differences with Rhodes, effectively dashing hopes of a WrestleMania dream match.
In February, The Rock announced at a SmackDown in New Orleans that WrestleMania 42 would be held in the Big Easy — a perfect setting for the spectacle.
But when WrestleMania 41 arrived in April, The Rock was notably absent. Revealing the behind-the-scenes decision, The Rock told Pat McAfee that his role was done: “I think The Final Boss’ work is done. We’ve established it. We just pulled off the greatest angle in the history of professional wrestling,” he said, referencing the storyline climax involving John Cena turning heel.
Fans still had New Orleans to look forward to for WrestleMania 42 — or so they thought.
This week, news broke that WrestleMania 42 in New Orleans had been scrapped. Instead, WWE is reportedly moving its biggest event back to Las Vegas — home to this year’s spectacular show. On Friday, WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque (Triple H) confirmed that Money in the Bank would take place in New Orleans in August 2026, but WrestleMania’s location is to be announced later.
While the venue switch likely had nothing to do with The Rock, it’s yet another twist fans have connected to his puzzling “three-count” gesture and the anticlimactic conclusion to this year’s WrestleMania storylines.
Whatever The Rock’s plan was back in October, it clearly didn’t go as intended — leaving fans to wonder what the next chapter holds for the WWE icon and the future of wrestling’s biggest stage.