Shawn Michaels Reveals Why He Never Faced The Rock at WrestleMania

Shawn Michaels recently explained why he never faced Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at WrestleMania, pointing to early backstage tension during an appearance on 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony.

Michaels said the two did not have a strong relationship during their time together in WWE. He stated that The Rock did not like him at the time because of locker-room narratives during Johnson’s early run, which claimed that Michaels and Triple H were limiting opportunities for others. He described those claims as exaggerated and not reflective of the full situation.

Despite that history, Michaels noted that their relationship is now cordial. He indicated that there are no ongoing issues between them, and communication has improved over time. Timing also played a role in why the match never happened. Michaels stepped away from wrestling in the late 1990s due to a back injury and returned in the early 2000s. By that point, Rock had begun focusing more on his acting career, reducing the possibility of a WrestleMania match. Below are some highlights of Michaels ‘ comments (via WrestlingNews.Co).

Shawn Michaels on Never Facing The Rock

“He didn’t like me. I think in years he got, there’s a big kerfuffle in the wrestling business about me and Hunter doing stuff to him and being mean and stuff like that. All of it way blown out of proportion. None of it even accurate, but those were things that when he was younger, he was fed a lot. But later on, and to this day, we get along and we talk about stuff.”

On The Rock Being Well Into His Hollywood Career When He Re-Entered the Business

“That’s what I think everybody would have liked to have seen. But by the time I came back, he was well off into his Hollywood career and stuff like that… What are you gonna say? I mean, the guy came in, and I can remember seeing him on Saturday Night Live the first time and just thinking to myself, holy cow, this guy’s gonna be a huge star.”

On How The Rock’s Act Evolved Over Time

“When he first went out there, he was getting a lot of the ‘Rocky sucks’ chants and stuff like that. So there’s always ribbing and stuff like that in the locker room… He recognized that and felt like you got to come back with something a little bit harder, a little more aggressive. And then he changed that up. And after he did that, and they put him with the Nation, he really began to take off from there.”

Shawn Michaels also spoke positively about The Rock’s career progression despite initial backlash during his debut. He credited The Rock’s ability to adjust his character and connect with audiences during the Attitude Era as key factors in his growth. He also referenced Johnson’s time with The Nation of Domination, noting how his presentation evolved during that period.