Browsing: Rocks

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has opened up about his involvement in determining John Cena’s final WWE opponent.

Speaking on the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce, The Rock made it clear that the 17-time world champion should have the final say in choosing his retirement match opponent. However, he further talked about his own involvement, revealing he holds only a small amount of sway in the decision-making process.

The Rock said that he has a “tiny bit of influence” in the booking of the match.

I have a tiny bit of influence in the booking of it, but it really is just whoever John wants, really thats what it comes down to. Whoever he wants, itâ€s not me, Nick Khan, or Triple H. It’s whoever John wants. That guyâ€s earned it, and you know what, the best part about John is, he comes as advertised, so who you think he is, thatâ€s who he is, and heâ€s a good dude, and I love that guy.”

He appreciated Cena’s kind nature and added that Cena was a “good dude”.

He’s a good dude, man. And kind. He’s really cool. And that stuff matters to me these days, any day. But like if somebody’s kind and cool.” (1:06:24 – 1:06:33)

The Rock’s comments come as Cena prepares for his final WWE match on December 13, 2025, at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C. As a board member of WWE’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, The Rock does maintain some influence within the organization, but he believes Cena has earned the right to choose his own farewell opponent after more than two decades in the ring.​

MORE: 13 Tributes You Missed From John Cena Vs. AJ Styles At WWE Crown Jewel

Who is John Cena’s Final Opponent?

Cena announced his retirement from in-ring competition at Money in the Bank in July 2024, revealing that 2025 would mark the end of his legendary WWE career. His farewell tour has included high-profile matches against wrestlers like Brock Lesnar and AJ Styles, with his recent Crown Jewel victory over Styles being one of his final scheduled bouts.

While WWE has not officially announced Cena’s final opponent, multiple reports suggest that the Ring General Gunther has been internally selected for the historic match. According to Wrestling Observer‘s Dave Meltzer, several sources within WWE have confirmed that Gunther is the chosen opponent, with plans potentially including an on-screen tournament to determine the challenger.

The Ring General would represent a fitting final opponent for Cena, as Gunther has established himself as one of WWE’s premier villains. He previously held the Intercontinental Championship for a record-breaking 666 days and has already retired wrestling legend Goldberg earlier this year.

The matchup would allow Cena to pass the torch to a younger generation while providing Gunther with a career-defining victory.​

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The Rock is used to constant success across his various ventures, but every now and then the successful wrestler-turned-actor has a disappointing outing. There’s now even more concern after updated numbers on Rock’s latest mainstream project were released.

The Final Boss is still dealing with bad press following the theatrical release of The Smashing Machine last month. The future WWE Hall of Famer drew his worst-ever box office opening last weekend for the biographical sports drama based on the life and career of MMA pioneer Mark Kerry, based off a popular 2002 documentary of the same name that Rock was a big fan of.

Rock starred as Kerr, and served as Executive Producer with Seven Bucks. Rock and Kerry himself have been promoting the movie together. The Smashing Machine received a 15-minute standing ovation at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on September 1, and has drawn mostly-positive reviews from critics and regular viewers, despite the box office flop. The R-rated film currently has a 71% rating among critics on RottenTomatoes, and a 76% rating general viewers. These numbers are down from last week’s 72% and 77% ratings.

The Rock reportedly received $4 million for the leading role in The Smashing Machine. The movie filmed from May-August 2024, and required Rock to undergo a significant physical transformation. He recently issued a wholesome statement following the brutal opening weekend.

Week Two Box Office Update On The Smashing Machine

The Smashing Machine with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson drew just $6 million from 3,345 movie theaters in its opening weekend last month. Projections going into opening weekend were at $8 million to $15 million, meaning the movie stood to lose tens of millions of dollars as $50 million was spent to produce the film, and that does not include several millions in marketing.

The Rock’s movie on UFC Hall of Famer Mark Kerr ranked #3 for its opening weekend, behind Taylor Swift’s “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl” at #1 with $33 million in domestic sales, and Leonardo DiCaprio’s “One Battle After Another” with another $10.3 million from 3,634 theaters, down 53% from its debut weekend, bringing the two-week total to $41 million in North America.

The Smashing Machine just had its second weekend in theaters, and came in at a disappointing 8th place, according to Variety. The 70% decline represents just $1.7 million from 3,321 theaters, bringing the two-week total to $10.1 million. The movie is shaping up to be a major financial loss for the A24 entertainment company.

Disney’s “Tron: Ares” sci-fi sequel also flopped in its opening weekend, drawing a low $33.5 million from 4,000 theaters in North America. The film cost $180 million to produce, not including several million in marketing costs. The PG-13 film was projected to draw $45 to $50 million domestically. Channing Tatum’s “Roofman” took the second spit this weekend, drawing a disappointing $8 million via 3,340 theaters on opening weekend.

The Rock isn’t the only A-Lister struggling at the box office as new movies from Jennifer Lopez and others are also hurting. Variety noted that films are having a hard time packing theaters, and with no major blockbuster to help boost grosses in October, overall domestic movie theater ticket sales are up only 4% from the same period in 2024.

Kurt Angle has a strong history with The Rock and Mark Kerr. The WWE Hall of Famer took to X last week to praise both men amid backlash over the film.

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Dwayne Douglas Johnson, also known as The Rock, is an American actor and professional wrestler. He performs part-time for WWE and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. Johnson co-owns the United Football League, serves on the board of TKO Group Holdings, and co-founded Seven Bucks Productions.

Johnson played college football at the University of Miami, where he was part of the 1991 national championship team. He went undrafted in the 1995 NFL draft and had a brief stint with the Calgary Stampeders before being released. In 1996, his father helped him secure a contract with the WWF.

He is a 10-time world champion, WWEâ€s first African-American world champion, a two-time Intercontinental Champion, a five-time Tag Team Champion, the 2000 Royal Rumble winner, and WWEâ€s sixth Triple Crown Champion. Johnson headlined multiple pay-per-view events, including WrestleMania six times, with WrestleMania 28 being the most-bought wrestling pay-per-view, and main-evented WWEâ€s most-watched episodes of Raw and SmackDown.

The Rock Wife: Who Is She?

The Rockâ€s wife is Lauren Hashian, a musician from Massachusetts. They met on the set of The Game Plan in 2006 and began dating in 2007. After 12 years together, they secretly married in Hawaii on August 18, 2019. The couple has two daughters, Jasmine, born in 2015, and Tiana, born in 2018.

Lauren comes from a musical family; her father, Sib Hashian, was the drummer for the rock band Boston, and she has pursued music professionally, releasing tracks like “Ride The Wave†and an EP Love…And Other Things (Side A). During the COVID-19 pandemic, they strengthened their bond, supporting each other through daily life and work.

More About Lauren Hashian

Lauren Hashian is a musician and the wife of Dwayne “The Rock†Johnson. She grew up in Massachusetts, the daughter of Sib Hashian, former drummer of the rock band Boston, and Suzanne Hashian. She has a sister, Aja, and a brother, Adam. Inspired by her fatherâ€s music, she attended Emerson College in Boston and worked in music-related roles at Warner Music Group and Paramount Pictures before returning to creating and releasing her own music.

Hashian met Johnson on the set of The Game Plan in 2006, and they started dating in 2007. After 12 years together, they secretly married in Hawaii on August 18, 2019. The couple has two daughters, Jasmine (born December 16, 2015) and Tiana (born April 17, 2018).

She keeps a relatively private life but is very supportive of Johnson, attending premieres and events, while he supports her music career. Hashian released the song “Step Into a Love Like This†in 2020, inspired by their relationship.

Is Lauren Hashian on Instagram?

Lauren Hashianâ€s official Instagram handle is @laurenhashianofficial. She has 319 posts, 1.1 million followers, and follows 696 accounts. Her bio describes her as a mother, director, producer, songwriter, and singer, and promotes her music project “Feels & Fears†with @imsherie.

When did The Rock and Lauren Hashian get married?

Dwayne Johnson and Lauren Hashian got married on August 18, 2019, in a private ceremony in Hawaii after 12 years of dating.

How many kids do The Rock and Lauren Hashian have?

Dwayne Johnson has three daughters. His eldest, Simone Alexandra Johnson, 24, is from his marriage to ex-wife Dany Garcia. Simone grew up in Florida, graduated high school in 2019, and attends NYU. She signed with WWE in 2020, becoming the first fourth-generation Superstar, and debuted as Ava Raine in 2022.

With his wife, Lauren Hashian, Johnson has Jasmine Lia Johnson, 9, born on December 16, 2015, and Tiana Gia Johnson, 6, born on April 17, 2018. Jasmine has been part of family events like her parents†wedding and horse-riding competitions. Tianaâ€s milestones have been celebrated with activities like princess-themed parties.

FAQs

Q. What happened to the first wife of The Rock?

A. Dwayne Johnson was married to Dany Garcia. They had one daughter, Simone Johnson. The couple announced their divorce on June 1, 2007, which was finalized in May 2008.

Q. Is The Rock still married?

A.Dwayne Johnson has been married to Lauren Hashian since August 18, 2019.

Q. Does The Rock have an ex-wife?

A. Dwayne Johnsonâ€s ex-wife is Dany Garcia.

Q. How many times has The Rock been married?

A. Dwayne Johnson has been married twice.

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NXT General Manager and The Rock’s daughter, Ava, boldly accused this WWE star of “harassing” her.

Ava has been busy preparing and amping up her brand for the upcoming NXT vs TNA Showdown this Tuesday. She selected NXT Champion Ricky Saints and NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne as the team captains for the men’s and women’s teams. Meanwhile, Ethan Page will defend his NXT North American Championship against TNA’s Mustafa Ali. Then, a Winner Takes All match will occur between NXT Tag Team Champions DarkState (Dion Lennox and Osiris Griffin) and TNA World Tag Team Champions The Hardys (Matt and Jeff Hardy). Everyone, whether from NXT or TNA, is banned from the ringside during that critical tag team title match.

On X, Ava responded to Jordynne Grace’s comments about her exclusion from the women’s teams. In a video she posted, The Rock’s daughter agreed that without Grace, there won’t be a crossover between NXT and TNA. She then announced that The Juggernaut will be the special guest referee for the women’s Survivor Series-styled tag team match. However, Blake Monroe didn’t find Ava’s announcement amusing and wanted to see the NXT general manager fired. The 24-year-old responded to The Glamour’s call for her firing by claiming the latter is “harassing” her.

Check out the exchange below.

please help sheâ€s harassing me @WWE@BorisJohnson

— A V A (@avawwe_) October 5, 2025

Monroe recently lost to Grace at NXT No Mercy in a Weaponized Steel Cage match on September 27.

Joe Hendry Officially Involved in WWE’s NXT vs TNA ShowDown

Apart from Jordynne Grace, Joe Hendry was also noticeably omitted from the men’s Survivor Series-styled tag team match despite appearing back and forth in NXT and TNA.

To remediate the controversial decision, former WWE Superstar and TNA’s current Director of Authority, Santino Marella, announced on X that The Prestigious One will now serve as the special guest referee on the men’s side, just like Grace for the women’s.

Itâ€s official, @joehendry will be the special guest referee for the menâ€s survivor series style match at #showdown#TNA#NXT@ThisIsTNA@WWENXTpic.twitter.com/ZhDXf2hECa

— Santino Marella (@milanmiracle) October 6, 2025

Hendry and Grace, being guest referees, will definitely add tension to an already heated match between NXT and TNA. Since the two have ties with the said brands, it will be interesting to see if they will be able to call the men’s and women’s tag-team matches right down the middle.

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John Cenaâ€s stunned fans by turning heel in March 2025 which marked his first time as a fully-fledged villain in over two decades. While the turn itself shocked fans, many felt that what followed failed to meet expectations.

Cenaâ€s heel run began with an alliance with The Rock, though the “Final Boss†quickly disappeared from WWE television afterward. Speaking on UnSKripted, Cenaâ€s father, John Cena Sr., reflected on his sonâ€s final year in the ring.

“I think what heâ€s done is right, itâ€s good, itâ€s positive… Turning John Cena heel was a great idea. The shock factor was great.â€

While Cena Sr. praised the turn itself, he agreed with fans who felt the follow-up fell flat.

“The storyline [after the turn] was destroyed. That was a very poor move in my opinion because it was a big gamble for everyone involved.â€

Cena Sr. placed much of the blame on The Rockâ€s sudden absence, calling it a crushing blow to one of WWEâ€s biggest storylines in years.

“To see how it started, and then to see the characters who are involved no longer be present, the heel turn almost became non-essential. That was something I wasnâ€t really too hyped up on.â€

Ultimately, Cena abandoned the heel turn ahead of SummerSlam 2025 and returned to the fan-favorite role that defined much of his career. With only a handful of appearances left before retirement, Cena is set to close out his legendary run as the beloved babyface, despite his fatherâ€s belief that the heel turn could have been so much more.

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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)… SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents…

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is getting serious love from critics for his new film The Smashing Machine, which debuted with…