After Dwayne Johnson had teased his surprise return to WWE SmackDown via X, on February 20, fans were thrilled to see him return to the ring ahead of WrestleMania 41. Although his return might have forced WWE to make a few changes to the lineup of matches that were set to happen on Friday’s episode, viewers were simply stoked to see The Rock.
So, adding to the excitement, here are a few of the important highlights that happened, following Dwayne Johnson’s surprise appearance. We have skimmed through the episode to make a list of 5 significant incidents that caught people’s attention during WWE SmackDown on February 21, 2025.
5. WrestleMania 40 had nothing on The Rock and Cody Rhodes’ friendship
While everyone was stunned when The Rock teased his possible return to the ring during this week’s SmackDown episode, his ultimate appearance left people baffled with few confessions. Making his return as promised during the February 21 episode, Dwayne Johnson addressed the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.
Speaking directly with Cody Rhodes, Johnson made an offer to the champion. Later on, to make it even more solid, The Rock noted how he and Rhodes have been friends despite how things rolled after WrestleMania XL on April 7, 2024. During the previous year’s event, Rhodes had defeated Roman Reigns to become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
However, on a recent note, Johnson mentioned how he and Cody Rhodes have remained friends despite their onscreen rivalry after the WrestleMania 40 incident (via WWE).
4. Dwayne Johnson’s offer to Cody Rhodes
It seems Dwayne Johnson highlighted his friendship with Cody Rhodes during the WWE SmackDown because he had an offer for the star. What was that offer? Well, Johnson’s shocking emergence at the February 21 event was followed by his desire to see Rhodes at the WWE Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event on March 1 (via WWE).
Considering how the winners of the Elimination Chamber match earn their own world title matches at WrestleMania, Johnson asked Cody Rhodes to “be my champion”. To smoothen the process, the actor even tempted Rhodes with promises of greatness similar to what Johnson has achieved globally.
3. The Rock came up with a bizarre promo
While trying to persuade Cody Rhodes to be his champion, Dwayne Johnson dropped the most bizarre promo of the night. Trying to entice Rhodes for the match by saying that The Rock could make his dreams come true, Johnson reminded people that he is on the Board of Directors at TKO (via Forbes).
But when even his persuasion with his power failed on Cody Rhodes, and even fans started booing his unlikely reunion with the Undisputed WWE Champion, Johnson told fans to “shut their mouth”. Further, teasing his return as The Final Boss, he informed people that “the ‘Final Boss’ thinking 20 steps ahead”.
Continuing to promote himself in an utterly bizarre way, The Rock later hinted at disrupting plans for WrestleMania 42, before warning Cody Rhodes to give his answer to his offer on March 1, during the Elimination Chamber event.
2. In-ring action including WWE main event
Although the world was hooked on the nail-biting drama between Dwayne Johnson and Cody Rhodes, following the actor’s surprising return to SmackDown—there were also important events that took place within the ring. According to CBS Sports, the episode also featured a bout between Drew McIntyre and Jimmy Uso, WWE tag team champions, and The Bloodline.
During the episode, Drew McIntyre was defeated by Jimmy Uso via pinfall, whereas WWE Tag Team Championships—#DIY (including Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) vs. Pretty Deadly (including Elton John and Kit Wilson) ended in a no-contest. As for the hard-hitting The Bloodline match, Damien Priest and Braun Strowman defeated Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu.
1. WrestleMania 42 announcement
Amid every incident and event that took place during the recent SmackDown episode, the WrestleMania 42 announcement was hands down the best. Apart from the dramatic discussion with Cody Rhodes, one thing that Dwayne Johnson did right was announcing the when and where of the next to next WrestleMania.
Therefore, as per CBS Sports, Johnson reminded WWE fans that WrestleMania 42 will take place on April 11 and 12, 2026, and the location is New Orleans. While people are getting hyped for the upcoming WrestleMania 41, on April 19 and 20, 2025, in Las Vegas, Johnson helped people to already set their calendars for the 2026 bout.
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