The Rock’s contract with WWE quietly ended on December 31, 2004, and the Rock has been quoted as saying he was unhappy with how it played out.
Apparently the contract expired in a similar fashion to Steve Austin’s last Spring, with little fanfare and no attention from Vince McMahon.
The Rock had been talking about a role in Wrestlemania 21, but as of now, that is apparently off the table. He had been lobbying for a singles match against Sting or a tag team consisting of the Rock and Hollywood Hogan.
Apparently Vince McMahon is upset with how the Rock has moved on from wrestling, and has made contact with Austin and Hogan in part to show the Rock he isn’t needed.
Ironically, the Rock had brought tapes of 70s and 80s wrestling with him on a remote movie shoot, and was hyped to get back into the ring for a match at mania. It seems like a distinct possibility that the Rock will reach a deal by April to appear at WM21, but nothing is at all certain.
credit: Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter
