The reaction inside WWE to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s recent comments on The Pat McAfee Show and Instagram has not been outrage—but confusion.

Fightful Select reports that several within WWE were surprised by how little Johnson did for WrestleMania 41. He did not appear at the event, made no televised appearances in the lead-up, and did not promote it online. One unnamed talent shared, “We all found it kind of weird that he didn’t promote the show at all.”

Some backstage expected disappointment over his absence, but most were simply puzzled—especially since The Rock quickly appeared on McAfee’s show afterward to address concerns about the show and say he was asked to help with ticket sales.

A source confirmed WWE did approach Johnson to help promote the Elimination Chamber, which was viewed internally as a big assist. Still, creative teams had been told not to plan around him for WrestleMania. Even post-Chamber, that guidance stayed the same.

One veteran wrestler noted, “The roster always loves seeing The Rock at shows,” but mentioned the “card is at the mercy of Dwayne” comment from last year still weighs heavily. Another suggested The Rock may have backed off to avoid being seen as interfering again, though he possibly misread how important he was to the overall storyline.

Johnson’s cryptic Instagram response to Dave LaGreca also sparked questions backstage. Reacting to LaGreca’s rant, The Rock wrote that everything in the business is a “complete work.” A wrestler wondered, “What does that mean? Is he working every time he stops by and talks to us backstage, too? Was that McAfee interview a work?”

Although rumors continue about tension between Johnson and Triple H, Fightful noted that if issues exist, they have not reached the locker room. One performer called the entire situation an “overcorrection” after last year’s backlash when The Rock played a larger role at WrestleMania.

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