Paul Heyman Explains Why The Rock Won't Be Wrestling At WWE WrestleMania 39

The Rock has been touted for a WrestleMania match with cousin Roman Reigns in recent years and WWE reportedly wanted that match to take place at WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles, California. The Rock is believed to have turned down that opportunity as he felt he didn't have enough time to get in ring shape for a main event match at the Show of Shows. 

That reason has now seemingly been confirmed by Paul Heyman, who explained on the SI Media podcast why The Rock won't be wrestling at WrestleMania. 

"I never spoke to Dwayne about this year's WrestleMania. I always heard his name being thrown around. I couldn't imagine with his schedule, with his promotional schedule, with the launch of the XFL, with all the projects that he has on his plate, that he would be able to take the time to get back into what we would call ring shape. Aesthetically, does anybody in Hollywood even compare to him? No. Could he run a marathon? I don't know. Maybe. I'm sure he has great cardio, but cardio itself and cardio in the ring and being in ring shape are two completely different things," Heyman began.

"I've seen great mixed martial arts fighters who would have no problem doing 15 rounds of sparring or five rounds in an MMA cage, get into a wrestling ring and within two minutes of hitting the ropes, they can't catch their breath. It's just a different rhythm. It's just a completely different physical toll that it takes. It's not like riding a bicycle. It's not something you can just get back into. It requires you to get back into a specific level of conditioning that is exclusive to the sports entertainment world.

"Could Dwayne Johnson have come back and put together a really classic, very memorable 15-minute match with Roman Reigns for this year's WrestleMania without going through that training? I bet you he could. I bet you just based on his knowledge of the ring, his supreme psychology which made him such a huge star, the people that we have around us to diagram such a confrontation, and just the fact that Dwayne will push himself beyond his own limits, we could have had a great 15-minute match," he continued.

"But I don't think anybody would have paid to see the main event of WrestleMania of a fantasy match-up, of a dream match, between the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns and The Rock himself, I don't think anybody would have wanted to pay to see a 15-minute match. I think people would pay and expect to see, and rightfully expect to see, a far longer story be told in a most exciting, in an A-plus, plus, plus, plus level fashion. There was just no way that he would have been able to deliver, and I don't think that he would ever want to disappoint what we end up calling the WWE Universe."

H/T to WrestlingNews.co