Backstage Update On WWE Royal Rumble Status Of The Rock And Steve Austin

With the 2023 Royal Rumble only a couple of hours away, Fightful Select has shared an update about Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's status.

According to the report, Fightful was asking around about The Rock and Austin and the talent that they've spoken with haven't been told anything, but said it's "well known that WWE wants them." One talent revealed that the money increase between the pitches to Austin for Brock Lesnar in the fall and Reigns in January were "significant" and it was obvious that WWE "wanted him for something." 

While Fightful noted that they didn't get any real confirmation or indication that The Rock was showing up tonight in San Antonio, Texas, several people who claim to have WWE connections swear that the "Black Adam" star is going to be showing up. Besides making an appearance at the end of the 2015 Royal Rumble, the Rock's last Royal Rumble where he was in the ring was in 2013. He ended up defeating then-WWE Champion and former WWE Superstar CM Punk for the title. One of his last 30-man Royal Rumble matches was in 2001. 

Austin on the other hand wrestled one of his last 30-man Royal Rumble matches in 2002. While it was Triple H who won in 2002, Austin has been pretty lucky in those matches, he has won three of them in his career. In 2022, after 19 years, Austin made his in-ring return at WrestleMania 38, where he defeated Kevin Owens in a No Holds Barred Match.