Video: The Rock Announces New Orleans as WWE WrestleMania 42 Host in SmackDown Return

The Rock announced that New Orleans' Caesars Superdome will be the host of WrestleMania 42.

The Rock made the announcement in New Orleans' Smoothie King Center, which hosted SmackDown on Friday.

This will mark the third time WWE held WrestleMania in New Orleans. WrestleMania 30 took place on April 6, 2014, while WrestleMania 34 occurred on April 8, 2018.

WrestleMania 42 is going down on Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12, 2026.

That's not all The Rock had to discuss, though.

After his initial WrestleMania announcement, he called down WWE champion Cody Rhodes for a public discussion.

In essence, The Rock expressed his tremendous respect and love for Rhodes, noting how they (and even their mothers) had become good friends since last year's WrestleMania.

However, The Rock then said that he wanted Rhodes to become "my" champion.

The Rock asked for an answer in Toronto on March 1, when Elimination Chamber will take place.

After The Rock's speech, he threw his microphone out of the ring, leaving a perhaps puzzled and stunned Rhodes by himself.

All in all, it was an explosive ending to SmackDown, beginning with the WrestleMania 42 announcement and concluding with The Rock giving an offer for the American Nightmare to ponder for another week.