WWE Rumors on The Rock's WrestleMania Absence, Becky Lynch, Bayley and Joe Hendry

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

The Rock Reportedly Never 'Committed' to WrestleMania Appearance

It's probably not a good sign that one of the biggest stories coming out of WrestleMania 41 centers around a performer who wasn't at the show.

The Rock was conspicuous by his absence in Sunday night's main event. The Final Boss was the person who set John Cena's heel turn into motion, yet he wasn't there as Cena beat Cody Rhodes for his record-setting 17th world title reign.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio after the show ended, Dave Meltzer reported this wasn't necessarily a surprise.

"I was talking to people there and it was always, 'He's not committed to the show,'" Meltzer said of his conversations with WWE personnel. "Now, on the day of the show does that mean he won't be there? It's up to him. But it was always he's not going to be on the show."

The frustrating thing in retrospect is that The Rock wasn't even a necessary piece in Cena's heel turn at Elimination Chamber. There are numerous ways his pivot to the dark side could've made narrative sense without involving The Final Boss.

While WWE never advertised The Rock as part of WrestleMania, his presence has loomed over the entire storyline. Having him duck out immediately after Elimination Chamber feels like a bit of a bait-and-switch.

Becky Lynch Shuts Down Part-Time Talk after Replacing Bayley

Becky Lynch competed in her first WWE match in nearly a year when she was Lyra Valkyria's surprise tag team partner and helped dethrone Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez for the belts.

Bryan Alvarez reported on Wrestling Observer Radio (via Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats) having Lynch take Bayley's place "was not a last-minute thing." That echoes earlier reporting on how the backstage attack on Bayley to justify her sudden removal was the original plan all along.

PW Insider Elite (via Ortman) reported some of Bayley's peers in the locker room felt sorry for her to be written out of WrestleMania 41 when she was healthy enough to compete.

It looks like this at least wasn't in service of creating a big WrestleMania moment before Lynch quickly slips out of the spotlight again.

"Yeah, The Man don't do part-time," she said in per press conference after the show. "When I go, I go hard. I go hard until I can't go no more, or until I take another break."

Maybe there's even a singles feud between Lynch and Bayley to come. Revealing that The Man was the perpetrator behind the the attack on Bayley is a straightforward setup to turn her heel.

Hendry's WrestleMania Debut Reportedly a Surprise to TNA Personnel

TNA world champion Joe Hendry got his first WrestleMania showcase at Allegiant Stadium, answering Randy Orton's challenge on Sunday night.

Fightful Select (via Ringside News' Felix Upton) reported that "a lot of people in TNA say they found out about the match yesterday."

While he came up short, Hendry seemed to receive a show of respect from Orton. The Viper helped his defeated foe off the the canvas and raised his arm before delivering an RKO.

Kevin Owens was originally slated to go up against Orton, but he announced on April 4 he needed surgery for a neck injury and will be out indefinitely.

That presented quite the opportunity for Hendry.

The 36-year-old has now shown up on two of WWE's biggest annual shows following his Royal Rumble appearance. That will only fuel more speculation about his future as time ticks down on his contract with TNA.