WWE Rumors on Stone Cold, the Rock, Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, WrestleMania, John Cena

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

Stone Cold's Reported Status for WrestleMania 43

WWE Hall of Famer "Stone Cold" Steve Austin reportedly has yet to be confirmed for WrestleMania 43 in 2027 despite Saudi Arabia's apparent desire for him to be part of the event.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestleTalk), Saudi officials have been told by WWE that Austin wants to make sure he is healthy and able to wrestle a match before committing.

Meltzer added that Austin "has great pride" and was "happy" with the idea of his WrestleMania 38 match against Kevin Owens being his final one.

Shockwaves were sent through the wrestling world Wednesday when Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority Chairman Turki Alalshikh said in a since-deleted Snapchat live video that WrestleMania 43 would be held in Saudi Arabia.

PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson later reported that the announcement was legitimate and that WrestleMania 43 would indeed take place in Saudi Arabia.

Meltzer (h/t WrestleTalk) then said he "would presume" that WWE and Saudi Arabia would reach out to legends such as Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels to compete at WrestleMania 43, hoping to entice them with big-money offers.

Austin, 60, retired after losing to The Rock at WrestleMania 19 in 2003. He remained retired for 19 years before returning to the ring at WrestleMania 38 in his home state of Texas in 2022.

The Texas Rattlesnake appeared on The KO Show with Owens, and a challenge for a No Holds Barred match was laid down, which Austin accepted.

Austin turned in a strong performance given his age, beating Owens and celebrating with a beer bash afterward.

It remains unclear if Austin has interest in having another match, but if he does, there would likely be no better opponent than CM Punk, who has often been mentioned by fans over the years as the dream opponent for a potential Stone Cold retirement bout.

The Rock vs. Rhodes or Reigns Reportedly Wanted By Saudi Arabia

Along with Austin, Saudi Arabia reportedly has interest in The Rock having a match at WrestleMania 43, and there are already some opponents in mind.

According to Meltzer (h/t WrestleTalk), Saudi Arabian officials are pushing for The Rock to face either Cody Rhodes or Roman Reigns at the event.

Meltzer added that sources close to the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority said talks with The Rock were "advancing" and "close to being finalized" for WrestleMania 43.

It was also reported by Meltzer that the fee Saudi Arabia pays WWE for WrestleMania will be dependent on The Rock's involvement, and if he does commit to wrestling on the show, The Rock is expected to receive a payoff that would be "multiple times that of any pro wrestler for any event in history."

While The Rock hasn't wrestled much over the past several years, he is part of the TKO board of directors, so he is heavily involved with WWE.

Leading up to WrestleMania 40, The Rock returned to WWE programming and seemed poised to face Reigns, his real-life cousin, at the event.

However, WWE went with a Reigns vs. Rhodes rematch instead, and The Rock teamed with Reigns to beat Rhodes and Seth Rollins in the main event of Night 1 of WrestleMania 40.

Earlier this year, The Rock got involved with Rhodes again, imploring him to "sell his soul" to The Final Boss. When Rhodes refused at Elimination Chamber, John Cena attacked Rhodes at The Rock's behest and shockingly turned heel.

The Rock has plenty of history to draw from with both Reigns and Rhodes, and either match would be among the biggest WWE can possibly deliver.

Details on Location Choice for Cena's Last Match

Money was reportedly at the root of WWE's decision to not have John Cena wrestle his retirement match in Boston.

While it was long assumed that Cena would have his final match in Boston, which is near his hometown of West Newbury, Massachusetts, WWE announced last week that Cena would make his final appearance in Boston on the Nov. 10 episode of Raw.

It was later reported by WrestleVotes that the Dec. 13 Saturday Night's Main Event, which is the event at which Cena's final match will take place, will be held at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

Per Meltzer (h/t WrestlePurists), WWE wanted the city of Boston to pay a sizable site fee to be the host city for Cena's retirement bout.

WWE reportedly asked for something close to the $7 million it received from New Jersey for the two-night SummerSlam this year, but Boston didn't feel it was worth it since the proximity to the holidays would presumably limit the tourism it could generate in conjunction with the event.

Although Cena doesn't have any significant links to Washington like he does Boston, it still promises to be a special event given that it will mark the end of one of the most legendary careers in pro wrestling history.

Now the focus will shift toward who the 17-time world champion will face in the last match of his career.

First, Cena is slated to clash with Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza on Sept. 20, potentially marking the end of his longtime rivalry with The Beast Incarnate.