WrestleMania XL is in the books and the show was a blockbuster success by every conceivable metric. WWE’s latest press release touts too many broken records to list here.
Business was booming last year, but 2023’s numbers seem tame compared to what Triple H and company delivered this past weekend. The live gate for WrestleMania XL was up a staggering 78% from last year’s record, while viewership surged 41%.
Looking at Google search volume, The Rock won the weekend. However, Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns received more Google searches than the Final Boss in the day following their legendary clash, an incredible feat when you see the chart below.
Google Trends for WrestleMania XL
Google Trends is a very useful tool that allows you to view the Google search volume for any phrase during a period of time across various regions and formats. The data we’re using here is for Worldwide searches.
Dwayne Johnson is one of the most famous people in the world, so it’s no surprise that his usual search volume resembles a megastar like Beyonce than anybody in WWE. (The Rock had higher search volume over the past 90 days, but Beyonce had the 3 highest spikes during that period – More)
Despite this built-in advantage, Rhodes still prevailed. Over the past 12 months, The Rock averaged 13x greater search volume than the new champion, which makes this feat even more impressive. The Rock says he returned to elevate WWE and this metric of fan interest shows he did just that:
The Rock and Cody Rhodes shared a ring for the third consecutive night on Monday’s WWE Raw. The 45-minute segment featured some memorable moments, including a “this is awkward” chant, The Rock delivering a comeback to the crowd that longtime fans may have recognized and a mysterious cliffhanger fans are trying to figure out.
The Rock told Cody Rhodes and the WWE Universe that he needs to leave again, but he’ll be back. When he returns, he plans to face the face of this new era, whether he’s still champion by then or not. Cody Rhodes vs. The Rock sure sounds like a WrestleMania main event.
John Cena stated on Monday at WWE World that his Hollywood schedule will keep him busy through the end of the year, so he’s taking time off as well. From there, Cena plans to go on one final run before calling it a career.
Hopefully we won’t have to wait until 2025 to see them again, but Cena and Rock are making it known they’re not retired.
However you feel about The Rock’s on-screen character, his latest WWE run was a resounding success. This is supported by WrestleMania breaking so many records, as well as the interest surrounding Cody Rhodes as the Rock rides off into the sunset.