On the February 21, edition of WWE SmackDown, The Rock shared that WrestleMania 42 will take place in April 2026 from New Orleans, Louisiana. On the post-SmackDown press conference, The Rock shared that this announcement was supposed to come earlier this year.

“We were going to be part of the Super Bowl and make the announcement at the Super Bowl. We had a couple of hiccups that we couldn’t make that happen.”

The Rock didn’t share what “hiccups” came in WWE’s way, but the Super Bowl did feature plenty of wrestling involvement. Vince McMahon made a rare public outing to attend the game and was joined by The Undertaker and his son Shane McMahon. WWE Hall of Famers The Bella Twins were spotted with Britt Baker, leading fans to speculate as to Baker’s future, months after her most recent appearance for Tony Khan’s promotion.

Khan himself was at the big game and arrived on Kismet, his father’s super yacht. TBS Champion Mercedes Mone also attended the Super Bowl, where she was spotted with Swerve Strickland.

Plans remain scarce for WrestleMania 42 but The Rock’s involvement on this week’s SmackDown has led many to speculate that he will have a role with WrestleMania 41 this April in Las Vegas. With an appearance at Elimination Chamber confirmed, fans can expect to see much more of the Final Boss very soon.

According to PWInsider.com, New Orleans has emerged as the frontrunner to host WrestleMania next year, with discussions about the city gaining traction within WWE over the past month. This is the first time the possibility has been spoken of locally in Louisiana. Additionally, it was noted that Indianapolis is still being considered as a potential host city for WrestleMania 43.

WWE has previously held two WrestleMania events in New Orleans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome: WrestleMania 30 in 2014 and WrestleMania 34 in 2018. Both events featured historic moments that are still talked about today.

At WrestleMania 30, Brock Lesnar delivered one of the most shocking moments in WWE history by ending The Undertaker’s iconic 21-0 WrestleMania streak, leaving the crowd in stunned silence. In the night’s main event, Daniel Bryan defeated Batista and Randy Orton in a triple-threat match to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion, culminating in an emotional celebration with fans.

At WrestleMania 34, Ronda Rousey made her in-ring debut, teaming with Kurt Angle to defeat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a highly praised mixed tag team match. In the night’s main event, Brock Lesnar retained the Universal Championship in a brutal clash against Roman Reigns, surprising fans who had anticipated a title change.

With New Orleans potentially hosting another WrestleMania, fans could be in for another unforgettable event filled with moments to rival its storied predecessors.