People Within WWE Have Denied Big Name Being Randy Orton’s Mystery Caller

People within WWE have reportedly denied that Randy Orton’s mystery caller is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Johnson would be the biggest possible reveal for a SmackDown episode that is reportedly lagging in ticket sales. However, Meltzer said sources inside WWE have denied to him that The Rock is the person behind the storyline.

The angle has been building since the March 16 episode of Raw, when Orton was shown on the phone with an unknown person he said reminded him that he is a killer again after his brutal heel turn on Cody Rhodes. The caller’s identity is expected to be revealed on tonight’s SmackDown.

Meltzer noted that, if it were Johnson, WWE would likely keep that information extremely close to the vest.

“Orton has a mentor who has been teased for weeks and was to be announced on the 4/3 SmackDown show,” Meltzer wrote. “As noted, while Dwayne Johnson fits the bill and would be the biggest addition for a show that is behind on ticket sales, those in the company have denied the name to us.”

He added that if Johnson were involved, the secret would likely only be known by a small group that could include Nick Khan, Paul Levesque, Cody Rhodes, and Orton. Still, Meltzer said his impression is that WWE already has a specific name in mind that at least some people in the inner circle know about, and that those sources do not believe it is The Rock.

WWE has also publicly floated Johnson as a possible candidate. In a WWE.com article published after Orton’s first phone call, writer Mark Kaboly pointed out that The Rock fits the profile of a star from another famous wrestling family who played a major role in Cody Rhodes’ last two WrestleMania stories.

Kaboly wrote that The Rock was central to John Cena’s heel turn last year and suggested it would make sense for him to also be involved in Orton’s transformation.

Although The Rock and Orton do not share much history on WWE television, both are third-generation stars with strong ties to Rhodes. Johnson was heavily involved in the road to WrestleMania 41, where he influenced Cena’s heel turn after Rhodes rejected Rock’s offer to become his champion. Since Elimination Chamber, however, The Rock has been absent from WWE programming.