During the February 2nd edition of Friday Night SmackDown, Cody Rhodes sparked controversy by surrendering his WrestleMania 40 main event position to The Rock, leading to substantial criticism. Nevertheless, the narrative took an unforeseen turn during the WrestleMania 40 kickoff press conference, injecting a notable amount of drama into the scenario. With that said, The Rock’s WrestleMania 40 plan might have been spoiled by a WWE Hall of Famer.
Fans have been eagerly anticipating a showdown between The Rock and Roman Reigns, but not at the cost of Cody Rhodes’ storyline. Initially, it seemed that way on Friday Night SmackDown, but fortunately, the situation has improved at WrestleMania 40. Nevertheless, fans should manage their expectations accordingly.
The Rock’s WrestleMania 40 Plan Possibly Spoiled by A WWE Hall of Famer
WWE is embarking on the Road to WrestleMania 40, boasting a star-studded lineup that includes The Rock, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Cody Rhodes, among other top names.
WWE has officially announced matches like Rhodes vs. Reigns and McIntyre vs. Rollins. Speculation surrounds a potential tag team bout, pitting Rock and Reigns against Rhodes and Rollins, with The American Nightmare also extending a challenge to The Great One for a future match.
WWE Hall of Famer shared insights on the WrestleMania main event scene during a discussion on Busted Open Radio. He predicted significant developments from Night 1 leading into Night 2. Bully Ray speculated on a potential special stipulation for Cody Rhodes, suggesting a tag team match with The Rock against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins on Night 1.
“I think Night 1 is going to have massive ramifications on Night 2. [He thinks Rhodes’ challenge could lead to a special stipulation to face Rock on Night 1 and then Reigns on Night 2 but the trailer makes him think the tag team match is planned.] Could we be getting Rock and Roman vs. Cody and Seth, Night 1? Sure. Why would you shoot the commercial for WrestleMania like you did, with all four men converging on each other. It’s not like we’re getting Rock vs. Seth and Cody vs. Roman in two singles matches … The underlying tone, message, of that WrestleMania commercial tells me we might be getting a tag match [on] Night 1.”
Ray highlighted the intriguing WrestleMania commercial, hinting at a possible tag match. Bully Ray also proposed the idea of Cody facing The Rock on RAW in Brooklyn to boost ticket sales. However, he emphasized the likelihood of protecting The Rock with a tag match, as even at WrestleMania, a singles match with Cody may require substantial time in the ring.
“What if you were to get Cody vs. Rock in Brooklyn [on RAW]? [He thinks it would boost ticket sales and Rock vs. Rhodes could take up one hour if done on TV but there’s no situation, even at WrestleMania, where Rock vs. Rhodes is smart due to substantial time Rock would have to be in the ring.] They’re gonna insulate and protect [Rock] with the [tag match]”
Bully Ray added that while a Rock vs. Rhodes singles match is inevitable, it requires proper build-up. The accomplished tag team champion expressed the belief that Rock and Reigns vs. Rollins and Rhodes at WrestleMania serves as a strong starting point for the storyline.
The Rock Almost Ruined Cody Rhodes’ WrestleMania 40 Plans
As per details from Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Rhodes was initially told he would face Reigns in the fall, with no reference to The Rock’s participation until a later point, despite an agreement made on January 3rd.
Meltzer elaborated, stating, “Any interview he did about concluding the story before the Rumble was with the idea that he was definitely in the match, even with the Rock rumors circulating.”
Reportedly, Rhodes became aware of The Rock’s involvement on the day of the Rumble, even though the initial plans were for him to win the Rumble match. He was also notified that a match against Reigns would still occur later, indicating that the post-match buildup wasn’t intended to surprise fans but rather to set the stage for a future encounter.
“For those wondering what Rhodes knew about the situation, he was told he was facing Reigns in the fall. He was not informed about Rock getting the match as part of his deal on 1/3, so any interview he did about concluding the story before the Rumble was with the idea that he was definitely in the match, even with the Rock rumors out.”
Dave Meltzer added,
He learned on the day of the Rumble that Rock was facing Reigns, even though he was winning the Rumble. He was also told that they would be going to Reigns against him later, so all the post-match stuff building that match wasn’t there to surprise people as much as to build a later match. However, the fact that it was not going to be Reigns vs. Rhodes was kept secret from almost everyone (obviously, a few knew) because Rock wanted the angle the next Friday to be a surprise.”
Certain individuals within WWE were already aware of these changes before Cody Rhodes, but the details remained confidential until the WrestleMania press conference. Nevertheless, the unfolding of Cody Rhodes’ feud with The Bloodline and how WWE will continue to book it remains to be seen as we approach WrestleMania 40.
