The Rock has been back in the fold since the February 2nd edition of Friday Night SmackDown and it is evident that The Great One will be appearing regularly on WWE television as we approach WrestleMania 40 in his feud against Cody Rhodes. However, it is more or less certain Cody Rhodes will eclipse The Rock’s popularity despite his returning heel this time around.
Enthusiasm is high among fans for a potential showdown between The Rock and Roman Reigns looms ahead. However, there was a collective desire to avoid overshadowing Cody Rhodes’ storyline. Despite initial concerns heading in that direction, a more reasoned approach has prevailed. As a result, fans can now enjoy Cody Rhodes going head-to-head with Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 40.
The Rock Might Never Beat Cody Rhodes In Popularity Despite His Heel Turn
The Rock turned heel for the first time in 21 years last month and it has been a blast for fans as they are more or less having a nostalgia tour every single week. The Great One has consistently been channeling his late 90s Corporate Rock persona as well as his 2003 Hollywood Rock gimmick.
As pointed out by Wrestle Ops on Twitter, the highest merchandise seller for this week was Cody Rhodes. As for The Rock himself, he was positioned at the fifth position.
WWE’s Top 10 active merchandise sellers (specific to t-shirts) as of Sunday March 10th 2024, according to the company itself:
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) March 10, 2024
1) Cody Rhodes
2) LA Knight
3) Roman Reigns
4) CM Punk
5) The Rock
6) Jey Uso
7) Seth Rollins
8) Jimmy Uso
9) Drew McIntyre
10) Liv Morgan pic.twitter.com/2L4ee8HNlM
This is actually a major deal as it has been made evident that Cody Rhodes is more popular than The Rock right now. In fact, The Rock’s current run heading towards WrestleMania 40 might just be his final run in the company, period. This is especially because of the fact that Cody Rhodes is far too big a star already and will likely eclipse The Rock after WrestleMania 40.
Reality Of The Rock’s Dream Match With Roman Reigns Happening Revealed
WWE and professional wrestling, while not a competitive combat sport in the traditional sense, impose significant physical demands on the body, requiring extensive training for participants. Even seasoned wrestlers like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson must undergo thorough preparation before each match.
Following a four-year hiatus, The Rock made his return to WWE in September 2023 but has not yet participated in a match. Paul Heyman, WWE’s newest Hall of Fame inductee, discussed The Rock’s conditioning for a match in a recent interview with Jimmy Traina from Sports Illustrated.
Upon his return to WWE, The Brahma Bull initially aimed to face Reigns for the Head of the Table title, diverting from fans’ expectations of Cody Rhodes concluding his storyline. However, a sudden heel-turn led to Johnson teaming up with his cousin instead.
In discussing the potential for a dream match between Johnson and Reigns without the heel-turn, Paul Heyman expressed optimism, stating, “Could Dwayne Johnson have come back and put together a really classic, very memorable 15-minute match with Roman Reigns for this year’s WrestleMania without going through that training? I bet he could.” Heyman was positive about the feasibility of a fifteen-minute bout one day.
