On this past episode of SmackDown, WWE's biggest fact, Cody Rhodes, got pushed aside by a returning Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. It appears The Rock and Roman Reigns are now on a collision course for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 40.
The move felt awkward. It was almost like Eli Manning being benched in 2017. Except this time, it was The Rock taking his spot, not Geno Smith.
And don't get me wrong — I like Rhodes and he wholeheartedly deserves to beat Reigns… just not at WrestleMania 40.
The move hasn't been popular amongst all, to say the least. It's a bit puzzling. I thought that the Rock vs. Roman Reigns was a dream match.
Perhaps it's the way it all went down. Rhodes won the Royal Rumble last month and immediately pointed at Reigns and his title, exclaiming “I want you!” And that's fair — even the staunchest Rhodes haters can't deny the move was handled poorly. But at the end of the day, WWE is going to do what they want. We have to see what actually happens, perhaps Rhodes inserts himself into this story and makes it a triple threat match.
What happened
On the February 2 episode of SmackDown, Rhodes was set to make his decision regarding his WrestleMania 40 match. Bear in mind, earlier in the week, Seth Rollins attempted to get him to choose the World Heavyweight Championship, calling it the “Dusty Rhodes Title.” He also took a shot at Reigns' championship, calling it the “Hollywood Title.”
It was Reigns that came out first on SmackDown. He effectively buried Rollins and his championship, pointing out that he had beaten everyone that competed for it, making it the “Loser's Title.”
When Rhodes came out, he reinforced that he wanted Reigns' title. Except he doesn't just want the championship, he wants “everything.” However, the promo took a turn when Rhodes said he would challenge Reigns for it, just not at WrestleMania 40.
He said that he sought council, including that of The Rock, who then came out to a thunderous response. Upon entering the ring, he shook Rhodes' hand and whispered something in his ear. Many fans point to the look of disappointment on Rhodes' face. Rhodes left the rings to The Rock and Reigns, who had an intense stare-down.
The main event of WrestleMania now appears to be The Rock vs. Reigns for the Undisputed Universal Championship as well as the Head of the Table moniker. It has started an online revolt that WWE will attempt to calm down.
#WeWantCody
The #WeWantCody movement on social media is cute. For the first time since John Cena went Hollywood, the WWE has their top babyface. However, the revolt is wild considering nothing is actually confirmed.
Sure, Rhodes seemed to hand the keys to The Rock, but is that the worst thing in the world? Reigns has run through the entire WWE roster over the course of this historic title reign. Perhaps the match at WrestleMania 39 should have ended with Rhodes standing tall. But the reality is that the WWE loves gaudy numbers, and Reigns hitting 1,000 days as champion is exactly that.
We also have to consider that The Rock isn't going to be willing to return to the ring much longer. For those who want to see him take on Reigns, can you really bank on having him face him in a year? The Rock claims he loves the phrase “long game,” but would he commit to a match in a year?
You could point to The Rock's rivalry against Cena over a decade ago. They announced the match at WrestleMania 28 a year in advance and effectively built to it over the next 365 days.
With The Rock being a movie megastar, that complicates things. He was fresh off of roles in Fast Five in 2012 but just two years removed from The Tooth Fairy.
In 2024, The Rock is bigger than ever. Considering he couldn't keep the commitment to do the job last year, I doubt he'd do it this time around.
Cody Rhodes will remain in the WWE for years to come. He can get his crowning moment at any point. It's not as if he won't still dethrone Reigns at some point down the line.
WWE's mistake
That said, WWE isn't blameless in this matter. They screwed up big time and could have easily avoided the #WeWantCody movements and The Rock being booed.
It all begins at the Royal Rumble. According to Dave Meltzer, The Rock vs. Reigns has been set in stone since January 3. That is weeks before the SmackDown segment, let alone the Royal Rumble.
So why did Rhodes win the Royal Rumble and point to Reigns? If the plan is for him to face Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40, that could have been accomplished in other ways. Perhaps CM Punk's injury affected things, but Gunther was also in the final three. Why not crown a new winner?
The promo cut by Reigns also raises questions. There's no problem with him throwing shade at Rollins' title, but why would Rhodes want to pursue it after Reigns called it a “Loser's Title”?
Some alternatives
But if Reigns and The Rock are facing in some capacity, we have to look at alternatives.
Roman Reigns vs. The Rock goes on as advertised
This feels like the most likely option. It's entirely plausible that Reigns vs. The Rock goes down on Night 2 of WrestleMania 40 in a one-on-one match. The match itself feels like too big of a match to make into a triple threat and deserves its own spotlight.
Cody Rhodes pulls a Daniel Bryan
There's also a chance that Rhodes pulls a Daniel Bryan and finds a way into the match. Rhodes could make it a triple threat match and still get his moment. However, this takes away from the spectacle of The Rock vs. Reigns and should be a last resort.
Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes could go down at Elimination Chamber
The upcoming Elimination Chamber PLE is taking place at Opus Stadium in Perth, Australia. Reigns isn't advertised for the show, but with Rhodes saying he's not challenging him at WrestleMania 40, is it possible he could challenge him at another event?
The biggest issue with Rhodes vs. Reigns at Elimination Chamber is that the event is typically thought of as a B-level PLE. It has implications for WrestleMania, sure, but it's not that event or the Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, or Survivor Series.
Adding a match of this caliber could be huge for its reputation, though. And given its stadium capacity crowd, Rhodes would get a huge ovation.
Still, it's Elimination Chamber. Giving Rhodes his moment here only makes Reigns vs. The Rock more palatable.
Roman Reigns pulls double duty
Now that WrestleMania is two nights, why can't Reigns pull off double duty and headline both nights? It'd pave the way for Reigns to be weakened for the second match (presumably with Rhodes) and easier to defeat.
However, this takes away a major moment for other superstars. If Reigns has a match on both nights, he's not going to be in the midcard. Reigns is a main event-caliber star and is rarely featured anywhere else.
There's also the issue of who he faces first. Story-wise, it'd make sense for him to face The Rock first. This way, he can beat the icon and still hold the title going into his match with Rhodes.
But The Rock has an ego like no other. He stipulated that he could only be punched a certain amount of times in his Fast and Furious contract. I'd find it hard to believe he'd be okay not being the real main event on Night 2. I wouldn't mind being proven wrong, though.
Cody Rhodes calls his shot for next year
If Rhodes means it when he says he's not pursuing Reigns at WrestleMania 40, maybe he challenges him to a match in a year. Unlike The Rock, Rhodes will be there weekly to build to the match. He could go on to win the World Heavyweight Championship or something else in the meantime before “finishing the story.” Rhodes himself admitted to moving the goalposts, what if he calls his shot against Reigns for next year? It'd be unprecedented, but a unique move.
Where it could go wrong
All of the above options are fine. Personally, I want to see Reigns walk into WrestleMania 41 with the Undisputed Universal Championship and Hulk Hogan's record in tow. Reigns is close enough to Hogan's record of 1,474 days as world champion. The WWE will never have another chance to erase Hogan from the record.
However, that could all go down the drain if The Rock beats Reigns. You are probably thinking, There's no way The Rock actually dethrones Roman Reigns, right?
You wouldn't think, but perhaps he thinks it's best for business. If that happens, the WWE will have officially screwed up. The Rock is likely only back for one more match, him winning and either a.) vacating it after taking it from Reigns or b.) losing it shortly after isn't appetizing.
Also, Reigns should be established as the greatest heel of all time. Beating The Rock would do that.
The match itself, should it happen, will also have sky-high expectations. It's entirely possible that the match will never live up to them. If that's the case, you can expect the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field to boo the heck out of the match.
That'd be a shame, as this moment should be celebrated. When The Rock vs. Cena II went down at WrestleMania 29, it didn't meet expectations. That's partly due to the former getting injured early on. Plus, The Rock is now over a decade older with more wear and tear on his body. Let's hope he can make it through the match.
Whatever happens, take it in
The WWE will move forward with whatever they see as the best option. It's possible they insert Cody Rhodes into Roman Reigns vs. The Rock, but it's also possible they move forward with the long-awaited match with Rhodes going on side quests for the foreseeable future.
Either way, this is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. It'd be unfair to sully it with negative online reactions because the biggest face got screwed over. Rhodes will get his moment, but his story may remain untold for a little longer.
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