Cody Rhodes and The Rock: WrestleMania 40 at a Cross Rhodes

The ending of Smackdown could have been considered a shock but for some of us, it was the likely outcome that we were hoping to avoid. After winning the Men’s Royal Rumble for the second consecutive year, it was time for Cody Rhodes to reveal who his opponent would be for WrestleMania 40.

After taking us down memory lane of the Rhodes and Roman Reigns feud, the son of a plumber made things sort of official.

All signs point to Rhodes wrestling Seth Rollins at the showcase of the immortals as he informed Reigns that he would not be the one challenging him at WrestleMania. It was at that moment when Rhodes said that he did seek counsel from a particular legend.

The music for the Rock would ring through Birmingham as the crowd seemingly went wild. Additionally, the people’s champion would share an awkward handshake and hug with the American Nightmare and would then begin his stare-down with the Tribal Chief.

Dwayne Johnson and WWE brass thought that they were on their way to sewing up their main events for Night 1 and Night 2 of WrestleMania. Meanwhile, the fans seemed to have given their own version of LA Knight’s ‘Nah Nah’.

As of this writing the segment of the Rock and Roman Reigns on YouTube has 500k dislikes which makes it the reigning, defending, undisputed most disliked WWE video of all time.

As a result, social media has followed suit as the hashtag #WeWantCody has been trending worldwide. Even United States Champion Logan Paul has endorsed it.

Does Triple H and those in charge pivot in some form or fashion and if they do, what does that look like? Let’s discuss!

The Rock Returns, WWE Receives Backlash For WrestleMania 40 Swerve

While the idea of The Rock wrestling at the showcase of the immortals has been debated and discussed for years, this year felt different. He had made an appearance on a previous episode of Smackdown, had a run-in with Jinder Mahal, and then asked the WWE Universe about taking his place at the head of the table.

Fast forward to post Royal Rumble and the projected WrestleMania card was in peril. Brock Lesnar found himself in the middle of the damning Vince McMahon lawsuit and CM Punk suffered a torn tricep.

Before all of this, the expected WrestleMania card was:

• Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes
• Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk
• Gunther vs. Roman Reigns

Whether their hand was forced by Dwayne Johnson or not, this is when WWE decided with what seems to be the Rock versus Roman Reigns.

How Could This Play Out For Cody Rhodes & The Rock: Potential WrestleMania 40 Fallout

The WWE could choose to lower their head and barrel through public scrutiny and keep the Rock and Roman Reigns match as is.

They have gone against the fans’ desires before and they will likely do it again.

As a result, this could turn ugly however as the WWE universe has no issue with letting their feelings be known. While it was under a different set of circumstances, we could see something similar to Goldberg and Brock Lesnar from WrestleMania 20. As you can recall, the two stars were practically booed out of Madison Square Garden.

It is also similar to when Bautista was put into the WrestleMania 30 picture before the fan-favorite Daniel Bryan was. That led to the height of the fan-driven ‘YES’ movement and Bryan being thrust into the main event.

Furthermore, the difference at least between WrestleMania 20 and now is that the Rock and Roman Reigns will undoubtedly end Night 2 of WrestleMania. Ultimately, it is fair for one to question if that is how WWE would want to end their show of shows.

For example, try to imagine a scenario where WWE did not listen to fans and kept Daniel Bryan out of the WrestleMania 30 main event. Needless to say, the outcry in the Superdome would have been deafening.

If they stick with what seems to be the current plan, Roman Reigns could go on to defeat the Rock at WrestleMania. Additionally, regardless of if Rhodes defeats Seth Rollins or not, the seemingly never-ending story for Rhodes could go on to next year’s WrestleMania or another premium live event.

If it is at next year’s WrestleMania, Reigns will have surpassed the title reign of Hulk Hogan. As a result, the Rhodes fanbase will be more ready than ever to see their favorite superstar not only finish his story but the story of Reigns’ illustrious reign as champion.

One thing that is clear is that no matter what the company decides to do, eliminating the Rock from their WrestleMania plans is the most unlikely. That has as much to do with his box office presence as it does backstage politics.

However you slice it, that is not happening and anyone who suggests otherwise is in denial.

How To Fix Wrestlemania 40?

Then there is the idea that WWE could find a way to create a triple-threat match between the Rock, Reigns, and Rhodes.

While some people still do not want Rhodes sharing the spotlight with the Rock, this seems like the best course of action to appease all sides of the wrestling public.

The last scenario being one of the more drastic scenarios is to have Roman Reigns headline both nights of WrestleMania.

One Night 1, the Tribal Chief defends his championship against the Rock and is victorious. Later, on Night 2, he then goes ahead and puts up his title against Rhodes.

This allows Rhodes to not have to share the spotlight with the Rock and still get the opportunity that the masses appear to be campaigning for.

One thing above all else is clear. The opportunity to change the course of wrestling history once again lies with the fans. With an upcoming Monday Night Raw, social media, and a WrestleMania press conference in Las Vegas on Thursday, the fans have a short window of time to sway the direction of upcoming plans.

Will we see chants similar to that of Daniel Bryan and the ‘YES’ movement, or is this simply a social media outcry with a short life span?

Time will tell and Faceoff Sports Network will be here with our thoughts along the entire road to WrestleMania.

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