The wrestling world is buzzing with controversy as news breaks that Cody Rhodes won’t be facing Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40, leading to a tidal wave of disappointment among fans. The apparent replacement of Cody Rhodes by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the main event has sparked criticism, with fans expressing their discontent.
The Rock returned to WWE on Friday’s SmackDown, teasing the epic showdown of him versus Roman Reigns. And, as awesome as it is for the company to finally be paying off a Bloodline storyline three years in the making, the timing is terrible. The storyline of Cody walking away from the match just hours after winning the Royal Rumble and the chance to win the title his father never won makes no sense. Fans are calling out WWE for seemingly prioritizing The Rock over Cody.
That the company has taken away The American Nightmare’s shot at the championship on the biggest stage WWE has, only to give that slot to The Rock, who stands to earn a $30 million stock bonus as part of TKO’s Board of Directors, hasn’t sat well.
The upcoming WrestleMania 40 press conference is anticipated to be a crucial moment, shedding light on fan reactions to The Rock’s involvement and whether there will be continued support for Cody Rhodes. The expected official announcement of The Rock facing Roman Reigns has intensified the discontent, and insiders speculate on Johnson’s influence in reshaping the WrestleMania card. Some believe his connections in Hollywood and role as a member of the TKO Board played a significant part in this decision, raising questions about potential financial gains and power plays behind the scenes.
What Is The WrestleMania 40 Plan for Cody Now?
Rhodes is now likely set to face Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40.; That wouldn’t be so bad if Roman Reigns didn’t spend a few minutes before Cody and The Rock appeared on Friday running down Rollins and the championship he holds. Was WWE expecting fans to be excited about Cody challenging for a title Reigns says no one cares about?
If so, they read the room incorrectly. The recent segment featuring The Rock and Roman Reigns on SmackDown has become the most disliked WWE video on YouTube, further fueling the controversy. This can’t be the way WWE was hoping the news of The Rock at WrestleMania would be accepted.
Despite The Rock’s social media post expressing gratitude for the reaction and teasing his showdown with Reigns, fans were quick to voice their desire for Cody in that spot. The video of The Rock’s faceoff with Roman Reigns has become a social media sensation, garnering over 75 million views in just under 36 hours and breaking CM Punk’s return record. WWE is right to assume he’s a big draw. But, what are the consequences of the decision they’ve just made?
WWE’s decision to prioritize The Rock’s match with Reigns is seen as a wise financial move, considering his popularity and social media impact. But, screwing over Cody Rhodes — at least in the eyes of many of the fans — was not the way to get from Point A to Point B. The company has some clean-up to do if they want fans to support the Rock in his quest to take the Head of the Table seat.
