WWE fans were left shocked by the press conference in Las Vegas. Although there are a lot of questions left to answer, we now have an idea how the WrestleMania main event matches are taking shape.
WWE’s Expected WrestleMania 40 Main Event Picture
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that The Rock finalized a deal on January 3rd with Ari Emanuel and Nick Khan, not only securing a spot on the Board of Directors but also committing to headline WrestleMania this year. That match was presumably against Reigns.
Dwayne Johnson mentioned that the storyline had been in the works for years. The Bloodline storyline with Roman Reigns has been going on for that long as well.
Following a non-press conference at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Reigns vs. Rhodes for WrestleMania was announced, with no additional match announcements beyond teasing the Rhea Ripley vs. Becky Lynch matchup. Ripley is set to face the winner of the Elimination Chamber match on February 24th in Australia.
Although it’s believed that Rollins will defend against the winner of the men’s Chamber match at the same event, no such match has been confirmed. The tease for Rhodes vs. Rollins suggested that an announcement will likely be made in the coming week, but we’re waiting on official confirmation on that.
It was also reported that the current idea is a potential tag team clash between Reigns and Rock versus Rhodes and Rollins, possibly scheduled for day one at WrestleMania, for a main event match. During the conference, Rock turned heel on Rhodes after a dispute about families, siding with Reigns and slapping Rhodes, while Rollins sided with Rhodes during the whole thing.
The press conference also ended with the idea of a Reigns & Rock vs. Rhodes & Rollins tag team match, which could be on day one at Mania. Rock ended up going heel on Rhodes, slapping him in the face after an argument about families, and siding with Reigns. Rollins was out there at the time and ended up backing up Rhodes.
https://twitter.com/Wrestlingnosfc/status/1755886037274972648
WWE Tried To Book The Rock vs Roman Reigns Before
The matchup between Reigns and Rock had been discussed before the pandemic as a one-time return match, initially considered for WrestleMania in Dallas in 2022. However, Dwayne Johnson aimed for Los Angeles in 2023, later withdrawing due to time constraints, but he left Philadelphia in 2024 as a possibility.
Rhodes was initially slated for the match against Roman Reigns due to The Rock pulling out last year, as Rhodes and Seth Rollins were reportedly set to create the second world title last year, which was delayed. Now, we find ourselves in a very interesting situation on the road to WrestleMania 40.
“And what is this match all about right here? WHO sits at the Head Of The Table? What does it matter when neither of you have been doing any of the cooking for TWO YEARS”
– Cody Rhodes to Roman Reigns & The Rock
THIS LINE WAS JUST ???@CodyRhodes pic.twitter.com/DB6G8Coovr
— Eleanor (@Its_Eleanor) February 9, 2024
