Cody Rhodes may not get to finish his story at WrestleMania, and some fans don’t seem to be very happy about that. After The Rock returned during the February 2nd episode of SmackDown, they have not been shy about making their opinion known.
The Rock’s Big SmackDown Return
The Rock returned during SmackDown this week as a big surprise. Cody Rhodes was just about to announce who he is facing at WrestleMania, when he said that he won’t be the man taking on Roman Reigns.
Suddenly, The Rock’s music hit and he came down to the ring. After shaking hands with Cody, the American Nightmare took off to leave himself alone in the ring with Roman Reigns.
SmackDown closed out this week with the two staring each other down. No match was made official, but it’s pretty clear that WrestleMania 40 will see The Rock vs Roman Reigns.
Some Fans Are Not Happy
While some fans are over the moon with happiness due to The Rock’s return to WWE television, they aren’t all thrilled. Some are standing behind Cody Rhodes, and they are not impressed with a storyline that doesn’t see him finish his story.
The YouTube upload of The Rock & Roman Reigns’ segment from SmackDown this week has received over 50% more dislikes than likes. It also has well over 1.5 million views at this point. That is a very high percentage of dislikes.
How This Match Came About
As we previously reported, according to Dave Meltzer on the F4W Online forum, The Rock strongly advocated for the match with Reigns. Meltzer mentioned that the high-profile clash between the Hollywood star and the Tribal Chief is expected to shift the focus away from the current Vince McMahon scandal.
“Dwayne pushed super hard for it. Read last week’s issue and this week’s. The card changed when Punk & Brock were out and all the dominoes fell. Dwayne already wanted it and they felt they now needed it as well. Felt this was better to change the news flow away from Vince.”
SE Scoops will have continued coverage of the road to WrestleMania. Fans definitely didn’t see this new development coming, and they might not be 100% for it, either. Needless to say, it will be an interesting showcase of the immortals this year.
Cody Rhodes is on the Road to WrestleMania 40, but his final destination won’t see him face Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
On the forum board of F4W Online, Dave Meltzer explained that The Rock pushed hard for the match with Reigns. He added that the blockbuster showdown between the Hollywood megastar and the Tribal Chief will hopefully turn attention away from the ongoing Vince McMahon scandal.
“Dwayne pushed super hard for it. Read last week’s issue and this week’s. The card changed when Punk & Brock were out and all the dominoes fell. Dwayne already wanted it and they felt they now needed it as well. Felt this was better to change the news flow away from Vince.”
Meltzer added that Rhodes was supposed to face Reigns at WrestleMania in the original plan and that a showdown with The Rock was set to happen at a later date. It was also stated that CM Punk’s injury was a decisive factor in WWE’s change of plans.
“Cody was the plan. Dwayne was going to face him later, maybe next year’s Mania, maybe Saudi. Shit happens with Vince and Punk, the Vince thing ends up worse than they thought and they changed the plan. I literally didn’t know until yesterday that it could change and then I was told it’s under lock. But 100% it was Punk vs. Seth and Cody vs. Reigns until Punk got hurt.”
This massive change of plans as seen on SmackDown has had the wrestling world talking…
Cody Rhodes won the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble match, marking a back-to-back win achievement in the big annual match. This week on SmackDown, he made a big announcement about what’s next for him. Little did they expect that so much more was going to happen.
SmackDown’s Final Segment
WWE gave Cody Rhodes’ big announcement the final segment of the night for SmackDown to make his big WrestleMania decision. This was a choice that Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins were both very interested in, but that’s not all.
Roman Reigns made his way to the ring first to start the twenty-minute closing segment. The Tribal Chief took a chance to bury Seth Rollins and his title. He made a point that Rollins is an injured workhorse, and he called the World Heavyweight Championship the “losers bracket title,” since he’s already beaten everyone going for that title.
"Or is finishing the story taking EVERYTHING from you?"
Then Cody Rhodes came out, with all of his pyro, and fans were ready to see him answer the Head of the Table. Cody asked Roman, “what do we want to talk about?” He asked if they can have the ring to themselves, which caused Solo and Jimmy Uso to step outside, but Paul Heyman stayed.
Cody Rhodes said he still wants Roman’s Undisputed Universal Title, because of what it represents. To him, it is still the same title that Bruno Sammartino defended and Dusty Rhodes himself held for a brief moment before it was yanked from his hands. Cody wondered if finishing his story would mean taking everything from Roman Reigns.
The American Nightmare then said that he wants to take that title from Roman Reigns, but it won’t be at WrestleMania. He said that he’s been seeking council, and it was with someone who knows him very well.
That is when The Rock’s music hit, and The Great One came out to a huge pop in Birmingham, Alabama. The Rock and Cody hugged, and then Rhodes left.
The Rock and Roman Reigns just stood in the ring for a moment, as fans soaked in the scene. Fans chanted “this is awesome” and “holy sh*t” as Rock and Roman approached each other in the ring. The show ended with a silent stare-down without another word being said.
WWE’s Previous Creative Plan For The Rock at WrestleMania
I exclusively reported WWE’s current situation with The Rock vs Roman Reigns. While some were saying that the match may be moved to Saudi Arabia, that is not the case. Those plans were kept very close to the vest. Now, it appears that the match is going to take place at the show of shows this year, and fans will not have to wait.
Earlier in the night, Bayley made her big WrestleMania decision. She will take on IYO Sky, which was a move that caused Asuka and Kairi Sane to jump her from behind. Now, Bayley is without Damage CTRL, but she’s got a Mania main event in her future.
SE Scoops will have complete coverage of the road to WrestleMania. The show will go down on April 6th and April 7th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s Lincoln Financial Field.
Could WrestleMania 40 go off the air with Cody Rhodes holding both the World Heavyweight Championship and the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship?
While it’s known that Cody will challenge for a World Championship at WrestleMania 40, there has been plenty of speculation as to which champion he’ll face. Ever since his loss at WrestleMania 39, it was expected that Cody would face Roman Reigns this year and get his win back, ending the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion’s historic run in the process. When The Rock returned during the Day 1 Raw, he teased coming for Reigns’ spot as Head of the Table.
While it’s expected that Rhodes could challenge for one championship in Philadelphia, the American Nightmare wouldn’t say no to leaving with both titles. When a fan on Twitter suggested a ‘Winner Takes All’ stipulation featuring Reigns, Rollins, and Rhodes, Cody made it clear he was interested in the idea.
Logan Paul walked into Tropicana Field for the 2024 Royal Rumble event, and he left as the US Champion. That win came via DQ when Kevin Owens was caught using brass knuckles that were Paul’s to use. The two also had quite a high bar set for them with the Undisputed Universal Title match that came before their battle.
Paul Heyman’s Motivation For Logan Paul
Paul Heyman is more than just The Bloodline’s Wise Man. He is also brimming with useful knowledge and wisdom to impart on anyone he wishes to backstage. It turns out that he had quite the motivation for Logan Paul at the Royal Rumble event.
Logan Paul and Kevin Owens’ United States Title match came after Reigns was able to retain the Undisputed Universal against LA Knight, AJ Styles and Randy Orton in a fatal four-way match. In the end, the Tribal Chief stood tall as he carries on toward WrestleMania 40.
During his Impaulsive podcast, Logan revealed that Paul Heyman had some great words for him just before his US Title match. It seems that The Maverick was backstage, waiting for his match, when Heyman reminded him who just performed on the show.
The match was difficult. We were after the Women’s Royal Rumble and the fatal four-way with Roman Reigns, where he also retained his championship. And Paul Heyman, after the match, he comes out, everyone has their chest puffed out, they knew they just blew the f*cking roof off with Roman.
Paul Heyman goes, ‘come here, son,’ and he motions me over. I go over and I’m like, ‘What’s up Paul?’ He goes, ‘you want some motivation?’ I go, ‘absolutely!’ He goes, ‘follow that, motherf*cker.’
Logan Paul has re-signed with WWE, extending their incredible profitable and successful relationship. This partnership has also seen WWE get some great exposure with Paul’s massive fan base.
Paul may pull off some publicity nabbing antics, like trading his US Title belt for a Super Bowl ring, but he is all about WWE. It also appears that he will be walking into WrestleMania 40 as United States Champion.
I was told in November last year that “the internal feeling about Logan Paul is that he’s already generated great publicity for the US Title.”
Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania will host WrestleMania 40 on April 6 and 7, 2024. The show of shows promises to be an amazing experience for WWE fans, with The Weeknd pulling a 5-pete, but the card needed to change.
WWE’s WrestleMania Booking Issues
WWE saw a few issues that they needed to address when it came to their WrestleMania lineup. Two big matches needed to change due to completely different reasons. Now we are in a waiting game before we know what is really planned for the showcase of the immortals this year.
Brock Lesnar was taken out of the WrestleMania equation after his name was associated with the damning lawsuit that Janel Grant filed against Vince McMahon. Those heinous allegations involving Lesnar claimed that a sexual play date with the victim was a part of his contract renewal. It was also alleged that the Beast Incarnate wanted a video of her urinating, so his dream match against GUNTHER at Mania isn’t taking place.
CM Punk, on the other hand, is injured. His planned match against Seth Rollins isn’t going down at WrestleMania now. So, WWE needs to figure out a new direction for the top of the Mania card this year, with Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns remaining unaffected.
WWE’s Current WrestleMania Lineup Plans (Exclusive)
A tenured member of the WWE team told me that Triple H and a number of people, including Bruce Prichard, lead writers, and some high level associates, met at the Royal Rumble to discuss WrestleMania. They also spoke about this on a conference call Sunday, and the lineup has been determined.
I was told, as of last night, that the updated WrestleMania lineup has not distributed to talent or the rest of the creative team yet. Any report saying that there are “card variations” of the lineup is incorrect.
It was reiterated with me that the WWE creative team has not been informed of the re-shuffled Mania lineup yet. They will be informed of that later this week.
Triple H, Bruce Prichard, lead writers, and some high level #WWE associates met at the #RoyalRumble and also on a conference call Sunday to discuss #WrestleMania.
I've been told that the lineup has been determined.
The final word has "Just not distributed to talent or the…
As I previously reported, Bron Breakker did get a main roster call-up with his Royal Rumble appearance. He filled in for Brock Lesnar in the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble match, but he isn’t getting the matches that WWE had planned for Lesnar at this time.
The only people who really know what is happening with Rock are the people at the very top of the company, and they are all playing it very close to the vest.
I was told that any plan for The Rock is being kept “very close to the vest,” so, the only people who really know what is going on are kept to a very close circle.
Roman Reigns’ historic journey as WWE Undisputed Universal Champion is still going. The book is not closed on a possible match against The Rock this year, and many eyes are on the Tribal Chief. Hulk Hogan is one man who certainly paid attention.
Hulk Hogan’s High Praise For Roman Reigns
Hulk Hogan praises Roman Reigns, acknowledging Reigns’ significant impact on the pro wrestling business. According to Hogan, Reigns’ success could have been substantial in any era of WWE’s history.
Currently holding the Undisputed WWE Universal title, Roman Reigns has an impressive reign spanning over 1,240 days. This extended tenure as a champion is a rare occurrence in recent years. Reigns has the opportunity to further etch his name in history by surpassing Hulk Hogan’s longest reign, which lasted for 1,474 days.
While speaking with Sports Illustrated, Hulk Hogan praised Roman Reigns a huge way. He said that the Tribal Chief would have been able to paint masterpieces in the ring, no matter what year it is.
“It takes a really long time to be able to transition and pivot on a dime the way he does. That’s how he paints masterpieces you’ve never seen before. He’s working on a whole different level.”
Sika Anoa’i, Reigns’ father, taught him the fundamentals of the business, which is evident in his matches. Hogan pointed out Reigns’ ability to evoke emotions, make the crowd angry, and keep them engaged in anticipation of a comeback. According to Hogan, Reigns learned these techniques in an old-school fashion from his father but has successfully adapted to the modern era. Hogan expressed his belief that Reigns is versatile and can adjust to any opponent, emphasizing his remarkable skills.
“Roman’s dad, Sika, he explained the ABCs of it all to him. Watch his matches and you can tell. You can see it in the way Roman creates emotion, understands how to make the crowd mad, and how he puts people on the edge of their seat calling for that comeback. Roman Reigns learned this all old-school from his dad, but he adapted to the newer era, too. He can do it all. Roman is adaptable to whoever he is wrestling. That’s important. At any moment in time, he can switch gears on you. He’s amazing, and he’d fit in any era.”
What’s Next
Roman Reigns was able to defend his Undisputed Universal Title at the Royal Rumble. He beat LA Knight, Randy Orton and AJ Styles in a fatal four-way match. Now, it appears that he will have to deal with Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40, where the American Nightmare will have a chance to finish his story.
The 2024 Royal Rumble event brought fans to their feet in Tropicana Field, and it was an exciting night for those watching at home as well. The night, as expected, was full of shocking moments, but few could guess everything Triple H had in store.
While some fans were expecting The Rock, that didn’t come to pass. That being said, a confrontation against Roman Reigns is still in the cards.
The American Nightmare secured his second consecutive Rumble match victory and immediately directed attention towards Roman Reigns, hinting at a strong possibility for the WrestleMania main event. Reigns raised his title high in response to Cody Rhodes, so it appears that the match is on for Mania.
According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the anticipated showdown between The Rock and Roman Reigns is still in the works, but there is no precise confirmation regarding its timeline.
“The Roman and Dwayne match is still happening. I just don’t know where and Bryan you probably know where because you probably know discussions I may know too and I can’t talk about them but anyways the point is, it’s still happening.”
Roman Reigns is confirmed for WrestleMania, and the main event match has remained unchanged since the decision was made in early September. Notably, Roman Reigns’ WrestleMania 40 match was determined well before that, and The Rock was not involved in the creative discussions this time.
I can exclusively confirm that a triple threat match for Roman’s title at WrestleMania is not under consideration. The creative team received this information last week.
Following Cody Rhodes’ victory at the 2024 Royal Rumble, it appears WWE is moving forward with their original plans. The absence of The Rock at Tropicana Field for the Royal Rumble is noteworthy, as Cody vs Roman is the match now as we hit the road to WrestleMania.
What’s Next
Cody Rhodes will get a chance to finish his story at WrestleMania, but it’s anyone’s guess how the booking will turn out when everything is said and done. Cody has been the decided Royal Rumble winner for a while, and January 27th’s big event in Tropicana Field saw him take a big step in that direction.
As I previously noted here on SE Scoops, WWE has options when it comes to The Rock vs Roman Reigns. We will have constant updates as more information is made available.
Roman Reigns Vs. The Rock has yet to be made official behind the scenes by WWE, but the Brahma Bull is focused on making the match a reality.
The Brahma Bull returned to WWE on the Day 1 episode of Raw and teased coming for Reigns’ spot as the Head of the Table. A match between the pair has been teased for years and was at one point locked in for WrestleMania 39.
The Rock & WrestleMania 40
A potential Reigns-Rock match will come as bad news to fans of Cody Rhodes, who until the Day 1 edition of Raw, seemed poised to face the Tribal Chief at WrestleMania 40. In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that despite the anticipation of a match between the two, The Rock has yet to sign a deal confirming his involvement with WrestleMania.
Former Bloodline member Jey Uso has nothing but high praise for his cousin and the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
‘The Trible Chief’ has become one of the most recognizable and unstoppable characters in WWE history. His journey to superstardom dates back to his early days at Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), which was then WWE’s developmental territory. It was there that Reigns developed his skills and started laying the groundwork for his future success.
His history-making WWE Universal Championship reign for 1,243 days and counting remains to be one of the greatest chapters in WWE and Reigns has established himself as the ‘Tribal Chief.’
He has demonstrated unmatched skills in the ring and has become the face of WWE SmackDown brand. His phenomenal development as a performer and a character highlights his commitment to the business which cements his place among the greatest of all time in the WWE.
Jey Uso lauds Roman Reigns’ meteoric rise
Just like any other WWE fan, Jey Uso is also thrilled about the idea of Roman Reigns vs. The Rock. Regarding the dream match potentially materializing as soon as this year’s WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia, Jey is excited while highlighting how far Reigns has come.
During a recent interview with Chamatkar Sandhu of TNT Sports, “Main Event” Jey Uso said:
“Yeah, I’m so excited because, like I said, people want to see that match, and it’s a big W for my family still,” Jey stated. “Like that makes me joyful. It’s breathtaking. I look at my cousin now, Roman, and I’m just happy on how far he’s come. From the day he walked into FCW, developmental, which I was there, to present. Inspiring, man.
“He’s the blueprint of what hard work does and you can never knock that. He has great work ethic. He deserves all the time off that he has, he earned it. But I really fell like The Rock is stepping back into a place where he don’t know what’s gonna hit him, let alone The Great One. We The Ones, or we used to be The Ones, but that’s The Great One.”
Roman Reigns will defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against LA Knight, Randy Orton and AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble Premium Live Event on Saturday, January 27.
Raw Superstar Cody Rhodes remains focused on finishing his story, but the American Nightmare’s path to realizing his wrestling destiny remains unclear.
Nothing is guaranteed in wrestling and there are several other people vying for the position Rhodes and his fans may expect belongs to him.
The Rock Enters The Picture
The Rock is a prime candidate to spoil hopes for WrestleMania 40 to be the stage for Cody’s crowning moment.
On Tuesday, veteran journalist Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated dropped a bombshell report that sources of his close to Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque told him that Cody Rhodes is NOT currently factored in as Roman Reigns’ opponent at WrestleMania.
Barrasso believes it will instead be The Great One battling the Head of the Table.
After joining TKO Group’s board of directors, The Rock confirmed the door is open for him to compete again.
Cody Rhodes Doubts The Rock Will Interrupt His Story
In a new interview with Bleacher Report‘s Mike Chiari, Rhodes says he plans on outlasting 29 other Superstars to become only the fourth man in history to win the Royal Rumble match twice.
Rhodes remains confident about the big picture, but admits anything can happen. Here’s what he said (transcribed by Mike Chiari)
“You mentioned ‘The Great One’ The Rock.. nothing but respect for him. I went and saw Jungle Cruise. I’m a Rock fan.”
Rhodes continued, “I don’t think he’s the type that would come in and meddle with a story that’s been being told over the past two years. I think he’s probably up to something else, but you never know with WWE. I’ll be watching just like everybody else when I’m not wrestling.”
Rhodes’ comments could be a show of confidence or trying to cope with what may be happening. For now, WWE fans must let it play out and see how this ‘story’ ends.
WWE’s Royal Rumble event is going down this Saturday, and the pro wrestling world can’t wait to see who is pointing at the WrestleMania sign by the end of the night. WARNING: This article may contain spoilers, and a bit of disappointment for the Nightmare Family.
WWE’s Plan For Roman Reigns’ WrestleMania Main Event
Many fans were shocked when Cody Rhodes failed to topple Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39, but there’s always next year, or is there? It appears that WWE has shifted things a bit, and Cody will keep telling his story without finishing it.
After Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson returned during the Day 1 RAW episode on January 1st, the entire landscape for the grandest stage of them all changed. Where it was previously thought that Cody vs Roman is going to happen again, and the American Nightmare could finish his story, there has reportedly been a change of plans.
WWE’s WrestleMania Plan For Cody Rhodes
I exclusively reported here at SE Scoops that a triple threat match for Cody vs Roman vs Rock is not happening. The WWE creative team was informed that point-blank last week. A new report is now removing Rhodes from the picture completely, because there is a new story to start for him.
Sports Illustrated‘s Justin Barrasso reports that multiple sources have told him that Cody Rhodes will not finish his story at WrestleMania 40, and the main event match is not his. Instead, Rhodes will face CM Punk at Mania in a match that will also likely not give Punk what he wants, which is a legit WrestleMania main event.
Multiple sources close to WWE Head of Creative Paul “Triple H” Levesque have indicated that Rhodes will not headline this year’s event, nor will he “finish his story” at WrestleMania. But there is still a new chapter to write with a marquee matchup to be had… against CM Punk.
I exclusively reported here at SE Scoops that WWE was still planning a match for Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40 despite his MCL injury. I was also told that, as of last night, WWE is still hopeful that Rollins will compete at Mania. “Rollins is still on for Mania at this moment,” was the exact wording given to me.
Exclusive Insight On WWE’s Plans
I was told in September that the winner for the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble match was in place, but nothing is set in stone with WWE until the final plans are made. Then, I asked again in December after CM Punk returned and declared his Rumble entry, and I was told once again that the plans for the winner have not changed. It was also confirmed to me that Roman Reigns’ WrestleMania match hadn’t changed either.
I asked again last week whether plans for the Royal Rumble match were changed, because a lot of things went down from December to late January, including The Rock’s return. This time, I received a different answer that to fulfill my query request would be to indicate a spoiler.
Triple H only gets one go at booking his first road to WrestleMania without Vince McMahon’s controlling input. By all appearances, it will be an epic trip to the showcase of the immortals this year. Stay tuned, because January 27th will likely be a very big day for the Royal Rumble in Tropicana Field.
Will The Rock lace up his boots and compete against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 this April? There’s a chance…
The Brahma Bull returned to WWE on the Day 1 episode of Raw and teased coming for Reigns’ spot as the Head of the Table. A match between the pair has been teased for years and was at one point locked in for WrestleMania 39.
There’s A Chance
With The Rock’s tease on Raw, many are expecting the long-awaited showdown between himself and Reigns to take place at WrestleMania 40. During an appearance on Hot Take, The Rock, fresh off his appointment to TKO’s Board of Directors, was asked about the possibility of headlining WWE’s grandest stage against the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
“I’m a long-gamer and I like to build. Something like this, what this is [is potentially huge.] If… if myself and Roman Reigns were to main event WrestleMania, and I mean this very respectfully of all the WrestleManias prior, because I grew up in this business and I love it, we could possibly put on, with us as the main event and this incredible group of men and women who are these incredible performers, we could possibly put on the greatest and the biggest WrestleMania of all time.”
When a host sought to confirm if The Rock was saying there was a chance he would wrestle, the Brahma Bull didn’t reject the notion.
“There’s a chance… I love this business, I love pro wrestling, I love WWE. But I also have this deep passion to grow it and to build it. And if we’re going to do something like this, I want the world to watch.”
The Rock has his sights set on Roman Reigns, but the Head of the Table isn’t sweating his cousin…
For the use of quotes, please give an H/T to SE Scoops.
WWE is officially on the “Road to WrestleMania,” and fans wonder if Cody Rhodes will finish his “Story.” Although he is experiencing success in his second stint with the company and is the new cover star for WWE 2K24, Rhodes is still looking to become a WWE Champion.
“WrestleMania 39, I don’t want to say I shrunk under the lights, but it hit me harder than it hit Roman Reigns,” said Rhodes. He continued, “Roman has been in those main events before. If anything, it motivated me further. It’s not just about being in the main event. It’s not about being happy to make the walk. You have to win.”
As he prepares for the WWE Royal Rumble on January 27, “The American Nightmare” has imposed a unique ultimatum upon himself.
Cody Rhodes Doesn’t Want To Be On The Next WWE 2K Cover If He Doesn’t Finish His Story
Although he is happy to be the WWE 2K24 cover star, he doesn’t believe he should be in that position if he doesn’t win the WWE Championship this year. He also joked about not being in next year’s game if he doesn’t accomplish his goal.
“If I haven’t finished the story by WWE 2K25, don’t bring me back for the commercial,” said Rhodes. “Don’t put me on the cover, don’t put me anywhere near it. I won’t deserve it. But it’s fun that this is happening in real-time, and we all get to experience it together.”
“The American Nightmare” is staying positive and highly motivated to bring the WWE Championship to the Rhodes Family. However, he will have 29 other superstars standing in his way at the WWE Royal Rumble. There is also the rumor that the company could be looking to have The Rock challenge Roman Reigns at WWE WrestleMania 40 in April.
Regardless, Rhodes has pressured himself to finish his “Story” before the next WWE 2K game.
Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes was the plan for the Undisputed Universal Title match at WrestleMania 40. That would have seen Rhodes return a year after his Mania 39 loss to face Reigns again. After The Rock returned to the picture, that brought a big possible change.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted that, “Reigns’ opponent is expected to be either The Rock or Rhodes, or it could be a three-way.”
Roman Reigns’ Match (Exclusive)
While we cannot provide any information about WWE’s final decision for Reigns’ WrestleMania main event match, we can confirm that one of those three options is off the table. A triple threat match is not going to be how they resolve this issue.
A tenured member of the WWE creative team confirmed to me that there will be, “No Triple Threat for Mania.” I was told that the creative team was informed of that last week.
At this time, I am told that The Rock, Roman Reigns, and Cody Rhodes’ WrestleMania situation “is being held tight at the highest levels.”
History of The Rock vs Roman Reigns at WrestleMania
The Rock vs Roman Reigns was pencilled in for WrestleMania 37 at SoFi Stadium, but then that event was moved to Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, because WrestleMania 36 went down in front of zero fans. The pandemic caused Tampa to lose Mania 36, but WWE’s dedication to Florida brought them back for a show of shows in front of live fans the next year.
The big cousin vs cousin main event was then tabled after I was told The Rock was a “virtual lock.”
The Rock later confirmed on the Pat McAfee Show that he was very close to having that match against Roman on the grandest stage of them all, but things changed.
“The Rock headlining WrestleMania with Roman Reigns, SoFi Stadium, that was locked. We were doing it. But let me just tell you, so about the beginning of 2022, Nick Khan, very good friend, he’s the man, he was very instrumental in bringing Vince and I together. We all flew to LA, we met, we sat. This was the beginning of 2022. We broke out the Teremana, we toasted life, we toasted the business we love, and about an hour later, we started talking about the potential of what this match could be between myself and Roman Reigns headlining WrestleMania at SoFi.”
The Royal Rumble event on January 27th will likely answer more than a few questions about what WWE is planning for WrestleMania 40. Don’t count on a triple threat match, but the Tribal Chief is practically guaranteed to have a big match at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns has continued to etch his name in history by surpassing the legendary Bruno Sammartino’s second WWWF title reign.
Reigns has dominated WWE since capturing the Universal Championship at Payback 2020, in a match that saw him defeat Braun Strowman and the late Bray Wyatt. This week, Reigns’ tenure as champion reached 1,238 days with the Universal title. In doing so, the Head of the Table surpassed Bruno’s second reign with the WWWF title. The WWE Hall of Famer’s second reign saw him hold the gold from December 10, 1973, to April 30, 1977.
The Longest Reigning Champion Ever?
By surpassing Bruno’s second World title reign, Reigns now boasts the fourth-longest WWE World Championship reign in the history of the company. Currently, the only reigns ahead of Reigns belong to Hulk Hogan, Bob Backlund and Bruno Sammartino’s first WWWF title reign.
For Roman to overtake Hogan’s first World title reign, he’ll need to hold the gold until September 12, 2024. To overtake Backlund’s first reign, he will need to remain champion until Sunday, July 5, 2026. Finally, to best Sammartino’s first reign and become the longest-reigning champion in WWE history, Roman Reigns will need to keep the gold until Wednesday, May 3, 2028.
The richest prize in WWE could be decided in a triple-threat at WrestleMania 40, featuring some of the biggest stars of the company’s past and present.
WWE WrestleMania 40 will take place on April 6, and April 7, marking the fourth two-night event in the show’s history. For Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, it will mark his fourth WrestleMania in a row during the same title reign (should he retain at next week’s Royal Rumble). Reigns captured the title at Payback 2020 and his WrestleMania defense has seen him best Edge & Daniel Bryan (in 2021), Brock Lesnar (in 2022), and Cody Rhodes last year.
Two Worthy Contenders
Up until recently, it seemed destined that Rhodes would challenge (and dethrone) Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40, finishing his story in the process. Many have speculated that Rhodes’ heartbreaking loss at WrestleMania 39 happened so that his big moment (and the end of Reigns’ historic Undisputed WWE Universal Championship reign) would happen on the 40th-anniversary milestone.
While we don’t know who Roman Reigns will face at WrestleMania, it will be either The Rock or Cody Rhodes, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports. WWE have yet to make up their mind about the match. The report adds that WWE is also considering a triple threat between the three men.
Rhodes will enter the Men’s Royal Rumble match next week, a bout he won in 2023. The same show will see Reigns defend the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against LA Knight, AJ Styles, and Randy Orton. Despite rumors of The Rock appearing at next month’s Elimination Chamber: Perthy event, the Great One is not scheduled for the Australian PLE.
Samoa Joe is known to be a hard-hitter, but the AEW World Champion named three other names who pack their own special kind of power. However, none of them hit as hard as he does.
The champ was asked about who he would name as the hardest hitters in wrestling. Joe named two Japanese legends before naming three modern talents that devastate with their own power.
“The list is a Mount Rushmore of some of the most dangerous people in the world,” he said. “You start from [Kenta] Kobashi and [Mitsuharu] Misawa. Young Wardlow. He hits like a truck. Brock Lesnar hits like a truck. Roman Reigns hits like a truck.”
There’s tons of people around the sphere of wrestling who all hit hard, and I’ve felt all that power, but they don’t hit as hard as me.”
Reigns and Lesnar have had their fair share of championships, but the AEW World Title is the first World Championship Joe has held since his TNA days.
Roman Reigns is famous for a lot of things at this point, including his incredibly light schedule. The Tribal Chief only wrestled 11 times in 2023, and he remained Undisputed Universal Champion the whole time. This year will see even more breaks for the former Shield member.
Roman Reigns only working major shows
Roman Reigns has worked a greatly reduced schedule since re-signing with WWE around WrestleMania 38 in 2022. His limited dates and infrequent title defenses led to the unification of the WWE and Universal Championships and the eventual creation of the Raw brand’s World Heavyweight championship held by inaugural champion Seth Rollins.
Despite the company expanding its reach to international markets for these premium live events, there’s no indication of a shift in Reigns’ participation. He is not advertised for the Elimination Chamber in Australia or Backlash France scheduled for May 4th, 2024.
While speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said that Reigns is currently slated for appearances only at the Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, the next Saudi Arabia show, and SummerSlam.
“Roman Reigns is not on the Australia show (Elimination Chamber). He’s not on the Paris show (Backlash) either, by the way, for fans over there. He’s gonna be wrestling at the Royal Rumble, and then his next big match, I don’t know…he could do a TV match, but he’s gonna wrestle at the Royal Rumble, and then his next match is gonna be his WrestleMania match. And after that, I would presume it’s gonna be Saudi and SummerSlam.”
Reigns is set to defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Title against Randy Orton, LA Knight, and AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble. He will also work WrestleMania, but there are a lot of questions about his opponent for the showcase of the immortals.
The Rock’s WWE Return & Roman Reigns
The Rock’s recent return to WWE at Day 1 on January 1st sent shockwaves throughout the fan base. His mention of the Head of the Table also raised a lot of questions.
Cody Rhodes has already spoken out about the possibility of losing his WrestleMania main event match to The Rock. He doesn’t seem to be too concerned about not being able to finish his story at this time.
Roman Reigns’ infrequent appearances will likely continue throughout 2024, as he is booked as a special attraction. He might miss some big events, but he will still be the Head of the Table until someone dethrones him.
It’s been years since Maven Huffman competed in a WWE ring, but the Tough Enough winner will never forget being leveled by Batista. In the latest video from his YouTube channel, Maven recalled the Batista Bomb as one of the most painful finishers to take.
“It was one of those moves I felt in general, this was a move I took many times from him, and he always delivered safe. When you’re dealing with gravity, and then on top of that, dealing with gravity, and the force from an extremely strong guy, I’ve had funner nights.”
Update on WWE-AEW Lawsuit
Anthony Duane Wilson has filed a new lawsuit against WWE and AEW, which is similar to his past attempts at litigation against both companies. Wilson claims that the idea for AEW was essentially stolen from him by the Bullet Club. He has also accused WWE of stealing his ideas. He is seeking $250 million in damages and control over AEW.
WWE has a loaded schedule of events for 2024, but Roman Reigns is still enjoying a part-time schedule. That means he doesn’t have to make certain trips, and the company’s journey to Australia is one that he will get to skip.
Debunking WWE Elimination Chamber Rumor
The Rock shocked pro wrestling fans on January 1st when he returned to WWE television. After Dwayne Johnson shut down Jinder Mahal, he then threw a direct reference to Roman Reigns’ “Head of the Table” moniker. Although The Rock’s may return for another match, it will not happen at Elimination Chamber.
The 2024 Elimination Chamber is set to take place at Optus Stadium in Burswood, Perth, Western Australia, on February 24, 2024. Despite the event’s magnitude, a significant rumored match won’t be part of the lineup.
Speculation arose about The Rock returning to wrestle at Elimination Chamber in Australia, fueled by his unexpected appearance at Day 1. It turns out that Roman vs Rock isn’t going to happen in February, because the Tribal Chief isn’t even booked for the show.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter clarified that The Rock vs. Roman Reigns is not scheduled for the Elimination Chamber match in Australia. The idea that WWE may do something with Rock at WrestleMania is still not dead.
Regarding the Reigns vs. Rock match, while I presume it’s WrestleMania (and could possibly be a three-way with Rhodes but I don’t think that will come out until many weeks from now), what we did have confirmed is the Australia rumors aren’t accurate. Reigns is not even scheduled for the show. He’s never been advertised and there are no plans for him for that date right now
WWE’s Possible Plan for The Rock & Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns made it through 2023 by only wrestling 11 matches. That was a huge drop from the 52 matches he worked in for 2022.
Roman Reigns is slated to defend the Undisputed Universal Title against Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and LA Knight in a fatal four-way match at the Royal Rumble on January 27th. It might not be too much to expect that The Rock may appear at Tropicana Field if a WrestleMania main event match is in his future.
WWE had an original plan for Roman Reigns at Royal Rumble, but Chief Content Officer Triple H decided to call an audible.
Royal Rumble will naturally be featuring the two 30-person matches as its cornerstone bouts, but Roman Reigns will have his table full to kick off the road to WrestleManai. Reigns will be putting his WWE Undisputed Universal Championship on the line against AJ Styles, LA Knight and The Apex Predator, Randy Orton.
From a television and speculation perspective, the overall thought was that it would be Randy Orton facing Roman Reigns one-on-one for the gold, but that clearly wasn’t the direction taken.
According to Dave Meltzer on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, the original plan was indeed Orton vs. Reigns, but there were certain parties within WWE that felt that The Viper shouldn’t be taking a loss so soon after making a major return.
By adding AJ Styles and LA Knight to the equation, WWE has more latitude for Reigns to keep his historic championship reign in tact without Randy Orton having to take a pin or submission, even under dubious circumstances. Everybody knows there’s money in in Roman Reigns vs. Randy Orton and the company isn’t playing that card just yet.
If one were to put money on who would take the pinfall on Royal Rumble Saturday, the safe bet may likely be AJ Styles considering that LA Knight already took a pinfall loss to Roman at Crown Jewel. Styles just made a return back to the company as well, but Meltzer stated he believes AJ Styles would make the most since to take a loss.
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns is far from thrilled after his efforts to prevent a challenger for his title backfired immensely on SmackDown.
The January 5, edition of the blue brand was the ‘New Year’s Revolution’ episode of SmackDown and concluded WWE’s stacked first week of programming in 2024. In the main event, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and LA Knight competed with the winner earning an Undisputed WWE Universal Championship opportunity.
Roman Reigns Reacts
Before the match could reach a decisive finish, Roman Reigns and The Bloodline interfered and attacked all three potential challengers. Unhappy with this, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis informed Paul Heyman that Reigns would defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at the Royal Rumble in a fatal four-way match.
Backstage, Heyman was given the daunting task of informing Reigns about the upcoming title match. The Special Counsel was clearly terrified when telling Reigns of what Aldis had told them. Reigns was infuriated but refrained from shouting and simply demanded that Heyman “fix this.”
This match will be the first time in over two years that Reigns has not defended his title in a singles contest. Reigns’ most recent match which saw multiple challengers was at WrestleMania 37 where the Tribal Chief bested Edge and Daniel Bryan. This will be Reigns’ first time defending his title in a fatal four-way match.
WWE Royal Rumble 2024
Reigns’ fatal four-way match will be part of a stacked event on January 27. The show will also feature the two titular Rumble matches. So far, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Bobby Lashley have been announced for the Men’s Match. Bayley, Nia Jax, Becky Lynch, and Bianca Belair have been announced for the Women’s Match. U.S. Champion Logan Paul will defend against Kevin Owens at the event.
What happened after the New Year’s Revolution edition of SmackDown went off the air? Click here to find out.
With the tease on this week’s Raw, many have predicted that The Rock Vs. Roman Reigns will at long last take place at this year’s WrestleMania. This has come as bad news to fans of Cody Rhodes who hope that his story will be finished this April with a victory over Reigns, something Rhodes failed to do at WrestleMania 39.
In the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it is made clear that everyone in WWE is “tight-lipped” about the possible Rock-Roman showdown. Dave Meltzer noted that the match could happen as soon as WWE Elimination Chamber: Perth. The local government has reportedly requested the Brahma Bull for the February 24 event.
There’s also the possibility that the match could happen at one of WWE’s high-profile events in Saudi Arabia. While no dates have been announced, two Saudi events are expected this year. Meltzer noted that the Saudi government pays “ridiculous money” to have high-profile shows. It was added that bringing The Rock in “could possibly negotiate a bonus that would make it the biggest money event in company history.”
WWE has spent a long time planting the seeds of the much-rumored showdown between Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and The Rock.
The Brahma Bull returned to WWE programming during this week’s Day 1 edition of Monday Night Raw to an eclectic response from the crowd. WWE had been teasing the return of a former WWE Champion in the days before the show, which at first appeared to be Jinder Mahal. The Modern-Day Maharaja ran down the United States before the return of The Rock who laid out Mahal with a Spinebuster and his People’s Elbow.
WWE Teasing The Rock Vs. Roman Reigns
It wasn’t just Mahal who The Rock had his eyes on during the Day 1 edition of Monday Night Raw. During his promo, the Great One also asked the fans if they’d like to see him as Head of the Table, alluding to taking the spot held by Roman Reigns. Reigns had quite the reaction to his cousin’s threat on social media.
The Rock Vs. Roman Reigns has been a dream match for fans for years and it is something that WWE has been working on for just as long. On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that Reigns being christened ‘The Tribal Chief’ in 2020 was setting up a showdown with the Brahma Bull.
“That whole thing, ‘The Head of the Table’ and all that, and ‘Tribal Chief,’ was all done originally to build up the Roman Reigns-Rock match.”
