WWE is firmly headed down its Road to WrestleMania 40, however, what appeared to be a relatively straight path has recently taken an unexpected turn. All things pointed toward a rematch between Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes as the headliner, especially when the latter won the Royal Rumble match for the second straight year. But the return of The Rock on the 2nd February edition of Friday Night SmackDown threw an almighty spanner in the works of the American Nightmare and his mission to finish the story.
Why Are Fans Up in Arms?
Heading into the January 27th Rumble match, online bookmakers looked to cash in on the popularity of the yearly spectacle by offering free bets and free spins in the casino to new customers. Paddy Power in particular looked to attract punters with 50 free spins without a deposit, as well as by offering plenty of value on Rhodes winning the 30-man over-the-top-rope extravaganza, pricing him as a 6/1 outsider. But the American Nightmare defied the odds and looked set to be on a collision course with the Tribal Chief.
WWE then unexpectedly pulled the swerve. Initially, the return of the Great One blew the roof off the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama. But when the dust settled, fans were outraged that their anointed hero was being axed from the main event of WrestleMania in favour of a clash between two real-life cousins in Rock and Reigns. They took their anger to X, formerly known as Twitter, and made #WeWantCody the top trend on the platform for over 72 hours straight.
It looks as though WWE has taken note of the fan backlash, but it remains unclear as to which direction they will take at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on April 7th and 8th. Will Rhodes challenge Reigns just as he did in a losing effort at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles last year, or will he be pushed aside in favour of The Rock? Or, will this potential approach appease everyone?
Implement The Rock As An Enforcer Rather Than Have Him Compete
The best way to have The Rock feature in the main event, which is clearly what WWE desperately want more than anything, is to have him in an enforcer type of role, rather than challenging for the title. The biggest professional wrestling company on the planet has done this before, most notably when Mike Tyson, who was still very relevant in the heavyweight boxing scene, acted as an enforcer in the WrestleMania XV main event between WWF Champion Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin back in 1999.
Taking such a route will appease everybody. The Rock will be featured front and centre, justifying the $30m he has recently been paid by WWE’s parent company TKO Holdings. Cody Rhodes will have the chance to finally finish his story. And Roman Reigns, well, his spot was never in doubt. The Head of the Table is the company’s biggest star by a country mile and he will walk his way into the main event at the Linc as the reigning champion, but the reign may well come to an end at a whopping 1,317 days.
