Cody Rhodes LIED TO About WWE WrestleMania 40 Plans? | The Rock “100%” Wrestling Roman Reigns

[@newfiesig]

They managed to bury both world belts and the purpose of the RR all inside of 5 days. That's impressive.

[@m_affan_q]

Those CM Punk and John Cena promos from 2011-13 about the Rock been getting a lot of attention lately😭

[@rycerzgaming1363]

Everything they said about him seems to be true so far.

[@ChrisTomson]

Who’d have thought that the biggest Triple H/Rock rivalry could potentially happen as executives

[@s1lic0necutie]

philly is gonna eat that match alive if codys not apart of it. i got a slight feeling that its gonna be an even worse reception than reigns vs triple h at 32

[@darthnowlan]

Be worse then the reaction to Lesner and Goldberg's first match against each other.

[@barbarianbear7633]

I was thinking the same thing

[@Underhownd]

Boy I wouldn't want to be in that production truck trying to mute all those chants.

[@arnellsmith]

2024 is the absolute worst year to bring some bs into the city of Philly😭 that embarrassing playoff loss by the Eagles, Joel Embiid robbed of a MVP due to injury. That city is going to let out straight rage💀

[@michaelpeacock4228]

It will likely be akin to the 1995 KOTR for Philly heat.

[@gLobbZ]

Lol "Rocky Sucks" threw people off? They really thought it was just gonna go over without a hitch huh

[@Danny71891]

He’s completely out of touch with the wrestling fan base. And judging by the box office results of Black Adam, his ‘team’ is out of touch with the comic book movie fan base, too.

[@malikamadou3433]

Do you honestly believe they weren't expecting that reaction? FFS Michael Cole even had his "Is this 1996?" quip already in the chamber. Y'all are getting worked lol.

[@Lastrit_JME]

@@malikamadou3433WWE is playing you the same way they tried to play people on Daniel Bryan. They made a bad call, are scrambling to fix it, and will forever pretend like their nee plan was the plan all along

[@malikamadou3433]

@ZxxLastritxxZ Except Rock vs Roman was always the plan & there's no indication that that's changing.

[@nebulous798]

@@malikamadou3433 Cole has been in the company since 1997, lol. He was there for the rise of the Rock, if you think he needed that line prepared beforehand you are a dummy, yeah!

[@Arran05]

If the Rock didn't have such a massive ego then they could easily turn him heel and have a triple threat with the 3 sides of this whole story, Roman represents the tribe, The Rock represents the corporate side of things and Cody represents the people.

[@Bass_pistol]

absolutely. He could even be a temporary heel and turn back during the match to help Cody get the win and take the head of the table role from Reigns.

[@PeriyanayagamSathish]

Guys he is not batista😂 he is rock, what batista did for Bryan is very professional ,no ego in there! He literally tapout to a man half his size!! U fans all made that happened, please do the same thing now!!

[@PeriyanayagamSathish]

Undertaker is WrestleMania, mostly everyone appreciate that, he never forced himself to mainevent of WrestleMania right! He helped roman, wyatt etc , even his body is not taking any much more , rock is nothing compared to Undertaker's professionalism! That's y everyone respect him!

[@PeriyanayagamSathish]

I stopped watching wwe after taker lost to lesnar , I just start watching wwe after Cody returns, now it's hurting me more, I am from india, I don't know anything about American culture, even I can feel the Cody story ,bcse his story is true and honest !!! Sorry if I hurt anyone with my words, I don't have enough knowledge to express myself in English bcse it's not my language! Please continue support Cody rhodes guys

[@malmasterson3890]

Seeing reports like this makes me think we're definitely getting worked hard rn. It's WM 40, of course they're gonna get 3 people involved in the title picture. They do it every time. Either this is the most genius move Triple H and Khan have pulled yet, or it's a major fuck up by The Rock, but I'm confident either way we'll get what we want.

[@davonknight86]

I know WM tickets are expensive, but it would be pretty funny to see the stadium start to empty out before Rock vs Roman. Gotta beat that Philly traffic.

[@koji6745]

The Rock is never recovering from that one (and Reigns is getting the hardest vietnam flashbacks)

[@cliffsenac2825]

Isn't it so ironic how the table has flipped nearly 10 years later. Roman being booed out of the building, despite help from his cousin. Now it's Rocky receiving backlash for his own creative decisions

[@MattyisaG]

Rock is going to be booed out of the building from now until Mania.

[@SirAsdf]

I genuinely don't see him coming back from this. Like maybe if he disappears from TV for the next year, but even then, he's gonna be the butt of jokes for the rest of his life.

[@kylestanley1160]

I don't think he cares. Tbh im hating this. Rock can no way last more than 5 min. He gets gassed just walking to the ring. I hate it but the thing is in terms of money hes a huge draw but for proper fans this sucks but Rock is all about the money. It will end up being one of the worst main events.

[@bobmarshall8527]

@@SirAsdfonly way he can is if they pull off some swerve at the pressed that gives Cody the Roman match

[@KHood23-g8x]

@@SirAsdfAnd I hope he doesn’t come back from the boos either

[@mrcrc10]

First off, The Rock doesn’t give a shit about being booed. Never has. Remember he has also been the biggest heel in the business. Secondly, the amount of “outrage” on RAW wasn’t even close to what would be needed to change anything. They still cheered Seth, they still popped and it did not derail the show. Lastly, people got in their feelings last year when Cody lost to Roman AND WWE WAS RIGHT, that loss made Cody a bigger Star.

[@thomassinclair6828]

Rock is going to tear a muscle in the first 5mins of a match.

[@keegswl5119]

5mins is generous! He got hurt in the WM29 match with Cena. He's now older, heavier, most likely less mobile and less fit

[@tysontaggart7246]

Meltzer got you in a headlock bro lmfao

[@thomassinclair6828]

@tysontaggart7246 I don't care about Dave. I worry about people hurting themselves. I worried the whole time Austin was out there with Owens. Last time Rock was in there he tore muscle off the bone. He is not in the right type of shape for wrestling. There was a reason he wasn't this big while an active wrestler.

[@rory4605]

It'll be a disappointing match, Rock's old, Roman was never the best worker. The best we can hope for is a Rock Vs Hogan type match where the crowd make the match, though it could just be showered with boos, which'd be fucking funny.

[@ananyaraizada7657]

Punk and cena tried their hardest but The rock still got cheered during 2012-13 run and Cody without even saying a word brought back Rocky sucks and die Rocky die chants.

[@cgxapurba8450]

Because Cody had organically made himself a star with just Free hand from WWE. While Punk was not over with all fans and Cena was A corporate champ.

[@Quothmorgan]

​@@cgxapurba8450pretty accurate honestly. Punk had the hardcore fans and Cena had the casual fans, so neither one could be bigger than The Rock at the time. Cody has both, so he's able to reach that level now

[@abhinavk0929]

Because Cena vs Rock was an year in the making, so fans knew it was gonna happen and next year they were still up for a rematch. Rock vs Cena was built for longer time than Cena vs Punk. This time though, the build will be like 2 months long only and it's Cody vs Roman that has an year of build with it.

[@therealangelalexander1858]

​​@@cgxapurba8450 Wasn't punk outdrawing Cena in merch and breaking records in that market? Saying he wasn't over feels like a crazy ass retcon. 😂

[@molokoplus0612]

No rock and his ego did that to himself.

[@Arran05]

This situation just seems so rushed, they gave The Rock Vs. John Cena a year long build for a reason, that match and now this match will be the biggest of all time. It needs more than a month long build and it definitely can't interrupt the story they're right in the middle of telling.

[@kinglui3422]

see this confuses me. I agree, a longer build would be better, but people are forgetting that the story they're in the middle of, is the Bloodline. Cody came along after we were deep into the Bloodline storyline. The Rock vs Roman IS the payoff for that story. The whole thing with Cody is just fans being emotional and feeling sorry for Cody. Is Cody vs Roman for the 2nd year in a row a bigger or more interesting match than The Rock vs Roman Reigns? HELL NO. If The Rock vs Roman match doesn't happen, then the Bloodline storyline was a 3+ year waste. This is the match that the story was building up to.

[@malikamadou3433]

A Rock vs Roman has been hyped up the last 3 plus years & has been a slow build at least since Royal Rumble 2015. Furthermore, if you wanna go back to genesis of the Bloodline storyline itself, you could go back even further to Rikishi's "I did it for The Rock" promo in 2000. So claiming there's been no build to this match is just flat out ridiculous.

[@MrMajesticMajesty]

The thing is the Bloodline storyline hasnt happened and dwindled down since the Jimmy/Jey thing happened. Which made it so the bloodline and cody ending his story both were joint @@kinglui3422

[@franciscodiaz4217]

The whole point of the bloodline was to include the rock

[@malikamadou3433]

@franciscodiaz4217 They act like Cody's story is the only one that should matter. The Bloodline storyline has carried the company for over three years now while Cody was playing in the sandbox at AEW. But according to Cody fans all that should be ignored just for him to have a temporary moment in the sun before they can call him stale, turn on him & beg for someone else to be champion 3 months later.

[@BlackWind-rx5il]

This is my theory. At one point in the beginning of January the higher ups said "The Rock might want to do it this year". Rock planted the seeds, knowing it could still be something for later on. Triple H probably argued that the Cody's story had been going on for a year and they risked to anger the fans. There was some hesitation from the two parties, Triple H decided "what the hell, they're not telling me, I'll go on with my plans". Around Rumble time Rocky and his gang went "yes, we're doing it" and Hunter went "But the Rumble is booked, Cody is winning" and they went "Well just have him pick Rollins then". That's when probably Hunter said "We might risk a Daniel Bryan redo" and on the other side they probably argued that the fans would never turn on The Rock. Remember at this point Vince is not ousted yet and he would probably embrace that theory if not promoting it himself. At that point they went something like "Well in the remote possibility they turn on it we'll figure a way to include Cody". And that's the key. They considered it but as a very remote possibility. So basically the chance of a fans baclkash was probably, in fact, considered, that's true. But not as a very likely chance and most importantly not to this extent, not with the idea of Rock possibly being treated as a heel. Just because he's The Rock. To me this seems the only way the rumors make sense.

[@labbaby189]

This makes sense. HHH is very particular with booking, he doesn't do too much on the fly to throw the story off... aside from cases like CM Punk coming back, which he just swerved us with an ending graphic. This is in a similar vein, that segment felt like it was written that day. This was a TKO decision which was made weeks before RR, when more than likely the original plans were made. He answers to TKO, he was forced to make that decision.

[@manchaple]

Wwe lying to wrestlers? Colour me surprised 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@_Pauper_]

I know right? Sorry Cody. Yr getting proper f*d just like your old man.

[@paulevans6076]

I can't remember if it was Bischoff or Heymsn (might even have been Vince tbh). But I remember one of them saying that you should never tease the wrestling audience with something that you cannot/wont/have no intention of delivering as all it does is disappoint the fans. That'd exactly what's happened here, they teased Reigns v Cody only to pull the rug out from underneath everyone. Its just bad booking.

[@sousedmonk7418]

The "Rocky Sucks" chants are so shocking to me, because a good chunk of the comments from the last video said that only smarks cared about Cody getting browbeaten out of a match with Roman. I thought people who were willing to put cash in hand and butts in seats were supposed to love Rock, all the way up until Wrestlemania. How could the Cultaholic comment section steer me wrong?

[@dokuganryu1565]

Then again, why would you choose to trust people who unironically go calling others marks/smarks in the comment sections?

[@Macephtopheles]

If anything, it's the opposite. The people who are paying through the nose for tickets are the ones who are *MORE* invested in the product and the stories, etc so are going to be pissed over it. I mean who's going to be more invested in it? The ones who watch (or even just follow events) online or the ones paying their money to follow in person? Seems pretty obvious the paying fans will be more upset over it.

[@allblack8148]

Most are sheep and just follow

[@sukkimusicofficial7539]

Cuz most of wwe fans left are smarks lmfao stop acting like any normal person still watches wwe. Its smarks, and little kids who will chant whatever is being chanted

[@InfiniteDrums]

In an alternative dimension, Rock vs Reigns is Mania Saturday, with Reigns winning; and Cody vs Reigns is Mania Sunday, with Cody winning. But I doubt Roman would work both nights

[@aceblaz5502]

If this is the end of the road for his reign, I don't see why not. Good way to make him look strong in defeat too.

[@ZaZaZadAr]

it should be the other way round i think because if he loses the title first no shine is taken from cody, and no title means no tribal chief claim

[@cityhunter6754]

My Bigger concern is what happens to the Tribal Chief gimmick after Roman finally loses ?

[@monampanemoganedi169]

That would cheapen Cody's win coz Roman's excuse would be I wrestled two night on the bounce.

[@koji6745]

Itd be perfect -as people said, with Cody going on first- Itd really fix everything

[@Mark-kf8tw]

There is clearly a power struggle between the creative and TKO cause the first 15 mins on raw, Cole and Pat acknowledging the tweets and Cody signs was Triple H saying that Cody is so over to not mainevent at mania, and the mainevent of Cody vs Nakamura they mute the "Rocky Sucks" chant thinking that higher up might not want to compromise the deal between Dwayne and them.

[@patrickerwin4922]

The Rock needs to lean hard into being a heel. Bring him out to the Hollywood theme

[@JoeySoul]

Last time Rock got booed was 2015 when Roman won the Rumble and he and a very annoyed Rock stood in the middle of the ring together.

[@cvela83]

And WM is going to be in the same city too, I'm pretty sure they didn't forget that night

[@edwardtorai3545]

My least favorite thing about the situation right now is that even if they course correct, wwe has absolutely ripped basic rules of fiction to shreds. Cody’s character was essentially destroyed with the decision to give up his spot without an explanation, the programming has been riddled with logic gaps and forth wall breaks (they’re acting like Cody went through some sort of injustice and oppression in kayfabe when in kayfabe he voluntarily gave up his spot and he only got done dirty in real life……? It’s like when you’re watching a movie and the camera and lighting equipment started becoming visible in the shots, and you can hear IN THE MOVIE the literal sounds of the Director and the studio arguing in the back over creative differences.

[@bobmarshall8527]

Yeah he looked like an absolute chump, however since then the crowds been even more behind him so I think he will be fine

[@Red_dead_Redemption_4_Life]

what about seth rollins and the whc belt they made seth look like a clown

[@malikamadou3433]

How do you give up a spot you were in? Where was it ever (officially) announced that Cody was gonna face Roman at Mania? Cody won the RR which means he can compete for EITHER of the two major titles at Wrestlemania.

[@edwardtorai3545]

@@malikamadou3433 he literally pointed at dude

[@bobmarshall8527]

@@malikamadou3433 he pointed at Roman and said you’re the one lol come on

[@joshmoreau6023]

There is no way they are going into wrestlemania in PHILADELPHIA with a main event even casual audiences don’t want to see. They know by now, that it won’t work. This has to be the biggest work of the century

[@Randomperson-ht2ey]

I'm thinking this press conference is where the change might happen. If Rock sees the negativity in person, it might hurt his ego enough to back off. However, he might double down, and we get Hollywood Rock from 2003 back. In that case they'll probably make it a triple threat for sure which won't make me happier.

[@nnaproductions]

I want to see savage Hollywood Rock back. His promo on Jinder was so weak, I don’t wanna see that until WM40

[@paulmacneil9995]

Rock needs to get the Dominic mysterio treatment!!

[@moderateswag69]

They also told Bobby he was gonna face Brock years ago lol

[@4ourofclubs]

I'm starting to think that maybe they have a plan A and plan B. Plan A would be Rock vs Roman if fan reaction was positive. Plan B would be Cody vs Roman if fan reaction was negative. Rock could still be a part of the match as special guest referee. I think Rock being referee serves as such a good solution for a pivot right now. First, it could potentially save Cody from a Solo Sikoa interference (as per usual for a Roman Reigns title match). Second, it sets up a Rock vs Roman feud for the next WM (assuming Cody finishes the story). Third, his name being attached to the match would still draw headlines and attention, which I think was a big reason for the Rock going to WM40 in the first place (more draw, more revenue). It would also make the match a little different than last year rather than just a straight rematch. I'm praying that the people in charge are actually smart and forward thinking because if they book Rock vs Roman, this can possibly be the biggest misplay of all time.

[@Bass_pistol]

Imagine this... Rock vs Cody vs Reigns in a triple threat. Cody wins the match. Rock hands Cody the belt. Cody celebrates & leaves having finished his story. Rock left in ring with Reigns as he regains consciousness and slowly gets up. Rock Bottom. Rock takes the Ula Fala necklace and becomes the Tribal Chief. Cody has taken the belt and everything from Reigns just like he said he would at Smackdown. Wrestlemania is a huge success as it doesn't only get the box office pull of The Rock but of Cody vs Reigns too, in other words MASSIVE. Rock comes out the Tribal Chief but also restores the credibility he's lost over all this, by passing the torch to Cody. The Rock enters a line of fued matches with Reigns allowing for the HUGE box office draws they are looking for with this Wrestlemania but for future PPVs. HOW IS THIS NOT WHAT'S HAPPENING!? 😅

[@monampanemoganedi169]

The rock and Roman must headline Summerslam not Mania

[@jotac87278]

My opinion. Cody was told the day before the Rumble. Him pointing at Roman was to keep the storyline of finishing Cody's story. Why do I say that? If you remember on the Raw after the Rumble, Cody said he has had a rough 48 hours personally. He just won the Rumble, so why would he be having a rough 48 hours? What i think is going to happen is this: Rock vs. Roman is going to be the main event. The championship will not be on the line, but the head of the table will be. The Rock will win. That takes the moniker from Roman. Then, at SummerSlam, Cody will defeat Roman for the championship. Remember last yearCody cut the promo that Solo and everyone will abandon Roman. That he will be Roman with no Reigns. Fast forward to this year. He said he wanted to take everything from Roman. So after Cody has Rock, take the moniker. Cody takes the championship, and the rest of the bloodline leaves roman because he is no longer the head of the table. He would then become....Roman with no Reigns. It's a crazy conspiracy, I know.

[@yourmum955]

Title won't be dropped anywhere except Wrestlemania

[@talldarkandginger]

Imagine if a retired footballer got himself a job on the board of a club, but in his contract it says he gets to start the Champions League final... and it just didn't get mentioned until a week after they won the semi.

[@Runnerboy2012]

Poor parallel 1. Plenty of wrestlers wrestle in their 50s footballers don’t 2. The Bloodline / head of the table storyline was ALWAYS building to this eventually. Rock even did the promo before the Rumble - in practice it wasn’t out of the blue at all

[@jameshallas1312]

you know John Terry would absolutely do that

[@jdeljones]

@@Runnerboy2012 it’s also a bad comparison bc the WWE is scripted. There are no rules about who deserves something, who’s a better “wrestler”, who’s over. It’s on the booking. You know who’s super over and will actually get mainstream media paying attention to the WWE? The Rock. I’d rather have Cody. But I’m not super angry bc 1) they have teased this Rock v Roman thing for years now. If anything Cody re-signing interrupted those plans. And 2) whatever is best for business. The IWC and fans in arenas aren’t who the WWE is targeting. We’re watching regardless. They want the guys that are going to be bored bc the football season is over and they’ll tune in to mania for nostalgia. I’m not mad at that. Fans can be angry but they’re still consuming the product. And will continue to do so.

[@cliffsenac2825]

Idk but somewhere in the back Tony Romo just fumbled the ball while reading this

[@thelast749]

​@@Runnerboy2012 It was a tease but there was no other build up than saying that he's aiming for Roman. That's it, no other build up

[@7666joseph]

What cm punk said in pipe bomb promo and him and Cody’s promo is very very true smh poor Cody man

[@BFFR5150]

As a Philly native, this was going to be my FIRST WrestleMania. This match is why I’m no longer going.

[@kennobu8181]

This would have all been avoided if Dwayne worked on Rumble.

[@thedragonofdalzell]

True Rock could have won the rumble or they could have done the rare double elimination then both Cody and Rock could declare want Roman

[@johnepants]

There still would have been some backlash but not as much. I texted my friend that night saying “well, rock didn’t show up and Cody pointed at Roman so we got our main event”. Damn I was so wrong

[@rycerzgaming1363]

Now I understand why Vin Diesel didn't like working with the Rock. Makes sense if Rock had other vision for series, while original cast hated it.

[@doomstadt2371]

Stop it, im no Rock fan, but Vin is notoriously exactly the same way. They butted heads because they're the same selfish person, except Rock was a bigger name than Vin at the time and was getting his way on Vins personal ego trip franchise. That was NEVER going to work. Don't you dare paint Vin Diesel as some selfless artist whose vision was corrupted lol

[@rycerzgaming1363]

Rocky Sucks

[@ananyaraizada7657]

Cody said in the raw promo that he was in a dark place the rumble weekend and needed and appreciated the fan support. Is this what he meant?

[@bmagada]

I mean he came back with the assurance that he'd be treated right and the first thing that happens when theres a shake up is the company making him look like an idiot so we can watch Dwayne be gassed for 15 minutes.

[@BradYoung87]

I really like that shot of Cody with the soft focus on him and crowd signs in the background. Kudos to that photographer if its not heavily edited and cropped to hell 😅

[@joshgell]

I liked Adam's pitch for Reigns vs Rock. Title of Tribal Chief should be what Rocky goes for and Cody should take the belt

[@Arran05]

This seems like such a carbon copy of the CM Punk situation with The Rock, The more this goes on and the more things that come out I just keep thinking it's a work.

[@nickt2559]

It's far from a work man 😂

[@nickt2559]

They could capitalize off it and turn it into a work, but it definitely didn't begin as a work

[@GoChiefs1288]

Punks promo with Cody a few weeks ago on Raw aged so perfectly

[@josephoutram3019]

I remember when The Rock came back to endorse Reigns a few years back, I think it was when Danielson/Bryan was huge and Reigns was considered boring. Anyway, Rocky came back and was damn near booed out the building as he raised Reigns' hand. The confused look on his face said it all as he wasn't used to being cheered.

[@TBevill1231]

I wouldn’t be surprised Vince sold his position to The Rock just to get him into this spot. If anyone has wanted Rock vs Roman the most, it’s Vince. He’s been gunning for this since 2020 and maybe even longer. The reign wouldn’t have lasted this long had The Rock been available sooner. They kept it going until The Rock was available.

[@UncommonSense83]

He wasn’t supposed to win the rumble, it’s not that difficult , Punk knew he was injured long term and they switched end to Cody , baffling so many people don’t realize that

[@faceurhell]

Rock gassed after one slam. No way he’s going to be in ring shape for WrestleMania without several matches beforehand.

[@At0micPunk90]

8:30 - Funny thing about that, way back in the day I actually made a CAW named "Rocky Rhodes" in Smackdown vs. Raw 2006.

[@lionelmessi91274]

This is going to be like one of those Brock vs Roman Main events before the tribal chief. Lackluster and infuriating.

[@adamgough9333]

Seems absolutely ridiculous to me that anyone in WWE was surprised at the "Rocky Sucks" chants on monday - Following an entire weekend of Rock hate all over the internet. Even Seth's line of "Wow - I didn't expect that!" seems so idiotic. This is Vince-Levels of being out of touch. I expected way, way better from HHH's regime. Seems like everyone within WWE is STILL living in this bubble of unreality where they actually have no idea what the fans think or want. If they do indeed go ahead with Rock V Reigns, then they need to prepare themselves for the fans reacting much like they did at WMXX for Brock V Goldberg. Is that what they actually want for the closing match of night 2 of the biggest PPV of the year?"

[@ggr1zz]

I thought Seth was being sarcastic when he said that.

[@emoso509]

@@ggr1zzHe was being sarcastic lol

[@bryanthussung7681]

He didn’t just show up though. I knew this was the plan the night he showed up on Raw with Jinder. I even expected it to happen almost just like this.

[@jimmysruffled]

Vince was right about the fan base having gold fish memory why he never bothered with continuity.

[@marcedwards5583]

I'm not even a Cody Rhodes fan, and consider myself a huge fan of both The Rock and Stone Cold from the attitude era, but to go against the result of the Rumble for no reason other than Rock wanting to headline Mania is just the worst possible decision they could have made. I'm not sure, though, that the average fan cares too much because Rock vs Reigns is a big event. Most of us will still probably watch it. I just hope they do right by Cody and give him his time with the title as the main face of the company.

[@paulevans6076]

It undermines the Rumble completely. From a kayfabe POV - why is Rock getting Reigns? Mania main events have to be EARNED either via Rumble or Elimination Chamber matches - those are the rules that WWE has made for themselves. Rock simply should not be allowed to walk in after years of non-competing to a Mania main event.

[@malikamadou3433]

How did they go against the results of the Rumble? Cody won & he gets to choose which major champion he wants to go after. Whether he chooses Roman or Seth, he's getting his shot so why does it matter? Roman isn't dropping the title @ Mania no matter who it is. So you would rather see Cody go after Roman & LOSE again than face Seth & almost certainly walk out with the WHC? Furthermore, there's no story between Roman & Cody whereas Rock vs Roman has been built up for nearly a decade.

[@lonewanderer9876]

​@@malikamadou3433but there is no more story with Cody and Seth either 😅

[@VeilInfinity]

They haven't minded undermining the MitB and making that result look stupid. The same thing happening to the Rumble winner is just the next step. @@paulevans6076

[@23jrza]

Didn’t they even hand out “rocky sucks” signs at Raw?

[@mohitmukhi]

The fact that Drew mentioned Rhodes has beaten Rollins thrice on this past raw, clealry proves there is no point to this match. Drew vs Rollins is going to be a far better story. If Cody is not a part of Roman's match (3 way), he rather sit mania out. How sad would that be 🤦🏽‍♂️ The crowd will most likely crap on the entire card if that happens.

[@X_Blake]

Would be REAL scummy if they did. So for their stake I hope this is just storyline leading to finishing the story @ mania.

[@rashadbrown8223]

Its just wrestling people we never got sting vs austin ddp vs rock sting vs taker sting vs rock and lesner vs goldberg was overdue and we still loved it cody can wait we waited for benoit eddie booker and nobody wanted jbl but look greatness

[@TheVas76]

Rock is the new Mr. McMahon character.

[@gaurav7142]

Irrespective of whichever side your on I think we all can agree on the FACT that This Cody-Rock-Roman situation ONLY ENDS with Cody holding the Undisputed Universal Title and it's GOING to happen in 2024 There's no other way it ends with someone else winning Cody may not wrestle Roman at Wrestlemania 40 But he is 100% the main hero of this "movie" Rest EVERYTHING else is secondary(Rock,Roman,Bloodline,Roman breaking hogan's record etc....) IF not at mania then surely at summerslam But THIS situation ONLY ends when Cody lifts the title up for his father! Rock and Roman are part of the story,but it's not THEIR story Cody's already the face of the company He's the Present He's the future Sure rock and roman may have ONE night but EVERY night after that belongs to THE GUY Guys THE time we're witnessing now is historic It's a slow jump to the Era of Cody Rhodes! Take every moment in...... we'll remember this for years to come!

[@cgxapurba8450]

Woah

[@rashadbrown8223]

I believe that the bloodline story line was homage to first class family of wrestling now it's dusts turn they bombed on Dustin hell they gave flair his due with Charlotte and the Orton with randy

[@rashadbrown8223]

I agree with you and they missed with bray but it was happening

[@VeilInfinity]

I don't think that's a given at all. If Roman isn't losing at Mania, then you might as well let Roman pass Hogan's title reign. By the time you let Roman reach that milestone later this year, who knows where everyone will be at storyline wise. It's enough time for someone else to be built up while Cody fades away doing nothing. For example, idk how many people are going to complain about Gunther taking the title off of Roman once we're months removed from this scenario. I definitely don't believe Cody is guaranteed that title anytime soon if at all.

[@yungboss4556]

they would've never had this issue if they didn't unify the wwe and universal belts to begin with. the rock could've been fighting roman for universal belt and the wwe title would've been on raw for Cody to finish his story. Better yet, if this was the plan, Should've had someone else win the royal rumble

[@johnepants]

Having Roman win both belts was absolutely stupid.

[@mrknopick]

What if the Rock gets attacked at the press conference, gets "Injured" and is unable to compete? Then you can slide Cody back into it, and then you've got your PROPER WM 40 Main Event. Either that or make Roman pull double duty, take on the Rock Night 1 for the HOTT, and then Cody Night 2 for the Title.

[@BeauThePro14]

dude that would be perfect. roman, jimmy, and solo attack the rock and take him out just like they did to aj styles. then the raw or smackdown or even at the conference after roman comes out and is happy, then cody comes out and actually challenges him at mania. PERFECT. that second thing u said though is fine, except roman should defend the title against rock on night 1 but recruits solo sikoa. jimmy uso just leaves. but roman wind. then cody beats roman night 2 for the title

[@FloridaManRacer]

If they let Rock take that match against Roman, it will be worse than the WWE shoving Roman down our throats in the first place when they pushed him post -shield. Be prepared for a lot of people to take another LONG break from wrestling to get the bad taste out of their mouths...

[@BFFR5150]

I can’t help but to remember ECW One Night Stand when John Cena got booed against RVD. Philly will be no different for this clown fest.

[@LittleRebellionRaven]

They're selling "We Want Cody" merchandise. They're acknowledging it on TV, I truly think it's a big work, a swerve for a swerve brother

[@koji6745]

The audacityyyyy

[@madhatterer1978]

I think something is up still. The Rock was on Pat McAfee show and he said basically there was a plan for it 4 months ago. Something is up.

[@KHood23-g8x]

Bruhhh no one wants the Rock vs Roman 😡😡 so tired of this like why even make Cody win the Rumble? It would’ve been better if they had the rock win it and even still then ppl would be like “wth” what about Cody finishing the story rock didn’t even earn it. It just makes Cody look dumb even pointing at Roman

[@bobmarshall8527]

Yeah but at least with Cody not winning the Rumble it would at least make sense lol

[@GoChiefs1288]

The thing is I think a lot of people want to see a Rock vs Roman match when it comes to the Bloodline story but them doing it like this just ruined it

[@bobmarshall8527]

@@GoChiefs1288 that’s the true issue it’s the execution, like if Cody hadn’t won the Rumble I’d still be pissed he isn’t finishing the story at Mania but I’d have been a lot more accepting of it

[@KHood23-g8x]

@@GoChiefs1288 I don’t wanna see the match at all right now because it doesn’t make sense

[@KHood23-g8x]

@@bobmarshall8527 It does but you really think ppl are not gonna say what about Cody ??

[@carlossalinas249]

They should just do rock vs reigns for head of the table night 1 and Cody vs reigns for the title night 2

[@DBoss1009]

So make The Rock heel as Corporate Rock and it's another mountain for Cody to climb. People are acting like the sky is falling

[@Giraffe-on-a-kite]

I think both possibilities are horrible looks for the company. 1. This was always the plan and it was an incredibly stupid plan while lying to Cody 2. Rock just showed up and bullied his way into the match

[@ES-ms1wk]

This whole things made me want rock vs Cody

[@koji6745]

Itd be a kind of a mad match after all this is fixed ngl Otherwise, shitshow

[@phillipelicard9081]

i'm kinda surprised of how many people didnt catch what happened on raw... To me it was very obvious that the show had 1 point : making people not boo the rock. They did the whole "oh we heard you, that you want cody" bla bla bla and after the first segment, it was: " just shut up already and look how great rock vs roman is"

[@sizablekoala6879]

"Do we want to see Rock vs Roman at some point?" Personally, I don't. The Rock said he was retiring in 2019. The guy is 51 now. Imagine someone going "Man it would be cool if Brett Farve to play as quarterback again."

[@spencerdwornik744]

Last thought on what could happen at the press conference in an hour...maybe Rock and Roman start and Rock says he just wants the Head of the Table, not the title. Roman laughs and says OK and the contract is signed then and there. Then Cody makes his decision which is ACTUALLY to take on Roman at Wrestlemania for the title! I only said "not at Wrestlemania" to throw you off and ensure Rock gets his match at Mania for Head of the Table, so Roman I choose you on night 2 of Wrestlemania for the WWE Undisputed Universal title!

[@michaelmcguigan5278]

He probably was lied to … If they don’t have Rock v Roman on one night & capitalize with Cody v Roman the next night after a Roman win it really is thee worst decision in the past 12-15 years of WWE booking. No one wants to watch Cody & Seth again …Also funny Rock gonna act like he and Cody had similar fathers in terms of star power lol

[@horty0735]

The mania main event will be 10 minutes and i feel bad for the fans

[@SirAsdf]

I just don't understand why they couldn't have just done Rock Vs Roman on Night 1 with Cody Vs Roman taking Night 2? And if by some miracle that does turn out to be the plan, why did they do this in the singular worst possible way? Why did they take the almost 30 years of goodwill the Rock has built up with the fanbase and decide to flush it all down the toilet?

[@rashadbrown8223]

Look at hogan and we still love him remember hogan was a heel first just like rock and that's what he was at the backend of his career and we still lovem

[@tekias5536]

If this was a contractual stipulation for The Rock to be on the board, and Cody wasn't aware of this at the Royal RUmble, I would've booked it like this (prior to Rock coming out on Smackdown): Cody wins Rumble, points at Roman. On RAW, Seth comes out and talks to Cody, emphasizing how his title is the Working Man's Title, the one Dusty would've chosen if he was in Cody's shoes, and so on. Smackdown, Cody comes out, declares that Seth's right, Roman has de-emphasized the Undisputed WWE Universal title, and he will be facing Seth. No mention of the Rock, no mention of consulting friends and loved ones. We continue that angle for a week, then on the next Smackdown, Rock shows up and does his version of "So, Roman, your dance card's opened up." Have the two matches happen, just make no mention or even hint that The Rock talked Cody into taking the Finish The Story spot, have it be Cody's own decision to move the goalposts.

[@thoughtfuldoomguy]

The Super Bowl is without a doubt the biggest media event in the United States every year. All media is in the town the Super Bowl takes place, regardless of whether or not they cover football. Vegas was really the only place they could have held this presser if they actually wanted anyone but Fightful to show up.

[@BangHJL]

I really don't see how WWE will go forward with Rock v Reigns without acknowledging the fans' reaction. The reason why they're doing this is because it's a big money match, that is also the reason they SHOULDN'T be doing imo. Are they really gonna have this dream match to be potentially sabotaged by the rain of boos from the crowd at the biggest stage of pro-wrestling where the entire world is looking at them? Are they really gonna let this be a repeat of Reigns v Lesnar from WM 34? We know big corpos like WWE loves money, but they also like to avoid PR nightmares like with the stuff with Vince.

[@VeilInfinity]

How much of a PR nightmare is it if they're still making more money than they would without the Roman v Rock match?

[@terminator_405]

@@VeilInfinityit’s a flash in the pan quick cash situation. Cody winning the title at mania is better business long term.

[@themichaelkemp]

Sunderland Till I Die reference is gold

[@Crasky1992]

If this was always the plan, and Triple H booked Cody knowing it, then this is on him. The Roman - Rock match would have been well received (considering it's been built for years) if they'd planned a major Cody-Punk match and had someone like Gunther win the Rumble.

[@mastercalippo]

51 yr old the rock pls tell me when do u want roman v rock ? when he is 60? cody will get his time to shine

[@stevepm3369]

Problem with the whole "it was always a work" thing, is now with all the backlash from people, no one will believe it.

[@THEpopelonergan]

This is why I love Notsam Wrestling. He takes the semiotics of sports entertainment really seriously. And so does this new regime at WWE. They know how to engineer fan response OR capitalise on unexpected fan reactions with clues and hints and erratum and symbols. And the reason Triple H has been so effective as Chief Content Officer is because he loves planting seeds and offsetting wrestling’s garishness with subtle storyline choices. He loves to build narrative momentum in an incremental and considered way. (He’s also not adverse to a bit of slow-burn, delayed gratification fan service.) Which is all so refreshing after years of McMahon’s immature sensibility, OTT storytelling and authoritarian ‘I know best’ defiance when it came to how fans wanted to see things play out. If Triple H frustrates the fan’s expectations, it’s always for the good of the storyline.

[@Mazz3D]

"Super heroes with petrol." Jack you're amazing

[@TheTrueBurgerKing]

The Rock is about to get a 2016 Roman reaction

[@YourHeroSam]

If all this an elaborate stroyline, work, etc, then fair play. Well done. If not, and it seems likely it is Dwayne doing the same as he did with the DCEU, then it puts WWE in jeopardy when it comes to signing wrestlers. A lot of talk has been with Okada being a free agent, why would he join a company when this stuff happens? If, if, IF MJF and his contract is up, or close to be, why would he join WWE? Already Kamille is looking to sign with AEW. Is this because of the Cody, Dwayne situation? Or AEW has offered a bigger contract? The timing is to close. This has happened in the past with WWE and other companies, failed promises, changing direction etc, but WWE had so much freedom with HHH in charge of creative, pushing guys like Gable, Gunther, Seth, Drew, Zayn, Owens, Nakamura, and lest we forget Cody, it puts questions and doubts on what would happen if they joined, would they end up like Cody, being pushed to one side after weeks, months, years of build, story, for some dwindling star who gets gassed after walking out to his entrance?

[@VeilInfinity]

Why would people join a company that was willy nilly laying off tons of wrestlers and staff every year and doing so in the face of global criticism? WWE is still WWE and working there will always be a dream for people.

[@horty0735]

Got coocked by cena and destroyed CM punks hype and he does it again in 2023 when he is 50 im a WWE fan but imagine if AEW did that to MJF people would go of tony and the rock is a character for kids his promos are for kids and cena showed it in 2013 and we will have the shortest mania main event

[@TyrannosavageRekt]

The only way this would make any sense is if the plan was for Punk to win the Rumble, and then Cody to step aside for the Rock to face Reigns at WrestleMania, but then they had to book Rhodes to win the Rumble on the fly because of Punk’s injury. If they didn’t call an audible, it’s just totally lacking logic. Though even if they did, it brings up the question of what would have been on the line at Elimination Chamber.

[@TamerUK_]

There is absolutely a reason why cody didn't point to the wrestlemania sign at the rumble, everyone knows that's the money shot, he didn't do it, the plan was in place before the rumble

[@JunnKhan]

Personally I think the Rhodes/Rock stuff is a bit a of work and will go down like Adam predicted. Based on that, amazing job from HHH and the writers for actually making a Daniel Bryan moment.

[@Gone_rogue]

The Rock desperately needs the attention since no one wants to see him in movies anymore.

[@joshuavandenbergh]

You know what's different from this year. Normally, we all passed off after Wrestlemania. This we all mad beforehand.

[@ValleyChildX]

It’s wild if it is Reigns v. Rock just cause of how bad the chants were Monday, if this match makes it Mania in Phillie (home of ECW), there will be some people throwing shit at the ring, like that still happens at some shows, but you don’t want that on camera at Mania.

[@gtrour4]

Great show from NXT yesterday! It feels like (WWF)! Lash Legend (🌠) & Jakara (⚡) exceed expectations! Melo (😍) seriously needs to challenge Logan Paul 😎🏆!

[@joeywrestling9536]

Never thought I’d say this after “Dashing” Cody but I think it’s safe to say he has the equity to be able to tell the Rock or TKO his opinion…

[@Whatusain]

Wonder if fans would boycott the main event

[@Kriseiri]

Rocky Rocky, yes papa? Burying Cody? No papa. Telling lies? No papa. Open your mouth, IF YOU SSSMEEELLLLLLLL

[@AliDaGr8]

Only way I see this working and the rock getting back on the fans good side. Cody announces at the press conference that when he said “ not at wrestlemania “ he was referring to be Elimination Chamber. The rock can have Roman at Mania but not for the title. Rock helps Cody get the win. You now can get Cody Vs Orton , Roman Vs Rock and Rollins Vs. Drew Vs. Randy

[@mykittenisagrandmaster4381]

Fans knew about the Rock wrestling Roman for a while when the Rock announced that he wanted to be the next head of the table fans are getting out of hand threatening a young woman who had nothing to do with what is going on with the Wrestlemania matches

[@Mikkirobinson20]

This has 2.5 stars written all over it. The Rock is 51 years old and what he has in common with HHH, Cena and Punk is injury. I don’t wish it on him but I wouldn’t be surprised if it were to happen. The match won’t live up to the hype. It can’t

[@dandydeadpool]

Three way, eliminator match seems like the best solution. Rock pins Roman, Cody pins Rock(with Roman interference). Keeps Rock/Roman going and puts the belt on Cody, and a win over one of the most famous wrestlers of all time

[@MarkieDood]

This is turning into such a weird story. The AEW fan in me wants to say "lol they're finally doing Cody as dirty as we all figured they would" but then the WWE fan in me says "well he's still won the Royal Rumble two years in a row; they are still kinda pushing him to the moon." I just don't know if I've ever seen a wrestling promotion somehow treat a talent so well and so poorly at the same time. EDIT: Maybe Punk, when he was WWE Champion for like 400+ days but wasn't allowed to main event any PPVs? And that situation didn't cause any serious problems for anyone down the line, right?

[@kristo2037]

It would be amazing if Triple H gave the rumble to Cody despite knowing Dwayne wanted the match at mania. If that was true, he deliberately turned the fans against The Rock, to ruin the plan that's being called from above him

[@RyansFiles]

I HAVE to believe that they’re gearing towards some type of KofiMania type deal here. At least that’s my copium. Board of TKO vs Cody and the People for the belt, would be a great storyline. Cody runs the gauntlet and all of a sudden has to face final boss in The Rock as Match 1 of Wrestlemania? Would be sick

[@AlterGamersack]

I so hope that the Rock will announce that their match will be for the title of Tribal Chief soon. I don't expect him giving up the title of people's champ at this point. Is he planned for Smackdown?

[@MrOuest]

The Rock wearing a The Peoples Champ shirt while being heavily boo'd, the ironing is delicious.

[@Panyingg413]

There are reports saying that they wanted the fans to treat Cody similar to Daniel Bryan but I doubt it since they don't plan turning The Rock heel. Why would they give Cody that kind of exposure when he isn't supposed to be wrestling Roman Reigns?😒 I just don't like that there are ppl saying that this has made Cody Rhodes into a "bigger" star. Isn't he already a big star to get this swell of support from the fans? He's become a bigger babyface, yes, but don't twist this into a scenario where Cody should be ~thankful~ for this babyface boost.. 🙄