Why The Rock's WWE return is still troubling for Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40

Ever since The Rock made a surprise return to SmackDown a couple of weeks ago in Birmingham, Alabama, it has completely changed the WrestleMania 40 main event, which is now set to be Cody Rhodes versus Roman Reigns for the Undisputed Championship.

When Rhodes announced on that same episode that he would not be challenging Roman Reigns at The Show of Shows this year in a rematch from last year, he, for better or worse, handed the main event to The Rock with no explanation given. The move was nonsensical — in storyline and out — and seen as a slap in the face to WWE fans (and Rhodes himself) who have been more than fully invested in Rhodes’ “finish the story” narrative for the better part of two years now.

Then the “We Want Cody” movement started.

The Rock’s return shifted the WrestleMania 40 main event

With the way wrestling dirt sheets work, it’s hard to believe what’s true and what’s not. But just from a television perspective and reading between the lines a bit, it seemed as if WWE had to make a quick pivot after the overwhelming amount of support Rhodes received after that episode of SmackDown.

With the way wrestling fans are smartened up these days, most believed that The Rock, behind the scenes, essentially pushed Rhodes out of the main event of WrestleMania 40 so that he could main event the show with his cousin, Reigns, for the WWE Undisputed Title.

No doubt The Rock and Reigns was a match that fans had been clamoring for — but not at the expense of Rhodes not being able to end Reigns’ run and finally winning the title first.

At the WrestleMania 40 press conference in Las Vegas during Super Bowl week, the pivot back to Rhodes was made clear — even if his reasoning for changing his mind wasn’t — when he announced he was challenging Reigns at WrestleMania 40 for the Undisputed Title. The subsequent move following was surprising, however, when The Rock, who had been challenged by Reigns just moments earlier, completely changed his character when he slapped Rhodes across his face after the American Nightmare said the entire Bloodline would be ashamed of the Tribal Chief’s actions.

A melee quickly ensued that included WWE World Champion Seth Rollins, who came to Rhodes’ aid when The Rock took offense to the Royal Rumble winner’s words.

The follow-up to this was The Rock and Reigns’ return on SmackDown on Friday in Salt Lake City when, if it wasn’t obvious before, The Rock went full-blown heel, starting with calling the fans trailer park trash to even wearing a modified version of one of his high-dollar t-shirts he used to brag about during the Attitude Era.

As entertaining as The Rock was bringing back a familiar gimmick, it didn’t come without its faults still. Again, whether this was the path that all parties (The Rock, Reigns, Rhodes, Rollins) were supposed to be on all along in this story, WWE still may not have fully accounted for The Rock’s overwhelming, smothering presence as a performer.

The unforeseen consequences of The Rock’s involvement with WrestleMania 40