Following the events that took place on the WWE Raw on Netflix premiere, it has been confirmed that the original plans for The Rock at WrestleMania have been scrapped.
In the lead-up to WrestleMania 40, Rock continually targeted Cody Rhodes and attempted to stop The American Nightmare from finishing his story. After Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns in the main event of night 2, Rock confronted the new Undisputed Champion the next night and made it clear that things were far from over between them.
Briefly returning at Bad Blood to stare down Rhodes and Reigns, Rock once again teased a future showdown with one of the top stars. With The Final Boss announced for the Raw on Netflix premiere on January 6th, fans were expecting something big and potentially an indication of what Rock’s WrestleMania direction would be.
However, in a move that surprised and disappointed many WWE fans, Rock appeared as the ultimate babyface to put over Reigns and Rhodes and joked with the Undisputed Champion, who was sitting in the front row. With no storyline animosity referenced, The Rock’s appearance was an indication that a major Mania 41 match is now off the table.
Confirming this in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer stated that the originally planned match between Rock and Rhodes will not be happening in Las Vegas:
“According to those in the company, as was made clear, Rock vs. Rhodes, the originally planned main event for this year’s Mania, is not happening.”
Is The Rock vs. Roman Reigns Still Possible?
While Rock vs. Rhodes looks to be shelved until further notice, the other high-profile match between Rock and Reigns may still be possible. Also in the Newsletter, Meltzer stated that the match is still a possibility and could take place at other events besides WrestleMania:
The idea of Rock vs. Reigns we have been told by several is not dead and they still could go to that in the future, perhaps Mania but the idea of somewhere else, particularly with the crazy money some places are paying fighters, that could also be an option. It’s up to him if he wants and has time to go through the training camp he feels is necessary to prepare himself at his age to do the match.”
Following his debut appearance on NXT, The Rock helped to set a new record.