Report: Backstage 'Games' Played Within WWE To Stop The Rock Vs. Roman Reigns From Main Eventing WrestleMania 40
'Games' behind the scenes in WWE over The Rock main eventing WrestleMania 40
May 2, 2024
A lot of people within WWE reportedly didn't want The Rock vs. Roman Reigns to be the main event of WrestleMania 40 and there were backstage machinations to prevent the match from happening, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. There were also 'games' played on The Rock's side, though, to ensure the match would happen.
"There is a lot of stuff behind the scenes with Rock that I didn't realise as far as the whole thing. It's really pretty obvious to me there was a lot of games being played earlier this year when it came to WrestleMania. Cody Rhodes winning the Royal Rumble, there is definitely people who did not want the Roman Reigns and The Rock match. It was a lot of manipulation going on that people are not aware of. It seemed too convenient to me but it really was. There's a lot of reasons for it too," Meltzer said.
"I wouldn't even call it power plays, just very interesting games being played on both sides. It's funny because Roman Reigns and The Rock are cousins and everything. There were a lot of people who wanted Cody Rhodes to get that spot before the fan thing happened and didn't want The Rock to get that spot. But The Rock was going to get that spot unless he volunteered not to have it because he's going to get what he wants."
Ultimately, The Rock did volunteer not to main event WrestleMania 40 following the fan backlash to Cody Rhodes stepping aside for Dwayne Johnson on the February 2 episode of Friday Night SmackDown. This led to Cody announcing he would challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 40 at the WrestleMania press conference.
The Rock proceeded to turn heel and he ended up teaming with Roman Reigns to defeat Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins in the main event of WrestleMania 40 night one. Johnson then interfered in the main event of night two, taking a Chokeslam from The Undertaker as he failed to prevent Cody Rhodes from defeating Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
A future match between Cody Rhodes and The Rock has since been set up and Dwayne Johnson will remain involved with WWE long-term due to his spot on the TKO Board of Directors.
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