How Last-Minute Plans Shifted WWE WrestleMania 40 Plans

The much-anticipated clash between The Rock and Roman Reigns is on the brink of being confirmed as the headline event for WrestleMania 40.

This major development unfolded during a SmackDown episode where The Rock made a surprising appearance, confronting Reigns directly after Cody Rhodes voluntarily relinquished his headline spot. 

The pivot to this marquee matchup emerged unexpectedly in recent days. Initially, Rhodes was slated to face Reigns following his Royal Rumble triumph. However, plans shifted rapidly after Monday Night Raw, with hints being dropped about a potential Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins encounter. Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer shared insights on the Wrestling Observer forum, noting the fluidity of the situation:

"It was the plan on that night (Royal Rumble). It was the plan the next day. It wasn't the plan the day after that."

Further discussions on the F4W Forum revealed Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's significant influence in orchestrating the bout with Reigns, despite earlier considerations for the match to occur in Saudi Arabia. Meltzer elaborated on the behind-the-scenes dynamics, stating, "Dwayne pushed super hard for it. Read last week's issue and this week's. The card changed when Punk & Brock were out and all the dominoes fell. Dwayne already wanted it and they felt they now needed it as well. Felt this was better to change the news flow away from Vince. Cody was the plan. Dwayne was going to face him later, maybe next year's Mania, maybe Saudi. Sh*t happens with Vince and Punk, the Vince thing ends up worse than they thought and they changed the plan. I literally didn't know until yesterday that it could change and then I was told it's under lock. But 100% it was Punk vs. Seth and Cody vs. Reigns until Punk got hurt."

Looking ahead, Cody Rhodes is poised to set his sights on the World Heavyweight Championship, challenging Rollins in the upcoming days. Rhodes, during his SmackDown promo, reiterated his ambition to ultimately defeat Roman Reigns, though he left the timing of this goal undefined.

⚡ WWE WrestleMania 40 Buzz: The Rock vs. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes Matches Strongly Hinted

WWE WrestleMania 40 is shaping up with one confirmed match and two more on the brink of being finalized. During the latest episode of Smack [...]

— Ben Jordan Kerin Feb 03, 2024 06:05AM