The latest remarks from Cody Rhodes regarding the return of the rock have me perplexed and perhaps a little concerned.
This seemed like a sure thing to me.
It felt like their tale had only just begun when The Rock showed up on Monday Night Raw, following a night in which Cody Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns with assistance from The Undertaker and others. I was excited to watch these two square off at future WWE events when The Rock would be present, but after hearing the most recent information regarding their possible feud, I’m not sure what the future plans are.
Recently, Chris Van Vliet conducted an interview with Cody Rhodes in which he discussed a wide range of topics, including the Elimination Chamber 2024, which is currently streamed with a Peacock Premium Subscription and in which Rhodes vowed to take on Dwayne Johnson at any time and anywhere. Upon being questioned about whether there would be a conclusion to that tale and a future encounter between them, the winner revealed these possibly upsetting ideas:
“Offer is still good, and once more, he’s done everything if he never returns. He has, in fact. Even if I had offended him in the past, it was an honor to accompany him on his final excursion. However, based on my personal experience with him in the ring, this shouldn’t be his final appearance. There’s more. There may be more than one tank of gas left in the vehicle. There is more, and I want the fans of professional wrestling or the WWE Universe to know about it. There may be a world in which WWE Director of the Board is fantastic, but there may also be a world in which WWE truly gains. And because they know him as the Final Boss rather than the People’s Champ, this younger audience can relate to him. That offer is valid at any time”.
Although the comment is harmless enough, knowledgeable wrestling fans like myself who have been keeping up with rumors and speculations may find it a little puzzling. Before WrestleMania 41, there have been several reports linking The Rock to WWE’s long-term plans, with differing opinions on how it would turn out.
Some have predicted that the upcoming main event will pit Rhodes against Rock, while others believe that a match at the next Mania will mark the official culmination of The Rock and Roman Reigns’ shared history. Cody Rhodes now seems to be hinting that “The Great One” might not make a comeback to the ring.
Given how much it seemed like Dwayne Johnson wanted to be on the WWE board, the situation is unclear. The inclusion of him in the product serves to increase the number of people who are aware of pro wrestling, even though the organization is currently experiencing record-breaking sales and may not require his attention. Even yet, given that The Rock might not be involved in the plans, where does this leave the story for WrestleMania?
I can’t help but wonder if something changed between Johnson’s declaration that he will attend WrestleMania 41 and his injuries sustained on the set of The Smashing Machine. Since that was all over a month ago, it’s possible that the WWE has a read on him that he can no longer fulfill. If that were the case, Cody Rhodes would be justified in casting doubt on the possibility in order to prepare fans in the event that it doesn’t materialize.
On the other hand, I have no idea what’s going through Cody Rhodes’ head or why he responded to that question in that particular manner. It would make sense that, as Rhodes the character, he wouldn’t be in contact with The Rock and wouldn’t know when he might or might not return. Furthermore, the WWE probably wants to minimize the news of Johnson’s comeback in order to heighten the surprise of him unexpectedly showing up and taking on the current WWE champion. All of this suggests that Rhodes may be fusing fact and fiction in this instance, and that we shouldn’t read too much into it. Either way, it’s something we might want to monitor.
Fox airs SmackDown on Fridays at 8:00 p.m. ET, featuring Cody Rhodes. I doubt he will spend much more time discussing The Rock because he already has his SummerSlam match against Solo Sikoa scheduled, but you never know what might be in store for the WWE universe this coming week.
