WrestleMania 41 has come and gone, but fan reaction remains mixed — particularly due to surprises, swerves, and scrapped creative plans that didn’t make the final card. Thanks to new details emerging from The Rock’s interview on The Pat McAfee Show and the trailer for WWE: Unreal, we now have a clearer picture of what WWE originally had in mind for some of the company’s biggest names.
Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp and Self Made PW’s Ibou had previously reported on a number of tentative WrestleMania 41 matchups — many of which were spotted on a backstage whiteboard that appeared in the trailer for WWE’s upcoming docuseries WWE: Unreal. The whiteboard reportedly featured creative plans that were internally discussed in late 2023 and early 2024, though most were never finalized.
The Rock confirmed that there were no concrete plans for John Cena’s heel turn at the time of WWE Bad Blood and that Cena wasn’t even booked for Elimination Chamber until a month prior. This aligns with Dave Meltzer’s earlier reporting, as well as Fightful’s confirmation that Cena’s heel shift was a late decision. Additionally, The Rock revealed that he pushed for Cody Rhodes to turn heel, a direction that was ultimately rejected.
Several intriguing matchups were listed on the WWE creative board but never made it to the WrestleMania stage:
Wyatt Sicks vs. Judgment Day was heavily rumored and discussed on WWE Raw post-shows, but the return angle was halted due to Bo Dallas (Uncle Howdy) being medically sidelined.
Jade Cargill vs. Nia Jax was internally discussed, but with Cargill sidelined, WWE pivoted to Naomi taking her spot in a key tag storyline.
Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch were originally penciled in to team up against IYO SKY and Asuka, a match that was later dropped as plans shifted. Flair ultimately competed in a singles title match, while Lynch returned in a surprise partner role for Lyra Valkyria — capturing, then quickly losing, the WWE Women’s Tag Titles.
The direction for CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Gunther, and Roman Reigns was said to be in constant flux throughout the build. Fightful reported in January that the plan was to do Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair, which was reflected on the whiteboard. Later, IYO SKY was added to make it a triple threat, which ultimately played out at WrestleMania 41: Night 2.
Here’s the card pictured in the whiteboard above:
Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena
Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins
Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair
Jade Cargill vs. Nia Jax
Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens
Wyatt Sicks vs. The Judgment Day
Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch vs. ???
AJ Styles vs. Logan Paul
Bad Bunny vs. Dominik Mysterio
Bron Breakker vs. Drew McIntyre
Rey Mysterio vs. Chad Gable
As WWE pulls back the curtain via WWE: Unreal and post-WrestleMania interviews, fans are gaining unprecedented insight into the evolving nature of long-term booking — and just how much can change on the road to WrestleMania.
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for more backstage stories, creative reveals, and fallout from WrestleMania 41.
