The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions and events around WWE’s main event scene. We saw an incredible Royal Rumble end with Cody Rhodes winning for the second year in a row, becoming the first man in over 2 decades to go back-to-back. That prompted excitement as Cody seemed primed for a rematch with Roman Reigns, one of the most heavily anticipated rematches potentially of all time. Then, Seth Rollins tried to convince Cody to choose him at Wrestlemania, which created some uncertainty over whether Cody would actually finish his story or if something unexpected, and unwarranted, would derail that path. A few nights later on Smackdown, Cody said he wouldn’t face Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania, giving way for the Rock to make his return to finally confront Roman Reigns. By now, as I’m sure we all know, the fan backlash to that was some of the worst there’s ever been, on the levels of Daniel Bryan, Kofi Kingston, and Becky Lynch levels of fan desire to get what they wanted. This led to the press conference in Las Vegas where Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins confronted Roman Reigns and the Rock. Now, after verbal sparring at the press conference, the Rock slapping Cody as hard as he did, and various promos on Raw and Smackdown from all 4 men involved, things are as contentious as ever. What does this all mean, though?
In all likelihood, the pivot to having Cody face Roman once again came from the severe backlash the company received after Cody essentially handed his title match to the Rock. It seemed that WWE was about to fall into old habits and place the part-time megastar into the main event even though Cody has working his tail off for a year to get back to the Mania main event. Reminiscent of the Daniel Brian, Becky Lynch, and Kofi Kingston stories mentioned earlier, Cody was given his chance much earlier than the aforementioned names, and now has embarked on one of the most unique and unsuspecting quests that we have ever seen. Truly, the uncertainty that lies ahead for all of the men involved is one of the most unique and entertaining experiences we may have ever had ahead of the biggest show of the year. The Rock has turned heel for the first time in over 20 years, aligned himself with Roman Reigns and the Bloodline, and has made it a point, so it seems at least, to make sure Cody will not win the world title at Wrestlemania. Will this all be a ruse for him to just turn on Roman and eventually get that match with the Tribal Chief down the line, or will he truly play some self at the top of the mountain alongside Roman Reigns, extending his reign well beyond where it already stands? Where does Seth Rollins fit into all of this, seemingly thrust into the situation out of necessity? We already know that Seth is due to defend his title at Wrestlemania against the winner of an upcoming Elimination Chamber match in Perth, Australia this weekend. With Drew McIntyre likely lined up to challenge Rollins for the World Heavyweight Title, will he continue his extensive involvement in Cody and the Bloodline’s business? He has already offered to be in Cody’s corner, but it feels like something bigger is in play here. Wrestlemania has been two nights for several years now and has proven to be a fitting and useful tactic to get even more big matches on the card and create more main event level match-ups that would not normally have been able to close previous iterations of the show. AJ Styles, Kevin Owens (on two occasions), the Usos, and even “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, well into his 50s, have closed the show since the switch to two nights. Will this play a role?
Truly, there are at least four main event level matches for this year’s Wrestlemania, one of which I don’t think anybody saw coming, and might not even happen, but just feels like it makes the most sense, while the other three are destined to go down the way they’re supposed to. Rhea Ripley vs. Becky Lynch is one of those matches, already long since teased on TV and at the aforementioned press conference, which would be a fitting test for Ripley, who will reach one year as champion come Wrestlemania. Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre’s inevitable next encounter seems lined up right in time for Drew to finally get his moment in front of a live crowd at long last and would be a great way to end Rollins’ impressive inaugural reign with the title. Of course, the already mentioned Cody Rhodes v. Roman Reigns showdown will undoubtedly close night 2, while the other two matches can either open each night respectively, or go on second-to-last each night respectively, but only one match seems right to main event night 1 after all of this madness: Roman Reigns and The Rock v. Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. It would be the ultimate showdown in the past and the present colliding in a unique and new way, they could either stand to further the eventual finish to the story of Cody Rhodes or perpetuate a long-standing issue that WWE has had for generations. It would make the most sense for Cody to take a tough luck pinfall loss at the hands of the Rock, or for Cody to overcome and triumph over the Rock. The extra match could cause Rollins to be worn down even more, opening up a clear lane for Drew McIntyre to pick up the pieces. It could allow Cody to test himself against the Rock, and even more prove himself, even in defeat. It could inspire the Rock to do the right thing and eventually lead to him letting Cody finish the story, setting up his future showdown with Roman Reigns. There are so many ways this can go, and the excitement that creates is second to none, not seen potentially ever before!
The grandest stage of them all is just a few short weeks away, but the road is long and windy as we always know, and only one thing is certain: nothing is guaranteed! Let us enjoy this wacky and wild road we are certainly going to be following over the next month or so!
