The Rock made his big WWE return on Friday\'s episode of SmackDown, and that sparked a new controversy within the fan base. The Great One swooped in and took Cody Rhodes\' WrestleMania main event match against Roman Reigns, and it\'s hard to find someone who is incredibly happy about that right now.
Internal Reaction To The Rock\'s Return
A report from Sean Ross Sapp on Fightful Select also detailed the internal reaction after Cody Rhodes lost his WrestleMania spot to The Rock. We previously noted that there was a sense of shock over the move.
“I’ve known Dwayne a long time,” a wrestler reportedly shared with Fightful. “Not only did the look on Cody’s face tell a story, the look on Dwayne’s told a story. I think in that moment he knew that this decision wasn’t going to work out quite the way that he imagined it. He was experiencing the same thing that he and Roman experienced in Philadelphia. He was being co-signed for something the vast majority didn’t want.”
WWE Roster Is Seemingly Against This Booking
Everyone that reportedly discussed this situation with the outlet understood the business implications of running the match, but they also believed it wasn’t a good decision for long-term WWE business.
The Rock vs. Roman made sense several years ago when we were running back Roman and Lesnar repeatedly. It could have made sense this year had Cody won the title last year. This is one of the few years it just doesn’t make sense in any capacity.\
A source in creative reportedly said that many on the team were deflated, and it felt like a decision they’d hear about being made under the previous regime at the expense of helping cultivate new crossover talent.
Another source that had worked with the Rock was much more stern, saying, “The Rock eroded his trust with the comic and superhero community, with the film community, maybe with the football community, and might do it with the one he has almost universal goodwill with. He’s not a bad guy, don’t mistake that or get me wrong – he’s a great guy. However, bad timing and overexposure and fatigue will make fools of us all. You have to know when to take a back seat.”
Fans Do Not Approve
We previously reported how WWE fans have spoken out against The Rock taking Cody Rhodes\' spot at WrestleMania 40. They have started a trend of Justice for Cody on social media as well as flooding WWE\'s posts on the matter.
The Rock and Roman Reigns’ segment from last night\'s SmackDown has now surpassed 300,000 dislikes in under 15 hours with 2.5 million views. It is now the most-disliked video that WWE has ever put on their channel. Brandi Rhodes and others have reacted to The Rock taking Cody Rhodes\' WrestleMania spot. Fans have voiced their displeasure as well.
WrestleMania 40 Plans Could Change Again
It is important to note that WWE has not made Rock vs Roman official at WrestleMania 40 just yet. The fact that they are set to have a face-to-face during a WrestleMania kickoff event in Las Vegas certainly paints that picture.
Fightful also noted that plans in pro wrestling can always change, and \"there are many in the company that are cautiously optimistic that if the reaction that WWE received Friday night\" could cause them to shift.
As it stands right now, Cody Rhodes will challenge Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Title at Mania. This comes right after Reigns buried that title on SmackDown, calling it a \"losers bracket title,\" because he\'s already beaten anyone in the running for that belt.
