The Rock Addresses WWE Return, Hints At Fan Reaction
The Rock is back in WWE and has commented on his return to the company while also hinting at the fan reaction to his return.
Cody Rhodes, the 2024 Royal Rumble winner, was in the ring in the main event of WWE SmackDown with the “Tribal Chief” Roman Reigns, the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. For the past ten months, Cody’s singular goal was to win the Rumble and get another shot at Reigns, who cheated to beat Rhodes in the WrestleMania 39 main event.
Just when it looked like Cody would say he was going to face Reigns again at WrestleMania, Cody stepped aside and brought out another man…WWE legend The Rock.
The fans in Birmingham, AL at Smackdown gave The Rock a huge reaction as usual. The Rock got into the ring, hugged Cody, said something in his ear and then Cody left. Rock had a staredown with his cousin Reigns to end the show. It was certainly teased that the first-ever Reigns vs. Rock match would be at WrestleMania 40.
As Smackdown concluded, WWE also promoted a WrestleMania 40 Kickoff Press Event while promoting Rock & Reigns in attendance along with Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair and others.
On Instagram, The Rock posted a video of his WWE return for his 396 million followers to see in case they missed it. The Rock also posted these comments.
FEEL the mana ✨🤯
So f#%king blown away by this insane energy from the People. Undeniable – and one of the loudest ovations I’ve ever experienced in my career.
Thank you Birmingham, Alabama, thank you WWE, thank you to the man himself, Cody Rhodes – and most importantly, thank you to the People.Our connection is unbreakable and our bond is ELECTRIC.
~ People’s Champ
ps, tough skin, love the passion
WWE Fans Want Cody, Not The Rock
A match between Rock and Reigns is certainly a dream match for most WWE fans, but there are questions about if the timing is right.
The line in The Rock’s Instagram post about “tough skin, love the passion” at the end is likely a reference to the fan reaction. On all WWE posts and videos about the Reigns-Cody-Rock story, fans are showing their support for Cody Rhodes. The phrase #WeWantCody was the number one trending topic on X/Twitter all day on Saturday as WWE fans showed support to Cody, who they want to see “finish the story” by becoming WWE Champion at WrestleMania 40.
On X/Twitter, The Rock posted a separate message while also including the video.
“There’s a word for this explosive, insane reaction – undeniable. No matter the era, the decade, or the city, the energy and connection between the People’s Champ and the People can never be broken and is truly an electrifying experience that creates chills every single time. Thank you Birmingham, Alabama, we made magical history in the “magic city”. Thank you WWE and thank you Cody for the love and the house (dream & soulman).
Roman, there’s only one head of the table. I’ll see you in Vegas…Uso.”
As for why WWE is likely going with the Reigns-Rock match instead of Reigns-Cody, there is a perception among some people that The Rock being on the TKO (parent company of WWE) Board of Directors means that he has a lot of influence. The Rock’s deal with TKO could include something about having him wrestle.
The likely WrestleMania 40 opponent for Cody Rhodes is World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. However, there are also two months until WrestleMania 40, so there could be changes coming based on crowd reactions.