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When The Rock Really Wanted To Return To WWE Ring

The Rock WWE

The Rock is back in WWE and the WrestleMania main event picture appears to be a complete mess with fans worried that Cody Rhodes is going to miss out.

Cody Rhodes won the 2024 Royal Rumble to book his place in the WrestleMania 40 main event where he made clear that he’d challenge Roman Reigns once again.

However, a spanner was thrown in the works when Rhodes appeared – to the surprise of everyone – to hand over his WrestleMania bout with Reigns to The Rock. Cue a major fan backlash.

#WeWantCody trended on social media and many believe the groundswell of support behind Cody Rhodes is now part of the show and WWE could be set for another pivot to involve Rhodes somehow in the main event scene.

However, it seems all of this could have been avoided if The Rock had got his wish several years ago but sadly a global pandemic got in the way.

The Rock Wanted WWE Return Years Earlier

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer noted that The Rock’s return to the ring has been something he’s been looking to do for years:

He’s been wanting to come back for years. He was wanting to come back during the pandemic but the pandemic it was just like, he ain’t going to a warehouse and doing his last match in front of no fans or 300 fans or whatever it’s gonna be. And he wasn’t gonna do it in Tampa in front of 20,000 fans either.

It was originally gonna be in Dallas (WrestleMania 38) and then he said he wanted it in Los Angeles (WrestleMania 39) and then for whatever reason (it didn’t happen). When the thing happened in Los Angeles, he did say last year – he didn’t commit to Philadelphia (WrestleMania 40) but he did say we’ll revisit it for Philadelphia.

Most people at that time thought he’s saying it, he wants to do it but he’s not gonna do it because he didn’t do the Los Angeles one but this year he said he’s gonna do it so there you go.

Many believe a match between Roman Reigns and The Rock will be The People Champion’s final one in WWE. However as he now sits on the Board of TKO, he might become an emergency button the company could push for another huge showdown in the future.

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