The Rock made his presence felt in a big way during his appearance at tonight’s SmackDown from the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Great One had teased a potential match with Roman Reigns during the Day 1 special of Raw. He all but confirmed this showdown for WrestleMania 40 tonight when he showed up to confront the Tribal Chief at the end of the Blue Branded show.
Though while the broadcast ended only minutes after The Great One showed up to the arena, he stayed in the ring far longer. WWE posted an extended clip of The Rock’s confrontation with Roman Reigns as well as his promo after SmackDown went off air as seen below:
What The Rock’s Decision Means For Cody Rhodes
The ripples from this appearance of the Hollywood star are being felt around not only the main event but the whole card for WrestleMania 40 event from the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
It was indicated during the show itself that Cody Rhodes will not be challenging Roman Reigns at Mania despite winning the Royal Rumble. Instead, we will see this match much sooner, potentially at the Elimination Chamber from Perth later this month.
If The American Nightmare ends up winning the Undisputed Championship at the International PLE then we may see a separate match for the title at the Show of Shows. If the former AEW star doesn’t win the title, however, things could also pivot in the direction of a potential Seth Rollins vs Cody Rhodes match.
Seeing the reaction of fans and numerous wrestling personalities over the decision, it’s also possible that the officials may be forced to reconsider their choice and a different card may emerge altogether. Whatever the case maybe, tonight’s events only make things more interesting and we’ll have to wait and see how things unfold from here.