NEW DELHI: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has emerged as the new challenger for Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40, replacing the Royal Rumble winner, Cody Rhodes. This unexpected development has sparked significant backlash from fans, raising questions about the timing and motives behind the decision.
Dave Meltzer, a respected wrestling journalist, shed light on the situation in a post on the F4W Forum. According to Meltzer, it was The Rock who advocated strongly for the match against Reigns.
The alteration occurred when it became evident that both CM Punk and Brock Lesnar were no longer part of the WrestleMania card. Initially, Rhodes was slated for a rematch against Reigns, following their encounter at WrestleMania 39. Meanwhile, Punk was expected to face WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.
The Rock vs Reigns was supposedly scheduled for a future WrestleMania or a potential event in Saudi Arabia. Meltzer hinted that the shift might have been a strategic move to divert attention from Vince McMahon's sex trafficking scandal.
Subsequent reports from PWInsider, citing WWE sources, suggested that Johnson stepped forward to "save WrestleMania" in the absence of Lesnar and Punk. However, other sources claim that Johnson might have pursued this opportunity regardless, given his reported $30 million stock deal with TKO, contingent on reaching certain milestones.
Return to the ring was speculated to be one of these milestones, and Johnson apparently deemed this the opportune moment, anticipating that a Rock vs Reigns bout would be a more significant draw. Consequently, it is suggested that, regardless of the Royal Rumble outcome, The Rock was poised to challenge "The Tribal Chief" in Philadelphia.
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