{"id":123792,"date":"2024-04-05T11:00:12","date_gmt":"2024-04-05T15:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=123792"},"modified":"2024-04-05T04:20:00","modified_gmt":"2024-04-05T08:20:00","slug":"main-event-wrestlemania-40-overshadowed-by-the-rock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/04\/05\/main-event-wrestlemania-40-overshadowed-by-the-rock\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE WrestleMania 40 Main Event Being Overshadowed by The Rock"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">We are only a day away from <em><strong>WWE WrestleMania 40<\/strong><\/em> and &#8220;Wrestling is Cool Again,&#8221; thanks to <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Rock<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Cody Rhodes<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0won the Royal Rumble for the second time in a row. Losing in last year&#8217;s <em>WrestleMania<\/em> main event to\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Roman Reigns<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0because of<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> The Bloodline,<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> you would think a rematch would be pretty straightforward. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Well, we were all wrong because The Rock bullied his way and tried convincing everyone that Rock vs Roman is what everyone wanted. Fast forward now. Night one is The Rock and Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes and <\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Seth Rollins<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Night two, we have Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes in a rematch for the Undisputed <strong>WWE<\/strong> Universal Championship. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">However, it seems that this year&#8217;s main event is being overshadowed by The Rock. Let&#8217;s take a look first at how the main event for night 1 came to be.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Night One Main Event<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nNRJDEkZ4sQ?si=JrXTvs8mWLWDjjSA\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">On night one we have WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes against The Rock and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. When it seemed that The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes was going to challenge Roman again to finish his story he brought out The Rock. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Rock convinced him that Rock vs. Roman was better to take away The Bloodline from Roman in The Rock&#8217;s words. Fans saw that Rhodes was upset and unconvinced of making the right decision so fans started the We Want Cody trend on social media.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Seth&#8217;s Involvement<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BIZHsGjNfNg?si=rUHMPkyzJ1xfzlbR\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">While that was going on Rollins was trying to convince Rhodes to challenge him instead for what he called &#8216;The Work Horse Championship.&#8217; Rollins almost persuaded Rhodes saying Roman&#8217;s title is the Hollywood belt only for part-timers while his championship was defended with honor daily. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Then the<em><strong> WrestleMania 40<\/strong><\/em> Conference happened where Cody made his choice. When Rhodes came out and chose Reigns, The Rock was not as friendly. The People&#8217;s Champ already seemed on edge because the fans turned their back on him for Cody. Roman poked fun at Cody&#8217;s father, the late great Dusty Rhodes so Rhodes retaliated by saying Reign&#8217;s family would be ashamed of him.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">This is where The Rock becomes a hypocrite. He had no problem with Reigns bringing up the Rhodes family but when Rhodes said something less hurtful to Roman, The Rock slapped him and said that he couldn&#8217;t talk about their family. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Then Seth Rollins got involved. After that day The Rock and Roman would trade insults with Rhodes and Cody. Rhodes wanted The Rock one-on-one but he declined and instead offered a tag match against himself and Roman. Here&#8217;s where it gets interesting.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Tag Team Stipulation<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OfWVZhWjnOI?si=ePUc6ifzlYLzW8LH\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Being part owner of WWE The Rock calls himself The Final Boss and has a big say on what happens in WWE. The Rock offered Rhodes a solution if he accepted the tag team match there would be two stipulations. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">If Bloodline wins, the main event of Night 2 would be under Bloodline Rules which means everything and anything goes, no DQ. But if Rhodes and Rollins win, Night 2 between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes becomes a one-on-one and no Bloodline involvement whatsoever. With that match intact, let&#8217;s take a look at Night 2&#8217;s main event.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Night Two&#8217;s Main Event<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SvOE-Qcwbw4?si=pirFqIml4ofZxMfo\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Main Event of Night Two is a rematch of last year&#8217;s WrestleMania 39. Rhodes was mere seconds away from victory when\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Solo Sikoa<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0from the Bloodline cost Rhodes the match. The night after Mania it seemed like Cody Rhodes would get his rematch instead WWE went a different route for Cody Rhodes by putting obstacle after obstacle to get him away from Roman Reigns. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">After Rhodes punched his ticket by winning back-to-back Rumbles, he pointed at Roman Reigns which meant he wanted his rematch. After The Rock tried to spoil the match anticipated rematch thanks to the fans we are finally getting the rematch Rhodes deserves. But why does it seem not as hyped as it should be?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Rock&#8217;s Involvement<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Ever since The Rock turned heel and Rhodes chose Roman, The Rock has used social media to belittle Rhodes and his fans by calling them &#8220;Cody Crybabies.&#8221; He even said he had the power to take the title from Seth if he wanted to. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">He has even made things personal by bringing up Rhodes&#8217;s mother and family. This is ironic because he was upset at Rhodes for bringing up that comment to Roman Reigns about his family. The Rock says bringing up a family is personal yet tends to bring up Rhodes&#8217;s family all the time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Then the Rock says Rhodes is selfish because he wouldn&#8217;t let The Rock vs Roman Reigns happen for this year&#8217;s Mania main event. Rhodes won the Rumble so it&#8217;s his choice it is as easy as that. If anyone is selfish it is the Rock who has not wrestled in so long and has not even been in the WWE for the last few years.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">All About The Rock<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Instead of WWE trying to bring into fruition the storyline between Roman and Rhodes, the spotlight&#8217;s on Rock. Instead of that, once the Rock said he was free from Hollywood they put everything else aside and made The Rock the headline. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Now the main event from Night 2 does not feel like Roman vs Cody, it feels like The Rock vs Cody Rhodes. Roman Reigns seemed irrelevant until this past Monday where he joined The Rock to put a smackdown on Rhodes and Rollins.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Rock Making It Seem Like Roman Reigns is Irrelevant and Cody Rhodes\/Seth Rollins Weak<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sXFGFWsFsLg?si=ngmDEdp65jcfI0AU\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Rock&#8217;s involvement, thanks to WWE and TKO, has made their top three stars weak. Roman Reigns is irrelevant at this point. He has shown up just a few times to say the same thing over and over again about\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/03\/20\/preview-wwe-smackdown-3-22-24\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Cody Rhodes<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Bloodline seems to acknowledge The Rock more at the moment. He has had more appearances than Roman has since Rock&#8217;s return. The so-called champion has not been here at all. The Rock seems like the head of the table and the champ at this point. While Roman seems like a lackey more than a champ, a sidekick.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Rollins and Rhodes have beaten every single opponent they had faced. Are you telling me that a 51-year-old part-timer who has not competed in WWE since 2013 can beat up both of them easily? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Rollins and Rhodes can&#8217;t even seem to throw punches at him. By WWE and TKO making The Rock look strong it has made two of their top wrestlers look weak. Even though The Rock being back is good business-wise it is not good for the other talent. The Rock seems to be taking all of the spotlight and that hurts the momentum of the other three talents.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Cody Rhodes Needs To Win<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What needs to happen is Cody Rhodes needs to finish his damn story. Roman Reigns has been champion for 1,313 days. In that time he has not had a lot of title defenses and he barely shows up. He only wrestlers on every premium live event. He reminds me of another certain\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sescoops.com\/wwe\/paul-heyman-inductor-2024-wwe-hall-of-fame-revealed\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Paul Heyman<\/span><\/strong><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0guy. The WWE Universe needs a champion who will defend it frequently, they need a face of the company. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">We haven&#8217;t seen a babyface of the company like Cody Rhodes since\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">John Cena<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0stopped wrestling full-time. Cody Rhodes has earned the right to become a World Heavyweight Champion in WWE. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Not only for himself, but for his whole family especially Dusty Rhodes. Cody Rhodes has earned it and not even The Rock or Roman Reigns should take it away from him. In the Words of the WWE Universe, We Want Cody!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/h3>\n<p><em>Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013\u00a0<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE content on the\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/watch.wwe.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WWE Network<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Peacock<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We are only a day away from WWE WrestleMania 40 and &#8220;Wrestling is Cool Again,&#8221; thanks to The Rock.\u00a0Cody Rhodes\u00a0won the Royal Rumble for the second time in a row. Losing in last year&#8217;s WrestleMania main event to\u00a0Roman Reigns\u00a0because of The Bloodline, you would think a rematch would be pretty straightforward. Well, we were all [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4869,"featured_media":123798,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,2192,4,3],"tags":[98,77,76,550,8417,8790],"class_list":["post-123792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-north-america","category-wrestling","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-cody-rhodes","tag-roman-reigns","tag-seth-rollins","tag-the-rock","tag-wrestlemania-40","tag-wrestlemania-xl"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4869"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123792\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/123798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}