When The Rock's latest return to SmackDown was announced, the assumption was that we'd finally learn his WrestleMania 41 agenda after those bizarre prior appearances on Monday Night Raw and NXT. Dwayne Johnson certainly had a lot to say during the Feb. 21 telecast, and a lot of it left fans wondering what he was talking about in telling Cody Rhodes he wanted his soul. That's a thing monsters say, Rock.
It seems clear at this stage that The Rock will factor into further upcoming WWE events and will impact WrestleMania 41 in some way, but the very cryptic promo he delivered made it hard to decipher precisely what is going on. Check out the full promo below, in which The Great One also announced that WrestleMania 42 is heading to New Orleans:
It was a lot, but I think I the WWE is taking this one of two ways. Here are my thoughts on what the plan is regarding The Rock and WrestleMania, and how it could either be a great throwback or put an unexpected name in the main event.
The Rock Is Setting Up A Storyline That Calls Back To The Attitude Era
Dwayne Johnson's last run in the WWE involved a lot of blood and swearing, and evoked nostalgia for the company's Attitude Era. It seems The Rock likes to call on the past and may be reflecting on one of the more popular storylines he created back in the day with Vince McMahon. Is being "The Rock's champion" mean Cody Rhodes will be his corporate enforcer, much like Johnson was for McMahon back in the day?
I think it's plausible, especially considering the WWE keeps hammering on his real-life position on the Board of Directors for the company's owner, TKO Group Holdings. The opening of SmackDown had Nick Aldis explain to Cody Rhodes that The Rock pulled him from the main event, and the decision was out of Aldis' control. The storytelling implies that the blockbuster actor can call the shots above anyone in the WWE, should he choose to do so.
Of course, Dwayne Johnson's upcoming movies and other acting projects keep him from appearing at every show. Having a champion like Cody could help The Rock exert control over the WWE from afar, potentially leading to Cody becoming a corporate stooge to The Rock's whims. I'm unsure where the story will go, but I like the idea.
If Cody Rejects The Offer, The Rock Will Find A New Champion And Use Hi Influence To Secure A WrestleMania Main Event
I think there's also a chance that Cody Rhodes rejects The Rock's offer to become his champion, and while he's not happy, Dwayne Johnson takes the no and goes on his way. Later, we'll find out he found himself a willing champion, and not only that, The Rock used his influence to guarantee him a main event slot at WrestleMania. This will then create a triple threat match in which Cody Rhodes must defend his title against whoever wins at Elimination Chamber and who The Rock selects as his champion.
If the WWE takes this route, I think it's possible the offer will be made to CM Punk after he comes up short at Elimination Chamber. It's a well-known story at this point that Punk has dreamed of main eventing WrestleMania for decades but never had the chance to do so. The Rock extending him an opportunity to do so would be hard to pass up, and present an opportunity for a heelish Punk to roll into WrestleMania 41 as "The People's Champion." Would The Rock would let him carry his belt to the ring?
Perhaps we'll have more clarity on what's going on with The Rock's latest promo and proposition when Monday Night Raw is on Netflix on Monday at 8:00 p.m. ET. Here's hoping there's some plan in the works, and this isn't just some slapdash way to get Dwayne Johnson in the mix for WrestleMania 41 at the last minute.
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