The build-up to WrestleMania 40 is already reaching a fever pitch, but it's partly because of the events happening outside of the ring. After reports that the WWE leaning into the #WeWantCody movement didn't necessarily alter plans for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson facing Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, wrestling fans are still pulling for Cody Rhodes to be in the main event, and they're bombarding Johnson's social media. "The Great One" has stayed quiet for the most part regarding the online criticism, but he dropped a cryptic statement ahead of the press conference in Las Vegas.
Wrestling fans are furious at The Rock for potentially robbing Cody Rhodes of his rematch with Roman Reigns after allegedly making a WrestleMania match part of his deal for joining the TKO Board of Directors. Fans have targeted his daughter and NXT star Ava Raine, and they're also booing videos of Dwayne Johnson at live events and raiding the comments on his social media. Here's just a sample of some of the top comments on his latest Instagram post:
- #rockysucks - ddang_jun
- We want Cody - luis_mena17
- Please… Don't take away Cody moment. - Zse4zse4
- The Rock should sit...this one out #WeWantCody - prowrestlingrelated
- Dwayne, y’all better not do my boy Cody dirty! 😤 - young_a24
The Rock does have some supporters chiming in, but the support is few and far between. As mentioned on Monday Night Raw, the hashtag "We want Cody" trended near the top of social media for close to 72 hours before the show began, and it hasn't slowed down much since.
Ironically enough, The Rock is as "unflinching" to the criticism as Cody Rhodes said he was when the media asked him months ago about the possibility of the superstar taking his slot at WrestleMania 40. The Rock arrived in Las Vegas ahead of the press conference to solidify plans, and he gave the following cryptic statement, which was shared on WWE's social media:
Welcome to Vegas. I have a feeling this press conference will be talked about forever. Signing off, your long-gamer.
Dwayne Johnson's referring to himself as a "long-gamer" could mean many things, especially when applied to wrestling. My general assumption is that he's talked about the long game of ongoing WWE storytelling, which can have feuds that last for months or even years. The real question is what storyline is The Rock invested in as a long-gamer and whether it's the same thing fans want to see at upcoming WWE events.
Right now, there's hope that the fans' petitioning will pressure the WWE to add Cody Rhodes as a competitor in a triple-threat main event match against The Rock and Roman Reigns, assuming the main event is locked via contracts. That might be what Johnson is hinting at, but he could also be implying that the long game is The Rock defeating Reigns and Cody, then challenging "The Brahma Bull" for the title later this year.
Pure speculation here, but what if Reigns, The Rock, and Cody Rhodes were then the main event of WrestleMania 41? Is that worth delaying Rhodes' "finishing the story" and winning the title his father never had? The debate rages on among fans.
The WWE's WrestleMania 40 kick-off press conference will stream live for those with a Peacock Premium Subscription at 7:00 p.m. ET, per the 2024 TV schedule. Hopefully, we'll all get some definitive answers on what is happening at the big event in Philadelphia and what it means for Cody Rhodes, Dwayne Johnson, and Roman Reigns.
