The main event of WrestleMania 41’s second night, where John Cena clinched his historic 17th WWE Championship, has sparked intense discussions in the days following. This debate was bound to continue regardless of additional comments. However, The Rock has now joined the conversation, shedding light on the lead-up to his Elimination Chamber moment and why he wasn’t present at WrestleMania match. These revelations have fueled even more discussions about the event. I aim to clarify the timeline of The Rock’s involvement in this WrestleMania storyline, along with his own comments on the narrative. Upon closer examination, the sequence of events appears rather puzzling.
Bad Blood – October 5th, 2024
Kicking things off with Bad Blood 2024, marking my first of several upcoming shows, I was involved in a tale that brought together Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes. They teamed up in the main event to face off against Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu from the new Bloodline. Jimmy Uso made his comeback during this match to aid Reigns, but the real shocker was me! I made a surprise entrance after the match, choosing to stay silent except for signaling 1, 2, 3, followed by a cut-throat gesture before exiting the scene.
Initially, it was quite perplexing, and looking back now, it remains hard to understand in the broader context. It appeared as though this event served merely to create a shock effect and possibly foreshadow future events, but then Rock reconciled with Rhodes during the Netflix premiere, seemingly resolving everything that had been building up before. However, even if there were earlier plans for more conflict, it seems those were abandoned in the end.
SmackDown February 21st, 2025
As a die-hard WWE fan, I can tell you that things took an exciting turn on February 21st’s SmackDown episode. That’s when The Rock stepped into the ring and faced off against Cody Rhodes. In a surprising twist, The Rock announced he was ready to grant any wish or request Rhodes could ever dream of, as long as there was one condition met. Initially, Rhodes thought The Rock was after the Championship title, but he was in for a shock. The Rock clarified that it wasn’t the championship he was after; instead, he left us hanging on what his true intention might be.
In reaction to Rhodes gesturing towards the Undisputed WWE Championship, The Rock swiftly rejected the idea, although he later admitted his desire was for something much more uncommon. The Rock declared, “I don’t want that; I want your soul.” This statement left Rhodes and the entire audience bewildered, as they were unsure of what he meant by this request, and it was at this moment that The Rock became a significant part of this specific narrative.
SmackDown – February 28th, 2025
In the following episode of SmackDown, the narrative unfolded with The Rock showering Rhodes with extravagant gestures such as gourmet feasts, a luxurious dressing room suite, and a custom Raptor truck adorned with Cody’s emblem and artwork, which was unveiled on the ramp.
On the screen (Titantron), The Rock made a video at an airport before heading to the Elimination Chamber event. He was trying to persuade Rhodes in his message, becoming increasingly eccentric, even suggesting he had conversations with Dusty Rhodes about Cody’s upcoming decision. As we approach the Elimination Chamber, The Rock and Cody Rhodes are the main figures in this developing storyline.
Elimination Chamber – March 1st, 2025
At Elimination Chamber, we reached the pivotal moment that reshaped everything. John Cena defeated CM Punk to secure his chance at WrestleMania 41. However, instead of leaving, he stayed on to witness the highly anticipated clash between The Rock and Cody Rhodes. When Rhodes rejected Rock’s proposal with conviction, it was then that Rock signaled for Cena to act. Seizing the opportunity, Cena viciously attacked Rhodes alongside Travis Scott (who was accompanying The Rock), marking one of the most significant villainous transformations in professional wrestling since Hulk Hogan’s turn in WCW all those years ago.
Now, we delve into some intriguing details. In a recent conversation with Pat McAfee, Rock shared his perspective on how he became part of Elimination Chamber and the concept that eventually evolved into Cody’s Soul storyline, a decision aimed at bolstering the event.
About a month before the Elimination Chamber event, I received a call. The person on the line was Ari Emanuel, who is well-known for owning TKO, a company that also owns WWE. For more than 20 years, Ari has been both my business partner and one of my closest friends. He expressed concern about the Elimination Chamber event because ticket sales were sluggish, but he also mentioned something beyond that. The issue was that Elimination Chamber had become a pay-per-view event that fans enjoyed, but it also served as a stepping stone to WrestleMania. His concern was how they could make the Elimination Chamber event so compelling that viewers would feel compelled to tune in.
In a conversation with Triple H and Nick, Ari expressed an idea. He emphasized that the most significant concern for the Final Boss isn’t about titles, wealth, or popularity. Having experienced those aspects, he acknowledged his gratitude for them. Instead, the Final Boss yearns for something deeper – one’s soul, according to Rock.
Rock hinted that the upcoming Elimination Chamber match might involve Cody Rhodes making a deal with the Final Boss, potentially selling his soul. At the time, our discussion revolved around this possibility serving as a gauge for fan reaction. As it turned out, many fans were eager for such a scenario, deeming it intriguing and exciting. Essentially, Rock suggested that we should move forward with this storyline, given the strong response from fans.
WrestleMania 41 – April 20th, 2025
Following Elimination Chamber, WWE geared up intensely for the highly-anticipated match between Cody Rhodes and John Cena at WrestleMania 41. This preparation included frequent appearances by Cena on Monday Night Raw, as well as a couple of visits to SmackDown. Over the past few weeks, both wrestlers had plenty to say, with Cena delivering speeches and so did Rhodes, although they often didn’t converse directly during this time. Instead, each took turns giving solo promos initially.
A recurring theme throughout the discourse was The Rock’s involvement, particularly Cena aligning with The Rock. This topic was frequently addressed by Cena during his speeches, and Rhodes often mentioned it, notably when they were face to face. This sparked anticipation among fans that The Rock would make an appearance at WrestleMania to advance or conclude the narrative. However, unexpectedly, this didn’t transpire. Instead, only Travis Scott became involved in the conflict, with The Rock nowhere to be found.
In an interview on ESPN, The Rock shared that he suggested stepping away from WrestleMania and not making an appearance. He explained, “As we were planning for John’s coronation at WrestleMania, becoming the 17-time Champion and turning heel, I realized it was best for ‘The Final Boss’. We have already established the concept of Cody’s soul, so we can always revisit that. I felt it was better for me to take a step back during this moment. Let John be in the spotlight. Let Cody shine. Let’s not focus on their souls. Instead, let them showcase their abilities.
In this narrative, there appears to be an inconsistency given the magnitude of effort invested in developing the idea initially. Whether the plot unfolded swiftly or not, the concept of Cody’s soul and the struggle for it was heavily established, with The Rock serving as the main adversary. If Cena had betrayed Rhodes in isolation, setting aside that storyline for the current conflict might have been more logical. However, since The Rock played a pivotal role in Cena turning on Rhodes and was directly involved, exiting the scene at this point would create a conspicuous gap. Leaving the stage at this juncture wouldn’t work as it should have occurred separately from Cena’s betrayal. In simpler terms, the storyline had already become intertwined with Cena’s character development, making an exit seem unrealistic.
In a recent statement, Rock discussed the conclusion of the game and revealed they had six weeks to prepare, but an intriguing aspect was when he admitted he was just as surprised as everyone else upon Scott’s arrival. He also acknowledged that this sudden appearance would undoubtedly have a significant impact on fans’ perceptions.
Rock expressed equal surprise upon seeing Travis Scott, and his immediate recognition of Travis was like recognizing the Final Boss. In other words, their anticipation had been built up to this moment.
In simpler terms, at the close of each event, John Cena – who is currently the heel Champion known as North Star, and considered the Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T) – has declared that he intends to disrupt wrestling. Now, we’re all tuning in weekly to watch this unfold. The Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson suggested that certain aspects could be tweaked slightly more for a smoother outcome; he would have refined it more elegantly.
The Future
It looks like The Rock won’t be part of the ongoing storyline between Cena and Rhodes for now, but there could be potential for him to influence Rhodes’ character in the future as a heel, and possibly revisit the story of Cody Rhodes later on.
Rock expressed his support for the gradual turning of Cody into a villain character, not immediately, but at some point in the future. He believes this is a good idea because Cody is intelligent and skilled, a “ring general.” The reason for the turn should be significant and deeply rooted in Cody’s character, influencing generations, and it should transcend the boundaries of professional wrestling, which fans are already enjoying.
Afterwards, he discussed the upcoming events. “By the way,” Rock mentioned, “we’ll revisit that topic.” “We’ll delve into our essence again,” he added. “I’ve received some texts from high-ranking individuals, and one of them, a man I highly respect, referred to as my ‘Superman in the company,’ said something profound: ‘When it’s time, my spirit is up for grabs.’ And I responded with enthusiasm, ‘Let’s make it happen.’
It seems like we might still have more to explore with the soul storyline, though it remains uncertain whether it’ll be revisited or forgotten as other elements shift throughout the year. Time will reveal the answer.
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2025-04-24 05:40