Cody Rhodes has the title. Solo Sikoa has the Ula Fala. The New Bloodline is getting two new members. The Rock is returning to WWE RAW. Is a Roman Reigns vs. The Rock match the key to finishing this storyline?
2025 is shaping up to be a huge year for wrestling fans. WWE Raw is coming to Netflix. Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens will be settling the score once and for all in the Royal Rumble. Charlotte Flair will be returning to the ring with a regal new look.
And fans might finally get to see Roman Reigns and The Rock fight at WrestleMania 41.
Wrestling fans have been eagerly awaiting a showdown between The Rock and Roman Reigns for years. These are “the two most successful members of the Samoan wrestling dynasty.” The Rock played an instrumental role in establishing Roman Reigns as a force to be reckoned with in WWE. The Rock was the one who stepped in to give Reigns after the disastrous 2015 Royal Rumble when the crowd “booed [him] out of the building.”
Having Roman Reigns- now “the Tribal Chief and biggest star in the game”– face off against The Rock at “the biggest WrestleMania main event in modern history” would be an amazing full-circle moment. Unfortunately, as The Sportster puts it, “things went off the rails” the moment this match was announced for WrestleMania 40.
Since his return to WWE in 2022, Cody Rhodes has had one goal: win the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion title. This is the title that his father- Dusty “The American Dream” Rhodes couldn’t win. Rhodes has spent the past two years working towards this goal and becoming “the most popular and beloved star in professional wrestling” along the way.
When 2024 began, the only thing between Cody Rhodes and his goal was Roman Reigns, the current Champion. All he had to do was beat Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40, and the title would be his.
By approving the Roman Reigns vs. The Rock match, WWE would be taking away Rhodes’ opportunity to fight for the title. Cody Rhodes’ fans flooded social media with outrage over The Rock “taking Cody’s spot” in the match against Reigns.
According to the “WrestleMania XL: Behind The Curtain” documentary, The Rock called off the match after seeing how upset Rhodes’ fans were. He said “Even if it’s a segment of fans, I don’t like that they’re upset…I knew that the choice, essentially, was mine.”
The Rock and Brian Gerwitz had to come up with a compromise. Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns would fight for the title (as was originally planned). The Rock would be Roman Reigns’ partner in a tag-team match against Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins
As the world rings in the new year, wrestling fans have already begun to speculate about WrestleMania 41. Many fans are hoping that 2025 will finally be the year that they get to see The Rock vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
After all, there are a lot of fans who want to see this match. Last year, fans didn’t take issue with the match itself. They simply believed that WrestleMania 40 wasn’t the right time because it would interfere with Cody Rhodes’ storyline.
In a recent SI Media Podcast interview, “Triple H” Levesque revealed that he already has the main event penciled in for WrestleMania 41. He clarified that it was penciled in “with an asterisk”.
“I cannot tell you what happens between today and Las Vegas… It can change… Can I say I have something penciled in? Yes. Do I think it will stay? I think, but I’m not sure.”
Though Triple H hasn’t revealed any names, there are many signs that The Rock will be one of those participants. His tag team match at WrestleMania 40 was The Rock’s first wrestling match in eight years. His last scheduled match was at WrestleMania 29 in 2013. He had an unscheduled match at WrestleMania 32 in 2016.
The Rock will be at the WWE RAW Netflix premiere on January 6, 2025. This will be a major return for The Rock. His last appearance on WWE live programming was Bad Blood on October 5, 2024. Figure Four Online shared a few excerpts of a recent issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. This issue revealed that WWE officials are expecting The Rock to appear at WrestleMania 41 “in some form.” Whether or not he will wrestle is “not a sure thing.”
The Rock initially planned to wrestle Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41. It now seems more plausible that Cody Rhodes will wrestle John Cena.
The Newsletter points out that “(Rhodes vs. Cena) isn’t etched in stone” and predicts that “whatever Rock wants to do, he’s likely going to be able to do.”
There is still the burning question: Will fans get to see The Rock vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 41? For the past two WrestleManias, a match between Roman Reigns and The Rock has been promised, then canceled. Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Universal Champion storyline is finished. The Rock has made his grand return to WWE and getting more involved in the scene. For many fans, it seems like WrestleMania 41 is the perfect time for this long-anticipated match.
And then there is the matter of The Bloodline.
Roman Reigns was once the Tribal Chief and Head of the Table. Ever since his return at SummerSlam 2024, Roman Reigns has been feuding with Solo Sikoa and his “New Bloodline.” Tonight, Solo Sikoa and Roman Reigns will fight for the Ula Fala.
If Sikoa loses, “he will lose the ability to hold the position of the Tribal Chief, along with losing credibility as the leader of the Bloodline.” The Rock has confirmed that he will be on RAW on January 6. If Sikoa loses to Reigns, The Rock could step in to replace him. By becoming the leader of the New Bloodline, The Rock would make him an enemy of Reigns, setting the stage for a clash at WrestleMania 41.
At WrestleMania 40, The Rock told Cody Rhodes that he wanted to go after the Undisputed WWE Undisputed Champion title once he made his comeback. The fact that Reigns has accepted help from Rhodes on multiple occasions could add more fuel to the fire of this rivalry.
If Solo Sikoa wins the match, The Rock can “[berate Reigns] for losing against Solo… [and] calling himself The Tribal Chief.” This can be the start of a fierce rivalry that comes to a head at WrestleMania 41.
Lance Anoa’i and Hikuelo will be making their WWE debuts soon. Hikuelo is Tama Tonga’s younger brother. Lance Anoa’i is Roman Reigns’ nephew. The Rock can anger Roman Reigns by introducing Lance and Hikuelo to the New Bloodline.
Fans agree that The Rock vs Roman Reigns would be the perfect conclusion to the Roman Reigns vs The New Bloodline story. However, they might be waiting until WM42 before they see that match
The official roster for WrestleMania 41 is a work in progress, but the event is still months away. Regardless of who The Rock fights, WrestleMania will be amazing because the wrestlers will have their fans cheering them on.
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our newsletter here. Check out Stadium Rant Original shows on our YouTube channel and subscribe! Give our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok a follow for more great content!
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our newsletter here. Check out Stadium Rant Original shows on our Youtube channel and subscribe! Give our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok a follow for more great content!
