The Final Boss shook up SmackDown, but his return wasnt something WWE had locked in for months.
According to Fightful Select, The Rocks appearance and the massive WrestleMania 42 announcement were finalized just days before the February 21 episode.
Sources inside WWE revealed that creative was caught off guard, with talent shocked when they learned The Rock would be showing up. His involvement led to major changesincluding Cody Rhodes being pulled from the original SmackDown main event and plans shifting on the fly.
The Rock didnt just drop the bombshell that WrestleMania 42 will take place in New Orleans next yearhe made it personal. Standing in the ring with Cody Rhodes, The Rock made his intentions crystal clear: he wants Codys soul. The TKO Board of Directors member told Rhodes to think about it and give him an answer at Elimination Chamber on March 1.
As for what this means for WrestleMania 41, everything is now up in the air. For months, WWE had been moving forward under the assumption that The Rock wasnt going to be available. Plans had been in place for Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena and different combinations of Roman Reigns, CM Punk, and Seth Rollins in the top title matches.
One top talent even joked that WrestleMania was at the mercy of Dwayne. That might not have been far offbecause now, just weeks before WrestleMania 41, everything is on the table.
Behind the scenes, Christian Scovell was listed as the writer for The Rocks segment, as he typically works on Cody Rhodes storylines. Meanwhile, Michael Hayes handled production duties. But for those wondering if The Rock was working off a strict scriptthe answer is no. The Great One does what he wants, and that includes throwing in an unscripted F-bomb mid-segment.
The Rock just flipped the entire WrestleMania landscape on its head, and WWE is scrambling to keep up. What was once a clear path for Cody Rhodes has now turned into a power struggle with The Final Boss looming over it all.
With Elimination Chamber just days away, all eyes are on Codydoes he bow to The Rocks demands, or does he fight back? One things for sure: WrestleMania season just got real. What do you think Cody should do? Let us know in the comments!
