Dr. Alan Grant Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 (edited) Is there any chance that The Rock, or more accurately Dwayne Johnson, sees all the negative reaction he’s getting and drops out? He can have his match with Reigns down the line. Does he really want his big comeback to be potentially drowned out in a sea of boos?  He didn’t look at all happy when Reigns won the Rumble years ago and the crowd shat all over it, and he didn’t want to work in the Thunderdome, so he clearly cares about crowd reactions. Edited February 6 by Dr. Alan Grant Additional Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinc Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 37 minutes ago, d-d-d-dAz said: I think they'll try and make #wewantcody so uncool it'll just fizzle The best of all universes is if Rock hugs Cody so close they both get booed at Mania. All seriousness though, this situation could turn Rock into an all-time great Mr McMahon figure if they want it. I think Rock wants to stay babyface with his presidential run in mind but its right there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Fatty Facesitter Posted February 6 Paid Members Share Posted February 6 1 hour ago, Duke said: So, essentially, in storyline, Cody caved to the Rock and then had a bit of a cry and wants his ball back. What a babyface. I have faith in RollerCodester to get it right and keep everyone on side. Everyone thought the novelty might wear off after Wrestlemania 39 - it hasn't because people are really clamouring for him to be the man and they don't look at him as a dopey babyface as a result. I think he's got every bit of ability needed to shed that tag about getting little brothered by The Rock. I actually think Rock should lean into a heel role for this. It would make him possibly an even bigger heel than Roman but in the long term it would possibly even make him more beloved for their eventual clash, or possibly even turn Roman face down the line. Hollywood Rock using it as a platform to mug off everyone who's been hating on him for things like Black Adam and taking Cody's spot etc. It's the perfect timing. That would make me want to see a triple threat even more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FUM Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 What a waste of an over 3 year title reign if Roman was to lose it in a triple threat. An absolute out for him even if he takes the fall rather than someone taking him down and becoming a star. I don’t think a title unification match down the line is out of the question though as the loser bracket title was only really created so they had a champion around. Once Roman loses the strap, there is no need for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Supremo Posted February 6 Paid Members Share Posted February 6 (edited) God, the more I think about it, the more I suspect they will do the three-way and all the #WeWantCody lot will celebrate that as a huge victory. Arguably even more depressing than last Friday’s shitshow. An even bigger mess that achieves nothing. Edited February 6 by Supremo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScarlettChad Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 22 minutes ago, Dr. Alan Grant said: Is there any chance that The Rock, or more accurately Dwayne Johnson, sees all the negative reaction he’s getting and drops out? He can have his match with Reigns down the line. Does he really want his big comeback to be potentially drowned out in a sea of boos?  He didn’t look at all happy when Reigns won the Rumble years ago and the crowd shat all over it, and he didn’t want to work in the Thunderdome, so he clearly cares about crowd reactions. Melter says Rock doesn't care if he's booed. He cares about "The Box Office" so no chance he drops out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRooster Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 7 minutes ago, FUM said: What a waste of an over 3 year title reign if Roman was to lose it in a triple threat. An absolute out for him even if he takes the fall rather than someone taking him down and becoming a star. Even if the match is great, it would be the worst outcome; not that their options are particularly good at this point. You either waste Roman losing the title after such a lengthy reign, or are forced into needlessly prolonging his time as champion. You waste Rock's return to wrestling; and also waste the first time he is in the ring with Roman - perhaps the only time he'll do this. If they have Cody face Rollins, people will shit all over Reigns/Rock. If they have Reigns face Cody, the pivot from Cody saying what he said on Smackdown to now is so sharp that it makes both him and The Rock look daft. Having Cody say he'll challenge the winner on the Raw or Smackdown after 'Mania would be preferable to that; although that's still a bad idea. They've booked themselves into a situation where they're having to pick the best bad idea - and it was totally avoidable. It's so frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 (edited) 8 minutes ago, Supremo said: God, the more I think about it, the more I suspect they will do the three-way and all the #WeWantCody lot will celebrate that as a huge victory. Arguably even more depressing that last Friday’s shitshow. An even bigger mess that achieves nothing. It's traditionally been their fix for exactly this situation, that's why people are suggesting it.  I don't think anyone WANTS a triple threat but at this stage we're just trying to predict the outcome of conversations presumably a lot like this, that are happening right now at Titan Towers. I don't really get the alternative plan, the "Roman wrestles two matches in two nights" as that makes HIM look like a chump and that's something they've been very keen to avoid for the last few years.  It also diminishes any potential win on night 2. The perfect, good, acceptable, and desirable options are long gone starting with what happened 12 months ago.  We're in the "what does least damage whilst catering for the most amount of fans" so having all three in the main event of Night 2 at least has some logic to it. TL:DR Cody already looks like a cuck, The Rock is already getting boos.  Whatever they do needs to not spread the poison to Roman too. Edited February 6 by Loki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Version1.0 Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 So Mania 20, 30 and 40 they've had to do a triple threat becuase they wouldn't fully get behind Benoit, Bryan and Cody... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRooster Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 2 minutes ago, Version1.0 said: So Mania 20, 30 and 40 they've had to do a triple threat becuase they wouldn't fully get behind Benoit, Bryan and Cody... I genuinely don't think that's accurate in this case. I think they're willing to get behind Cody, but they kicked the ball over the bar when the goal was open for reasons best known to them. Maybe they wanted to switch up the news agenda so people weren't talking about McMahon, maybe it was a foolish pivot after Punk got injured, maybe it was something else or a combination of things - but I don't think it's indication of a lack of belief in Cody; which, in a way, makes the whole thing even more stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted February 6 Paid Members Share Posted February 6 24 minutes ago, Fatty Facesitter said: I actually think Rock should lean into a heel role for this. It would make him possibly an even bigger heel than Roman but in the long term it would possibly even make him more beloved for their eventual clash, or possibly even turn Roman face down the line. Hollywood Rock using it as a platform to mug off everyone who's been hating on him for things like Black Adam and taking Cody's spot etc. It's the perfect timing. That would make me want to see a triple threat even more. While I do thing the end-game of the Roman Reigns title reign and Bloodline story has always been that he would be turned babyface at the end of it all - there's surely a reason that, even as he cheats and uses outside interference to win, the commentary track when it dwells on him having defended the title never talks about that, only about what a dominant and unbeatable champion he is, and I suspect that it's at least in part because that way they can use those clips in video packages later down the line when he's a babyface again - I'm not sure how well doing it against a heel Rock works, if only because it keeps us firmly in the world of Anoai family drama for at least another six months to a year. I assume Reigns takes a long leave of absence after he loses the belt, so if The Rock is to win, what next? People aren't going to be happy after a year of people calling Reigns out as a part-time champion for him to just lose it to another part-timer. And if Reigns wins? Do we have another go at it, Cody winning the Rumble again next year, setting up for another match which this time he'll win but, oh wait, actually CM Punk is back, and they've talked Steve Austin into working a match, or some other huge signing has come along, or another babyface has got hotter, so let's hold it off again. I said last year that Roman Reigns wasn't losing this title until 2025, and I'm not convinced he even loses it then. Even if they course correct and somehow, some way, actually come up with a brilliant way of rewriting all of this and making it make sense, getting Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns in a singles match, and The Rock being happy not to work that match this year, while also not pissing off the people who now want to see Rock vs. Roman, if they someone manage to pull all of that off, is Cody Rhodes in a better position to win that match than he was when he won the Rumble? And even then, was he in a better position to main event Wrestlemania and beat Roman Reigns than he was last time around? Whatever happens, they've fucked it twice over, and it's only through the sheer force of will of Cody Rhodes that he hasn't been rejected as a top babyface - somehow everything that made him look like a weird robot who learned to speak and emote by watching old wrestling tapes in AEW makes him seem like the most genuine and organic good guy WWE have seen in years.  The problem with them leaning into "#WeWantCody" by having some of their talent Tweet about it, planting signs, and just generally acknowledging it all in the first place, is that it doesn't make sense any more. Why is Logan Paul, a massive heel, Tweeting about it if Cody's supposed to be the underdog babyface in all of this? When Daniel Bryan forced his way into a Wrestlemania main event, it was with an on-screen heel Authority that people genuinely believed were holding him back, and in many ways had been, for months. When they needed to course-correct, fans could blame it all on the on-screen characters of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, and Daniel Bryan could force the hand of those characters, and face Triple H at Wrestlemania, to make the story start to make sense. We don't have that here. Nobody is blaming Adam Pearce or Nick Aldis for Cody not being in the main event. No on-screen Authority robbed Cody of his spot, he gave it up willingly. There's no way to write there way out of this short of turning Cody Rhodes or The Rock heel, and I don't think the latter is a good choice, nor do I think he would go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Hannibal Scorch Posted February 6 Paid Members Share Posted February 6 Maybe I am remembering it wrong, but wasn't the whole deal at Mania 30 was the audience wanted D Bry but HHH wanted the main event spot and he was The Authority? If so, isn't that exactly what is happening now that Dwayne Johnson is on the legitimate board of directors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TildeGuy~! Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 1 minute ago, Hannibal Scorch said: Maybe I am remembering it wrong, but wasn't the whole deal at Mania 30 was the audience wanted D Bry but HHH wanted the main event spot and he was The Authority? If so, isn't that exactly what is happening now that Dwayne Johnson is on the legitimate board of directors? The main event was supposed to be Batista Vs Orton but the fans shat on it after Batista’s rumble win, so Triple H and Daniel Bryan had a match where if Bryan won he’d be inserted into the main event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Alan Grant Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 27 minutes ago, TheScarlettChad said: Melter says Rock doesn't care if he's booed. He cares about "The Box Office" so no chance he drops out. It’s one thing getting booed because you’re a heel. It’s another thing getting booed because you’ve contractually backdoored your way into the main event at the expense of ongoing storylines. It’s some shady behaviour rightfully getting called out. But that all depends on if the reports are actually true, that this was part of the TKO board deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatvinylgeek Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 Could one way to maybe partly slightly salvage it, be to have The Rock as a ref/enforcer (although it doesn't solve the "just not at Wrestlemania line". Cody called and told him Roman always cheats via interference and that is not proper behaviour for any "Head of the table". Rock then prevents shenanigans from taking place during the match, counts the 3 for Cody. Solves some problems 1. Roman gets mad that Rock chose Cody over blood and demands a match with Rock 2. Rock gets to steal the spotlight and raise and shake Cody's hand at the end 3. Cody gets his singles match (albeit with the Rock still interjected) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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