Cody Rhodes Says The Rock Was Set To Replace Him In Epic WrestleMania Clash

Cody Rhodes recently made a shocking revelation about his clash with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. Wrestling fans have been eagerly waiting for the upcoming WrestleMania documentary, which will likely feature many behind-the-scenes developments. Ahead of its release, Rhodes appeared on a recent episode of the Busted Open Radio podcast.

During the interaction, the American Nightmare shared he was not initially chosen to challenge Reigns at the biggest WWE event. According to Rhodes, the company was slated to send Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for the Undisputed Universal Heavyweight Championship match.

The plan, however, was changed later after fans voiced their support for Cody Rhodes, who deservingly secured a place in the WrestleMania roster by triumphing at the Royal Rumble in January. Despite his victory, the creative team of WWE wanted to replace Rhodes with The Rock, who was desperate to make a strong statement at WrestleMania. Rhodes was completely unaware of this development and got to learn about it on the day of Royal Rumble.

“We talked a little bit about that in the behind-the-scenes documentary. The one thing that is revealed in that documentary and might put things in a different perspective for people is I found out the possibility of The Rock versus Roman Reigns on the day of the Royal Rumble,” Rhodes said on the Busted Open Radio podcast, as quoted by Wrestle Zone.

It was undoubtedly heartbreaking news for Rhodes, who kept his eyes on the championship for a long time. “I had to leave that room, head up, and make sure no one knew what could happen. One of the more difficult days I’ve had in the wrestling business. But also, how could you complain when you’re winning the Royal Rumble, when you’re pointing at the sign? over 20,000 people in Tampa, it was such a high, such a low,” the 38-year-old WWE superstar recalled.

WWE might have planned a baby face versus heel match for Roman Reigns and Dwayne Johnson. Considering the fans’ expectations, the company decided to put Johnson and Reigns in one team. Cody Rhodes ultimately managed to overcome all odds and dethroned “The Tribal Chief” to become the new champion.