The Rock has provided insight into his actions after slapping Cody Rhodes in the face during the WrestleMania 40 media event in Las Vegas on Thursday.
Taking to Instagram, the Great One conveyed that Rhodes quickly faced consequences for speaking disrespectfully about his family:
“I’ve embraced the wild ride of this world and relish every moment of it. It’s been decades since professional wrestling has garnered this level of excitement for WRESTLEMANIA, and we find ourselves in rarefied air, a thrilling experience for us wrestlers, our organization, and above all—our devoted fans.
“Your hero crossed a line and learned swiftly what happens when you disrespect our family. Boundaries were trespassed—let the challenge commence. We don’t bend to anyone’s will. The road to Wrestlemania begins…”
However, there are still aspects of this narrative that require clarification. Rhodes didn’t make derogatory remarks about The Rock’s family. Instead, he highlighted the Bloodline family tree in response to Roman Reigns repeatedly invoking Cody’s father, Dusty Rhodes.
Cody suggested that if Reigns’ grandfather and Peter Maivia, Rock’s grandfather, were present today, they would “be ashamed” of Reigns’ treatment of other Bloodline members over the past two years.
This somehow led The Rock to perceive Cody as at fault and slap him. The Brahma Bull did include #longgamer in the caption, hinting at a deeper, long-term explanation that will connect all the dots.
What is crystal clear is that The Rock is fully embracing a villainous role in this storyline. This marks his first outright portrayal as a heel in WWE since 2003.
Answers may be forthcoming soon. Paul Heyman has announced that both Rock and Reigns will appear on the Feb. 16 episode of Friday Night SmackDown.
NEXT WEEK @HeymanHustle is bringing @WWERomanReigns and @TheRock with him to #SmackDown… 👀☝️ pic.twitter.com/VhzW7Gt8P5
— WWE (@WWE) February 10, 2024
WWE @WWENEXT WEEK @HeymanHustle is bringing @WWERomanReigns and @TheRock with him to #SmackDown… 👀☝️
WWE has confirmed that Reigns and Rhodes will vie for the undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 40. The altercation at the media event seemed to hint at a potential tag match featuring Rock and Reigns against Rhodes and possibly Seth Rollins.
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