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WWE is in WrestleMania season. This period is the most exciting time of the year for the Sports Entertainment juggernaut. While sometimes it can be predictable, this year's road to The Show of Shows has featured several unexpected swerves and turns.
One of the biggest swerves ever happened on Friday Night SmackDown last week. Cody Rhodes went face-to-face with Roman Reigns, but instead of challenging him for WrestleMania 40, he let The Rock steal his spot.
From there, fans were not happy. "Rocky Sucks" and "We Want Cody" chants have been constantly taking over any programming they have had since. This includes the WrestleMania XL Kickoff Press Event, where chaos erupted. Cody challenged Roman officially, and it led to The Rock slapping Rhodes and aligning himself with his real-life cousin.
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It appears The People's Champion is officially a heel in a move almost nobody would have seen coming a week or two ago. Now, the big question is: Why is arguably the biggest Hollywood star in the world a heel in professional wrestling? This article will look at a handful of possible explanations.
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Below are four reasons why The Rock turned heel at the WWE WrestleMania 40 Kickoff.
#4. The WWE Universe turned against The People's Champion
The most obvious reason why The Rock turned heel at the WWE WrestleMania XL Kickoff Press Event comes down to the simple fact that fans willed it into existence. The audience turned against The People's Champion, so a heel run makes sense.
As soon as the dust settled after SmackDown last week, fans turned on the former WWE Champion. They booed any graphic he was on, and the reaction online was almost all negative. Even The Brahma Bull's own daughter, Ava, unjustly received some of the brunt.
It would have been a bad decision for Triple H, The Rock, and company officials to fight the audience. That was standard in the Vince McMahon era. Clearly, the Endeavor, TKO Group Holdings, and The Game era are much more willing to work with the audience than Mr. McMahon was.
#3. The Bloodline becomes more relevant than ever
The Bloodline is a faction currently performing on WWE SmackDown. The members involved include Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman, Jimmy Uso, and Solo Sikoa. In the past, Jey Uso and Sami Zayn were also part of the stable.
The stable has been part of arguably the greatest ongoing storyline in wrestling history, but many WWE fans believed it had begun fizzling out. Like always, though, it was beginning to heat up with WrestleMania season. Now, it has arguably reached a new level altogether.
The Rock seemingly embracing and maybe even joining The Bloodline dramatically changes the group. The Brahma Bull is the biggest star in the world, and he may have joined the heel stable for that very reason. The Rock offers new life to the stable and makes it bigger than ever before.
#2. This was done to make Cody Rhodes an even bigger superstar
WWE is loaded with talented babyfaces. In the past six months, the Stamford-based company has had the likes of The Rock and John Cena appear or compete, in addition to stars such as Randy Orton, CM Punk, Jey Uso, Seth Rollins, Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch, Bianca Belair, LA Knight, and AJ Styles, among others.
Simply put, the Stamford-based company has a tremendous slew of top stars people love to cheer, but it is certainly arguable that Cody is the most over of them all. Given the stiff competition there, that is seriously saying a lot. At the same time, The American Nightmare has yet to truly reach the top level of the company. That spot, for now, remains Roman Reigns'.
The Rock turning heel could be the next step in helping elevate Cody that one final step. If Rhodes feuds with the biggest wrestler in the Stamford-based company and his real-life cousin, who is the biggest Hollywood star, it raises his stock even more. If Cody manages to stand tall over both WWE legends, he will undoubtedly be the biggest name in wrestling.
#1. This is a more intriguing story
Many fans expected Cody Rhodes to battle Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 40. Almost immediately after Cody lost at last year's show, some true believers felt it was a long-term story for him to overcome the odds.
While that is incredible storytelling and booking, it does lend itself to some issues. If Cody wins the Royal Rumble back-to-back and challenges Roman immediately, the Stamford-based company risks re-treading what they did last year. If that happens, there may be less interest in the bout.
By The Rock turning heel and becoming a major force in the story, everything is different. The dynamic is completely different. That alone makes The Brahma Bull's heel turn the right move. It shifts things completely, which then makes a more interesting story and an even more compelling product.
What was your reaction after seeing The Rock turning heel? Sound off in the comments section below!
