Cody Rhodes sends a 14-word message to The Rock in first SmackDown of the new era

Cody Rhodes opened the first SmackDown of the new era, which was also the first SmackDown after WrestleMania 40. In an uninterrupted promo, he sent a key message to The Rock.

This past week, on the RAW after WrestleMania, Cody was interrupted by The Rock, who revealed that he would be leaving for a while (as expected). However, he handed something to him, something that Cody could recognize without even looking at it.

This week on WWE SmackDown, Cody hit back at The Rock, making it clear that he will be ready whenever The Final Boss decides to step up. He sent a 14-word message, saying:

It's going to be exciting to see how things play out in this rivalry in the future. It's unclear whether it will be the direction for WWE SummerSlam or even WrestleMania next year, but perhaps it's too early to tell.

Considering how The Rock's schedule often changes, there are likely to be back-up plans in place. But The Biggest Party of The summer is four months away and WrestleMania is a whole year away.

For now, Cody Rhodes will be focused on WWE Backlash in Lyon, France, where he will face his first challenger for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

While Cody Rhodes has finished his story at The Grandest Stage of Them All, his challenges as the champion have just started.