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After an explosive start to 2023 with a Royal Rumble win, Cody Rhodes walked into WrestleMania 39 to stand toe-to-toe with the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Reigns pinning Rhodes in the main event of the Show of Shows was met with intense backlash from fans and several critics alike. Many felt the company's decision to lose The American Nightmare was reminiscent of something that happened three decades ago.
Lex Luger won the Royal Rumble in 1994 alongside Bret "The Hitman" Hart, marking the first and only time two superstars shared the honor. However, despite Luger being marketed as a true Americano, he ultimately lost his momentum and never recovered. 30 years later, on the inaugural episode of his podcast Lex Expressed, the 65-year-old veteran reflected on Cody's moment:
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"There is a lot to say for seizing the moment. Cody had a lot of momentum," Lex began. "Sometimes, you have to seize the moment. Now, we see other stars rising up. There's talk of The Rock coming in. Cody, I think he's one of the best workers, the best interview. His costuming is immaculate. I love Cody Rhodes, but I'm a little concerned for him. I know he's very confident and I don't know about the storyline they have for him, but maybe he missed his moment there. So, we shall see. To be continued. I hope not." [H/T: Fightful]
Instead of beginning his second run in WWE with a world championship win, Rhodes captured the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship first. This happened last Saturday night when he and Jey Uso defeated The Judgment Day at WWE Fastlane.
Mark Henry feels The Rock is "selfish" to show up out of nowhere eyeing for WWE WrestleMania
One of the biggest supporters of the 2023 Royal Rumble winner is David LaGreca of Busted Open Radio, as evident with his latest rant about The Rock's return. He was affronted by the Attitude Era star's comments, and Mark Henry shared his thoughts on the matter.
According to the WWE Hall of Famer, The Rock's return diminishes the value of a potential rematch between Reigns and Rhodes at WrestleMania 40:
"I disagree with the fact that he [The Rock] was disrespectful," Henry felt about The Rock implying Reigns vs. Rhodes at WrestleMania 39 was Plan B. "But I do agree that it was a little selfish. Like, sometimes you got to keep some stuff to yourself."
The World's Strongest Man then explained why:
"Cody [Rhodes] is on the trajectory of being the face of pro-wrestling, and that basically said that, it fell through. 'It was a lock', his words, not mine. 'It was a lock. We were doing it.' Whatever happened, it fell through. So that was a contingency plan," Mark Henry stated.
WrestleMania 40 is scheduled to happen at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, over two days - April 7 and 8, 2024. There is still time for the creative team to decide for the main event of the show.
Are you Team Rock or Team Rhodes? Sound off in the comments section below.
