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The Rock returned at WWE Bad Blood last week to send a cryptic message to Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes. It looked like something big was going to happen afterward, but the Stamford-based promotion completely ignored the massive development on the latest episode of SmackDown.
The Final Boss has reportedly told WWE that he will not be available for WrestleMania 41 next year because of his busy schedule. If that is the case, then a match between Roman Reigns and The Rock or a Triple-Threat match involving Cody Rhodes is out of the question for The Grandest Stage of Them All.
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Here are five stars The Original Tribal Chief can face instead of The Rock at WrestleMania 41.
#5. Solo Sikoa
Solo Sikoa took over The Bloodline and denounced Roman Reigns as The Tribal Chief earlier this year. Their feud officially began when The OTC returned at SummerSlam.
It seemed like WWE would book a match between the two cousins at Bash in Berlin or Bad Blood, but that did not happen. So, it is possible that the company could wait on it until WrestleMania 41, where Reigns may finally win back the Ula Fala.
Based on the latest developments on SmackDown, it looks like WWE is currently focused on building up a WarGames match between Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa's versions of The Bloodline at Survivor Series 2024.
#4. Seth Rollins
Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins have met inside the ring on various occasions since The Shield's breakup in 2014. The Visionary has always come out on top over his former Shield brother when it mattered the most.
Their last head-to-head encounter took place at Royal Rumble 2022 for the Universal Championship, where Rollins' mind games led to him winning the match via disqualification after Reigns attacked him with a steel chair.
Rollins is the reason why Reigns' historic Undisputed WWE Universal Title reign came to an end at the hands of Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania XL this year. The OTC attacking The Visionary gave The American Nightmare a chance to capture the gold.
With The Rock reportedly out of the picture, WWE could have Reigns and Rollins feud on the road to WrestleMania 41. The OTC could finally get a win against his former brother on a big stage and avenge what happened at The Show of Shows last year.
#3. Cody Rhodes
Roman Reigns returned after a long hiatus post-WrestleMania and surprisingly became Cody Rhodes' ally. But, he made it clear that he will come after the Undisputed WWE Championship eventually.
The OTC is busy with The Bloodline now, so he can not focus on the title picture. He is sure to demand a rematch with The American Nightmare once he is done with family business though.
WWE could book Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes III at WrestleMania 41 with no interruptions this time. Another way the company could book it is by having The American Nightmare turn heel and defend his title against a babyface Reigns.
The winner could go on to face The Rock at WrestleMania 42.
#2. Roman Reigns could put over Jacob Fatu at WrestleMania 41
WWE has booked Jacob Fatu like a monster since his debut in the summer. He has been protected from taking losses, and it looks like he is next in line to be The Tribal Chief.
The Samoan Werewolf vs. The Original Tribal Chief will be a huge encounter whenever it happens. If Fatu replaces Solo Sikoa as The Tribal Chief before WrestleMania 41, he could face Reigns at The Show of Shows next year.
Roman Reigns could put over Jacob Fatu and take time off from WWE after the potential loss. It would turn The Samoan Werewolf into a star and set him up for bigger things in the future.
#1. CM Punk
Roman Reigns and CM Punk do not see eye to eye. Both men have taken shots at each other on multiple occasions.
The Original Tribal Chief believes The Best in the World made his job a lot harder when he was The Big Dog, a babyface fans did not want to cheer. However, he has reportedly stated that he would face him if it was for the benefit of WWE.
Punk hinted after his return last year that he would come after Reigns eventually, so he could do that on the road to WrestleMania 41.
Reigns facing Punk would be a massive WrestleMania match due to their real-life beef. The build-up would also be interesting because of both men's history as Paul Heyman guys.
