The second night of WrestleMania 40 ended with Cody Rhodes defeating Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Championship. The Rock played a crucial role in the match. Many already know this wasn't the initial plan. But when did The American Nightmare find out about the now-postponed bout between Rocky and Reigns?
At the beginning of 2024, The Rock returned to WWE to set up a match with Roman Reigns for WrestleMania 40. The decision to do this was frowned upon by fans, as many believed Cody Rhodes deserved to challenge the champion instead of Rocky. Interestingly, The American Nightmare was informed of the plan on January 28.
In the WrestleMania XL: Behind the Curtain documentary, Triple H said he informed Cody Rhodes that Roman Reigns vs. The Rock would happen on The Grandest Stage of Them All on the day of Royal Rumble 2024.
"I sat with Cody at the Royal Rumble in the afternoon and told him. It was becoming more of a reality, that the match with Roman and [The] Rock could take place at WrestleMania, and I don't think anybody knew a thing outside of Cody, and I'm sure that was a brutal day." (From 14:15 to 14:36)
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Rhodes eventually won the Men's Royal Rumble Match for the second consecutive year. Despite knowing he wouldn't challenge The Head of the Table at 'Mania, he still teased a match with him after the big win by pointing at him.
The Stamford-based promotion eventually changed the plans for the WrestleMania XL main event. Rocky and Roman Reigns teamed up to take on Rhodes and Seth Rollins on Night One, while Reigns and The American Nightmare had their title match on Night Two.
How did Cody Rhodes feel after finding out The Rock vs. Roman Reigns was set for WrestleMania 40?
Unsurprisingly, The American Nightmare wasn't the biggest fan of the initial plan for the WrestleMania XL main event. However, his main concern was viewers' reactions to the controversial booking.
In the same documentary, Cody Rhodes said he had to continue pushing to not lose the fans' faith. He also noted that some viewers could have been upset had he not challenged Roman Reigns at WrestleMania after a two-year title pursuit.
It will be interesting to see if the three men will cross paths again in WWE.
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If you use any quotes from this article, please credit WWE and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.