Why was WWE legend's absence from Roman Reigns' match at WrestleMania 40 befitting of the situation? 

Roman Reigns' title run that spanned over 1,316 days concluded at WrestleMania 40 Night 2. Cody Rhodes pinned The Tribal Chief ending their saga from the previous year.

Before the anticipated bout there were reports of major WWE legends being involved in it. During Roman Reigns' extensive tenure as Universal Champion, he and The Bloodline did end up rubbing a few people the wrong way leading to no shortage of rivals. While The Rock took his cousin's side, The Undertaker and John Cena have a history of their own with the 38-year-old. However, one name in particular, who happens to be Rocky's arch nemesis - Stone Cold Steve Austin was allegedly among the list of legends returning.

The Texas Rattlesnake was not present for the main event nor show overall. This makes sense given that the stars who were involved in the match - Seth Rollins, John Cena, Jey Uso, and Taker, have disagreed and crossed paths with Reigns. The Shield's betrayal came full circle when Reigns attacked Rollins with a chair shot to his back, then at WrestleMania 33 the former WWE Champion defeated The Undertaker in what was supposed to be his last match, and John Cena's never-ending feud with him escalated since 2015. All three stars played vital roles in Roman Reigns' WWE career.

Following his loss, Roman Reigns was seen emotional and shared a hug with the Wise Man Paul Heyman.

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The Rock would have probably stolen the spotlight again if Steve Austin showed up

The Rock and Steve Austin were among the top feuds from the Attitude Era. Their egos and personalities opposed each other to the extent that they soon contradictorily complimented one another.

The Final Boss had taken over WWE ever since his comeback this year. From new entrances every week to feuding with Cody Rhodes to hinting at his position being higher than everyone else, the 51-year-old had somewhat stolen the spotlight.

If Steve Austin returned for a brief minute to interfere in Roman Reigns' match, it would have blown the roof arena but probably shifted focus from the main event. Despite The Undertaker and John Cena's disruption, Austin's would have garnered massive diversion given his history with The Rock.

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Cody Rhodes had an intense association with the WWE stars who helped him defeat Roman Reigns

Being the babyface in the feud, Cody Rhodes was on good terms with everyone. He praised John Cena and discussed the advice he gave him going into the match.

Additionally, The Undertaker showcased concern when Rhodes initially teased stepping down from his WrestleMania 40 spot to give it to The Rock. The new champion's association with many notable names in the industry comes from his late father Dusty Rhodes' contributions to the wrestling industry.

Roman Reigns' family also shares an intense relationship with the industry given how his father Sika Anoa'i and uncle Afa Anoa'i (The Wild Samoans) were an impressive tag team when they started their wrestling career with WWE back in the 80s.

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Stone Cold Steve Austin's WrestleMania return for the main event would have been too stuffy

Surprises for an event of such magnitude as WrestleMania 40 are always expected and kept under wraps.

The Bloodline members also interrupted the match in Roman Reigns' favor. However, Jimmy Uso met his match when his brother Jey Uso ran out and the two started to brawl. Solo Sikoa attempted to recreate the match ending from WrestleMania 39 but was unsuccessful.

When the Cenation Leader ran out to attack Sikoa, The Rock made his entrance and the two had a confrontation at a WrestleMania almost a decade later. There were already 7 WWE names involved in the match, making Steve Austin's addition running the risk of overflowing the interruptions.