WWE has changed its WrestleMania 40 plans by replacing Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title with The Rock vs. Roman Reigns.
According to a report from Pwinsider, it was suggested by some sources that Johnson made the decision to “save WrestleMania” after CM Punk and Brock Lesnar were removed from the event for different reasons.
However, other sources believe that The Rock advocated for the match due to his significant $30 million stock payout, which may have been dependent on certain milestones. These sources also mentioned that The Rock believed a match against Reigns would be more significant for the company than one against Rhodes. Regardless of the changes to other WrestleMania 40 plans, it seemed that “The Rock was back in the game” and the company’s top management was willing to support Dwayne Johnson’s ideas.
The company considered The Rock’s position on the Board of Directors, his influence in Hollywood, and the support of individuals like Ari Emanuel and Nick Khan. They believed that a match between The Rock and Reigns would attract a larger mainstream audience and help generate positive momentum for the company, especially during a time when the Vince McMahon allegations have been dominating headlines.
