WWE President Nick Khan recently sparked controversy by claiming in a conversation with Sports Business Journal that the plans for WrestleMania XL never changed and that WWE legend The Rock was always scheduled to participate in a tag team match at the event. This statement raised eyebrows among fans and experts, as WWE had previously acknowledged in the WrestleMania XL documentary that they were forced to make adjustments to their plans.
According to Fightful Select, Khan’s claim has been disputed. The report states that The Rock had informed Undisputed WWE Champion “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes before the Royal Rumble that he did not intend to interfere with WWE’s plans for him at WrestleMania. However, by the time the Royal Rumble occurred, those intentions had changed.
The report further indicated that on the day of the Royal Rumble, news circulated that The Rock would indeed be wrestling at WrestleMania XL. Rhodes was informed that changes had been made to the WrestleMania plans, leading to his decision to step aside for The Rock after winning the Royal Rumble. This move resulted in significant outrage on social media due to Dwayne Johnson’s insertion into the WrestleMania main event at the expense of The American Nightmare.
Rhodes has publicly and privately expressed that if fans were aware of the company’s original plans for him at that year’s WrestleMania, they would have been even more upset. However, the specifics of those plans remain unknown.
Ultimately, WWE was compelled to make further adjustments, leading to The Rock turning heel and teaming up with World Heavyweight Champion “The OTC” Roman Reigns. He debuted his iconic Final Boss character and engaged in a memorable feud with Rhodes on the Road to WrestleMania XL. The Rock participated in a tag team match alongside Reigns against Rhodes and Seth Rollins on Night One, which had significant implications for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Match scheduled for the following night.
In the end, Rhodes defeated Reigns in a Bloodline Rules Match at Night Two, capturing the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. He is now a three-time champion, currently holding the title.