Roman Reigns Opens Up on The Rock, Cody Rhodes, and WrestleMania 40 Main Event
In a recent interview on the SI Media podcast with Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina, WWE superstar Roman Reigns shared his thoughts on the highly anticipated WrestleMania 40 matchups involving The Rock and Cody Rhodes. The Original Tribal Chief was asked about the backstage buzz regarding whether he would face The Rock or Rhodes in the main event.
Reigns expressed that he was not concerned about the identity of his opponent, as his focus was solely on defending his spot as the main event and WWE Champion. “It doesn’t matter to me. I was the main event. I’m the guy that everyone wanted to dance with, you know. I am the hot chick, everyone wanted to take me out,” Reigns said. He acknowledged the effort from Rhodes, The Rock, and others to stop his historic reign at the top of WWE.
After Rhodes won the 2024 men’s Royal Rumble, he initially decided not to challenge Reigns at WrestleMania, which sparked rumors of The Rock stepping into that role. However, fan backlash caused Rhodes to reverse his stance, leading to The Rock turning heel and aligning with Reigns as "The Final Boss." This alliance resulted in The Rock and Reigns teaming to defeat Rhodes and Seth Rollins on Night 1 of WrestleMania 40. On Night 2, Rhodes triumphed over Reigns to claim the WWE title.
Regarding the possibility of facing The Rock in the future—a match many fans have long desired—Reigns hinted that it could happen if fans voice their demand strongly enough. “If that’s what the people want and The People’s Champ is down, I’m sure we can make something happen,” Reigns remarked. The Rock made a surprise return at the recent WWE Bad Blood event but has yet to clarify his future intentions, leaving the door open for a potential clash with his cousin at an upcoming marquee event such as Survivor Series.
Boxer Tommy Fury Hints at WWE Aspirations
In other WWE news, 25-year-old professional boxer Tommy Fury indicated an interest in possibly joining WWE in the future. During WWE’s recent UK tour, Fury was seen backstage interacting with stars including Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Gunther. On his YouTube channel, Fury expressed gratitude for the warm welcome from WWE talent and hinted: “I look forward to possibly climbing through [the wrestling] ropes one day. Who knows?”
Tommy is the younger brother of Tyson Fury, the former world heavyweight boxing champion who has previously dabbled in WWE. Tyson famously defeated Braun Strowman by count-out at Crown Jewel 2019 and attracted mainstream attention by interfering at Clash at the Castle 2022. Tommy himself is undefeated in professional boxing and notably defeated Jake Paul, making him a compelling addition to WWE’s crossover talent.
Given his connections and undefeated status, WWE could consider positioning Tommy Fury in future storylines, potentially involving Logan Paul, who is currently a WWE Superstar and former United States Champion. A storyline or tag-team rivalry featuring the Fury brothers against the Paul brothers would likely draw significant mainstream interest.
NXT Star Oba Femi Absent Amidst Recent Setbacks
Meanwhile, NXT has seen the recent absence of former North American Champion Oba Femi. Reports indicate Femi has not appeared backstage at NXT tapings since his loss to Tony D’Angelo at Halloween Havoc on October 27. The reasons for his absence remain unclear, though it may be a strategic move to let him reset after suffering two significant losses: dropping the North American Championship after a record 272-day reign and losing the subsequent rematch.
Femi burst onto the scene with a dominant run after debuting in April 2023. He won the NXT Breakout Tournament and cashed in his title opportunity by defeating Dragon Lee for the North American title. While it is uncertain if Femi’s time away is injury-related, a main roster call-up, or simply a storyline break, he remains positioned as a strong candidate to contend for the NXT Championship once he returns.
As WWE continues to evolve with impactful storylines and potential new arrivals, fans eagerly await the next chapters involving Roman Reigns, The Rock, Tommy Fury, and emerging stars like Oba Femi. Fans should stay tuned for updates and possible explosive developments in the WWE Universe.