Roman Reigns Talks The Rock, Cody Rhodes; Tommy Fury Eyes WWE Future; NXT Rumors on Oba Femi
By Mike Chiari, Bleacher Report – November 28, 2024
WWE fans are buzzing with fresh updates as Roman Reigns, Tommy Fury, and NXT’s Oba Femi have all been in the spotlight recently. From WrestleMania 40 aftermath to potential new WWE careers and backstage developments, here is a comprehensive update from the WWE Universe.
Roman Reigns Reflects on WrestleMania 40 and Possible Match with The Rock
Roman Reigns spoke candidly about his WrestleMania 40 main event experience during an interview on the SI Media podcast with Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina. The Original Tribal Chief shared his perspective on the high-profile matchups considered by WWE for the event, weighing the prospects of facing either Cody Rhodes or The Rock.
When asked if he was disappointed to face Rhodes instead of The Rock, Reigns made a clear statement about his mindset:
“It doesn’t matter to me. I was the main event. I’m the guy everyone wanted to dance with. They just need to stop history from happening and take us off the pinnacle. So it didn’t matter who it was.”
Reigns acknowledged the backstage shifts and fan reactions revolving around Rhodes initially winning the 2024 men’s Royal Rumble but opting out of challenging Reigns for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 40, which opened the door for The Rock to step in. However, after a backlash from fans, Rhodes reversed course, and The Rock turned heel—adopting the persona “The Final Boss”—and aligned with Reigns.
On Night 1 of WrestleMania 40, The Rock and Reigns defeated Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins in the main event, but the Night 2 main event saw Rhodes capture the WWE title from Reigns. Although the anticipated one-on-one match between The Rock and Reigns did not materialize, Reigns suggested on the podcast that it remains a possibility moving forward:
“If our fans are loud enough and passionate enough, and The People’s Champ is down, I’m sure we can make something happen.”
The Rock recently made a surprise return at WWE’s Bad Blood event but has remained quiet about his next steps. With the ongoing battle between the new and original versions of The Bloodline at Survivor Series, there’s speculation that The Rock could reappear and kick-start a potential storyline with his cousin Roman Reigns.
Tommy Fury Teases Potential WWE Career
Tommy Fury, younger brother of boxing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, hinted that WWE could be in his future. He shared a video on YouTube documenting a backstage visit to a WWE show during the company’s recent UK tour. In the footage, Fury interacted with hits such as Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Gunther.
Addressing his WWE experience and hopes, Fury remarked:
“Thank you to the WWE for showing us such appreciation. And I look forward to possibly climbing through those ropes one day. Who knows? But it’s been a great night.”
Tommy Fury is a professional boxer with an undefeated record and is notably the only boxer to have defeated Jake Paul. Given the intense public interest in the Fury and Paul families, Tommy’s potential WWE involvement could set up intriguing storylines, including possible matches against Logan Paul, who is already a WWE Superstar and former United States Champion.
Tyson Fury himself dabbled into WWE, making a memorable appearance at Crown Jewel 2019 and recently disrupting a Money in the Bank cash-in at Clash at the Castle 2022, further fueling interest in the Fury family’s crossover appeal.
Oba Femi’s Absence from NXT Raises Questions
Oba Femi, former NXT North American Champion, has been notably absent from NXT tapings for over a month, according to reports from Fightful Select. Since his loss to Tony D’Angelo at Halloween Havoc on October 27, there have been no signs of Femi backstage or on NXT programming.
The reasons for Femi’s absence remain unclear. It could be a strategic hiatus to allow time to recover after two significant losses or potentially a precursor to a main roster call-up. Femi had a strong run since debuting on televised NXT in April 2023, winning the NXT Breakout Tournament and capturing the North American Championship from Dragon Lee, holding the title for a record 272 days before his reign ended.
Upon his eventual return, industry insiders view Femi as a prime candidate to pursue the NXT Championship, possibly positioning him to take the title from the current champion, Trick Williams.
Conclusion
The WWE Universe is witnessing intriguing developments from the top tier with Roman Reigns and The Rock’s futures, to potential new stars like Tommy Fury exploring pro wrestling, and promising NXT talent such as Oba Femi navigating their next chapters. Fans should stay tuned as these stories continue to unfold, promising exciting shifts in WWE’s landscape.
For more wrestling news, insights, and live updates, visit Bleacher Report’s WWE section.