Roman Reigns Reflects on The Rock, Cody Rhodes; Tommy Fury Eyes WWE Career; Oba Femi’s Mysterious NXT Absence
Bleacher Report presents the latest updates from the WWE Universe, covering insights from Roman Reigns on WrestleMania 40, boxer Tommy Fury’s potential wrestling ambitions, and rumors surrounding NXT talent Oba Femi.
Roman Reigns Talks WrestleMania 40, The Rock, and Cody Rhodes
In a recent interview on the SI Media podcast with Jimmy Traina, WWE Superstar Roman Reigns opened up about the main event scene at WrestleMania 40, particularly his involvement with both Cody Rhodes and The Rock.
Reigns shared his perspective on WWE’s backstage decisions oscillating between having him face Rhodes or The Rock at WrestleMania 40. When asked if he was disappointed not to face The Rock, Reigns emphasized his focus on being in the main event, regardless of the opponent.
“It doesn’t matter to me. I was the main event. I’m the guy that everyone wanted to dance with… It was the same task in hand for me,” Reigns said, highlighting the challenge of defending his championship regardless of who his opponent was.
Originally, after Rhodes won the men’s Royal Rumble in 2024, he stated he would not challenge Reigns for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania, leading fans to anticipate The Rock stepping into that spot. However, following unfavorable fan reactions, Rhodes reversed course, and The Rock turned heel, adopting the persona of “The Final Boss” and aligning with Reigns. At WrestleMania 40, Night 1’s main event saw The Rock and Reigns team up to defeat Rhodes and Seth Rollins, while Night 2 featured Rhodes defeating Reigns for the WWE title.
Discussing the possibility of a future match against The Rock, Reigns indicated that fan demand would be crucial.
"If that’s what the people want and The People’s Champ is down, I’m sure we can make something happen," he stated.
The Rock, who made a surprise return at WWE’s Bad Blood event last month, has not announced his intentions or appeared since then. With a high-profile WarGames match featuring The Bloodline scheduled at Survivor Series, speculation is rife about whether The Rock might return to build momentum toward a marquee match with his cousin Reigns.
Tommy Fury Hints at WWE Future
British boxer Tommy Fury, younger brother to heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, teased a potential career in professional wrestling this week. During a visit backstage at a WWE event in the UK, documented on YouTube, Fury shared his enthusiasm for the WWE experience.
“I look forward to possibly climbing through them ropes one day. Who knows? But it’s been a great night,” he said while expressing appreciation for WWE stars like Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Gunther.
Tommy Fury boasts an undefeated professional boxing record of 10-0 and is known for his victory over Jake Paul, situating him as a crossover star with a growing mainstream profile. Tyson Fury previously had a one-off WWE match at Crown Jewel in 2019 and has made memorable appearances since.
The notion of the Fury brothers potentially engaging in a story arc with the Paul brothers — particularly Logan Paul, an active WWE Superstar and former United States Champion — opens interesting future prospects for WWE’s programming.
Oba Femi Absent from NXT Following Two Losses
Former NXT North American Champion Oba Femi has not been seen around NXT since late October, sparking speculation among wrestling insiders. According to Fightful Select, Femi has been absent from backstage at NXT tapings following his loss to Tony D’Angelo at Halloween Havoc on October 27. Femi made an impressive televised NXT debut in April 2023, capturing the NXT Breakout Tournament and going on to claim the North American Championship from Dragon Lee. Despite a dominant 272-day title reign, Femi suffered his first televised defeat last month, losing the championship and a rematch to D’Angelo.
No official reason has been disclosed for Femi’s absence. It is unclear whether he is recuperating from injury, being prepped for a main roster call-up, or simply taking time off to regroup after back-to-back losses. When Femi does return, many expect him to challenge for the NXT Championship, with suggestions that he could be positioned as a top contender to dethrone Trick Williams.
For continued updates and in-depth discussions on WWE and pro wrestling topics, listen to Ring Rust Radio and check out the latest episodes.
Photo Caption: The Rock and Roman Reigns reflect after their victory over Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia on April 6, 2024. (Photo by WWE/Getty Images).