Roman Reigns Talks The Rock and Cody Rhodes, Tommy Fury Eyes WWE Future, and NXT Rumors Surround Oba Femi
By Mike Chiari, Bleacher Report – November 27, 2024
Bleacher Report brings the latest updates from the WWE Universe as top stars Roman Reigns and Tommy Fury share their thoughts, while emerging NXT talent Oba Femi finds himself off TV screens amid speculation.
Roman Reigns Reflects on WrestleMania 40 Opponents and The Rock Match Possibility
In a recent interview on the Sports Illustrated podcast with Jimmy Traina, WWE’s "Tribal Chief" Roman Reigns opened up about his WrestleMania 40 main event journey facing Cody Rhodes, the dynamics involving The Rock, and the potential for a future showdown with his iconic cousin.
Reigns was candid when asked if he was disappointed to face Cody Rhodes rather than The Rock, who had been expected as his WrestleMania opponent.
"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. It’s where, we just need to get there and defend this thing. It didn’t matter who it is. They are trying to stop history from happening. They are trying to take us off the pinnacle right now, so it was the same task in hand for me."
Initially, after Rhodes won the 2024 men’s Royal Rumble, he declared he would not challenge Reigns for the WWE Championship, which fueled speculation that The Rock would be Reigns’ opponent at WrestleMania 40. However, fan pushback led to a reversal, with Rhodes ultimately challenging Reigns, The Rock turning heel as "The Final Boss," and aligning with Reigns. Together, The Rock and Reigns defeated Rhodes and Seth Rollins on Night 1 of WrestleMania 40, before Rhodes defeated Reigns in the Night 2 main event to win the WWE title.
Addressing the possibility of a future Reigns vs. The Rock match, Roman highlighted WWE’s responsiveness to fan passion:
"I think our fanbase and the company’s proven that if our fans are loud enough and passionate enough about something, we’re a company who—we’re not being dictated to. We have a vision for where we’re trying to go, but we know who the consumers are. We know who’s paying their hard-earned money, and we want to satisfy those people."
"If that’s what the people want and The People’s Champ is down, I’m sure we can make something happen."
The Rock made a surprise return at WWE’s Bad Blood pay-per-view last month, but has yet to reveal his plans or appear since. With the recent WarGames match at Survivor Series featuring The Bloodline factions, fans speculate it could be a perfect setting for The Rock to step back into the storyline and possibly start building toward a clash with Reigns.
Tommy Fury Shows Interest in WWE Career
British boxer Tommy Fury, younger brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, is hinting at a possible future in WWE after recently attending WWE shows on the company’s UK tour.
In a YouTube video posted Sunday, Fury shared backstage footage meeting WWE stars such as Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Gunther.
He said:
"So guys, that is a night at the WWE complete. All the wrestlers showing love. Big up to Randy Orton. Absolutely amazing guy. Big up to Cody Rhodes, all of them, Gunther, the lot of them. Thank you to the WWE for showing us such appreciation. And I look forward to possibly climbing through them ropes one day. Who knows? But it’s been a great night."
Fury, 25, boasts an undefeated boxing record (10-0) and notably is the only fighter to have defeated Jake Paul. His connections to the Paul family and existing WWE rivalries suggest that Tommy could be a strong contender to cross over into professional wrestling, potentially scripting matchups with Logan Paul or even tag-team bouts featuring both sets of brothers.
NXT Star Oba Femi Absent from Recent Tapings Amid Speculation
Former NXT North American Champion Oba Femi, who enjoyed a dominant run after debuting in April 2023, has not been seen on NXT programming or backstage since his loss at Halloween Havoc on October 27. According to Fightful Select, no reports have confirmed Femi’s injury or official reason for absence, leading to speculations ranging from a possible injury, a planned main roster call-up, or a strategic hiatus to regroup after back-to-back defeats.
Femi won the NXT Breakout Tournament and held onto the North American Championship for a record 272 days before losing it to Tony D’Angelo last month. After also dropping a rematch at Halloween Havoc, he has been off TV.
When he returns, Femi is expected to be a key contender for the NXT Championship and could well be WWE’s choice to dethrone current champion Trick Williams.
Stay tuned to Bleacher Report for continuous coverage, analysis, and updates on WWE, NXT, and the pro wrestling world.