Roman Reigns Opens Up on The Rock, Cody Rhodes; Tommy Fury Considers WWE Future; Oba Femi’s NXT Absence Raises Questions
By Mike Chiari, Bleacher Report – November 27, 2024
Bleacher Report brings you the latest updates in the WWE Universe, featuring insights from Roman Reigns, Tommy Fury’s potential wrestling aspirations, and rumors swirling around NXT’s Oba Femi.
Roman Reigns Reflects on WrestleMania 40 and The Rock vs. Cody Rhodes Dynamics
During a recent interview on the Sports Illustrated podcast, WWE superstar Roman Reigns shared his thoughts on the evolving main event scene at WrestleMania 40 and the widely discussed matchup changes involving The Rock and Cody Rhodes.
When asked if he felt disappointed facing Cody Rhodes instead of The Rock in WrestleMania’s main event, Reigns emphasized that his focus was always on being the central figure in the main event rather than who specifically he faced.
"It doesn’t matter to me. I was the main event. I’m the guy that everyone wanted to dance with. They were trying to stop history from happening. It was the same task in hand," Reigns commented.
Ahead of WrestleMania 40, there was notable backstage and fan speculation as the originally anticipated Reigns vs. The Rock showdown gave way to Cody Rhodes winning the 2024 men’s Royal Rumble. Initially, Rhodes declared he wouldn’t challenge Reigns for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania, paving the way for The Rock’s potential main event return. However, fan backlash prompted Rhodes to reverse that stance, resulting in The Rock turning heel, adopting “The Final Boss” persona, and aligning with Reigns.
The Rock and Reigns then teamed up to take down Rhodes and Seth Rollins on Night 1 of WrestleMania, while Night 2 saw Rhodes capture the WWE title from Reigns.
On the possibility of a future Reigns vs. The Rock match, Roman suggested that such a dream showdown could happen if the fans make their voices heard loud enough.
"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 an unannounced return at last month’s Bad Blood event, though his intentions remain undisclosed. With an upcoming WarGames match at Survivor Series featuring new and original iterations of The Bloodline, several insiders speculate The Rock may re-emerge soon to further build anticipation for a potential clash with his cousin, Reigns.
Boxer Tommy Fury Eyes a WWE Career
Fresh off a backstage visit during WWE’s UK tour, professional boxer Tommy Fury dropped hints about potentially stepping into the pro wrestling realm.
In a YouTube video posted Sunday, Fury expressed gratitude for the warm WWE welcome and praised several stars, including Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Gunther.
“Thank you to the WWE for showing us such appreciation. And I look forward to possibly climbing through them ropes one day. Who knows?”
Tommy Fury, 25, brother of former heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury, is undefeated in his boxing career (10-0) and notably handed Jake Paul his only loss. Tyson Fury previously appeared in WWE at Crown Jewel 2019, securing a victory over Braun Strowman, and made headlines at Clash at the Castle 2022 when he disrupted Austin Theory’s Money in the Bank cash-in.
Given Tommy’s close ties with the Paul family and Logan Paul’s rising WWE star status, a future rivalry or tag team featuring the Fury and Paul brothers could attract broader mainstream attention, making Tommy a promising WWE acquisition prospect.
Oba Femi’s Mysterious Absence from NXT
NXT fans have noticed the prolonged absence of former North American Champion Oba Femi from recent tapings following his Halloween Havoc loss on October 27 against Tony D’Angelo.
Fightful Select reports Femi hasn’t been backstage at NXT since suffering two losses to D’Angelo—the title loss that ended his record-setting 272-day reign and the subsequent rematch.
The reasons for his absence are currently unknown. It could be a creative decision to allow Femi to regroup on-screen after major setbacks or possibly due to undisclosed injury concerns.
Since debuting on NXT television in April 2023, Femi quickly made his mark by winning the Breakout Tournament and capturing the North American Championship from Dragon Lee. With his strong background as a University of Alabama shot put star and powerful in-ring presence, many see Femi as a top contender to challenge for the NXT Championship upon his return, potentially dethroning current titleholder Trick Williams.
For ongoing coverage of WWE and other wrestling news, stay tuned to Bleacher Report and listen to the latest Ring Rust Radio episodes.
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Photo Caption: The Rock and Roman Reigns after their WrestleMania 40 victory over Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins in Philadelphia on April 6, 2024. (Photo: WWE/Getty Images)