Roman Reigns Reflects on WrestleMania 40, The Rock, and Cody Rhodes; Tommy Fury Eyes WWE Future; NXT Rumors Surround Oba Femi
By Mike Chiari – November 27, 2024
Bleacher Report brings you the latest updates from the WWE Universe, covering recent comments from Roman Reigns, rising boxing star Tommy Fury’s interest in wrestling, and ongoing developments in WWE’s NXT brand.
Roman Reigns Talks WrestleMania 40, The Rock, and Cody Rhodes
Roman Reigns opened up about his WrestleMania 40 main event experience and his thoughts on facing either The Rock or Cody Rhodes during a recent appearance on the SI Media podcast with Jimmy Traina.
When asked whether he was disappointed that he ended up facing Rhodes, rather than The Rock, Reigns was straightforward about his perspective:
“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 didn’t matter who it was. 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.”
This comment references the complex booking surrounding WrestleMania 40. After Rhodes won the 2024 men’s Royal Rumble, he initially declared he would not challenge Reigns for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania — instead, it seemed The Rock would take that opportunity. However, fan backlash over that change led Rhodes to reverse course, while The Rock turned heel and aligned himself with Reigns as "The Final Boss." The Rock and Reigns teamed up to defeat Rhodes and Seth Rollins on Night 1 of WrestleMania 40, only for Rhodes to win the WWE Championship by defeating Reigns in the main event on Night 2. Looking ahead, Traina asked if a Reigns vs. The Rock match might still happen in the future. Reigns left the door open, emphasizing the role fan demand plays in WWE’s decisions:
“I think our fanbase and the company have 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, but we know the consumers… 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 last month at WWE’s Bad Blood event but has not revealed his next moves. With the upcoming WarGames match at Survivor Series featuring the new and original Bloodline factions, speculation is mounting that The Rock could make another appearance to potentially build toward a future showdown with his cousin, Reigns.
Tommy Fury Hints at WWE Career Possibility
British boxer Tommy Fury, younger brother to former world heavyweight champ Tyson Fury, recently hinted he might venture into professional wrestling with WWE. In a YouTube video filmed backstage during WWE’s UK tour, Fury expressed enthusiasm about the wrestling business and the potential to compete inside the squared circle someday:
“So guys, that is a night at 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 WWE for showing us such appreciation. And I look forward to possibly climbing through the ropes one day. Who knows?”
Tommy Fury is undefeated in boxing with a 10-0 record and became the only person to defeat internet celebrity boxer Jake Paul, giving him crossover appeal. Given that Logan Paul — Jake’s brother — is an active WWE Superstar, a wrestling storyline pitting the Fury brothers against the Paul brothers could attract mainstream attention.
His older brother Tyson previously wrestled for WWE in 2019 and has made several special appearances since, most notably interrupting Austin Theory’s Money in the Bank contract cash-in attempt at Clash at the Castle in 2022. —
NXT Rumors: Oba Femi’s Recent Absence
Oba Femi, a former NXT North American Champion and breakout star, has reportedly been absent from NXT tapings for the past month following his loss to Tony D’Angelo at Halloween Havoc on October 27. According to Fightful Select, there have been no signs of Femi backstage or on television since that event. The reasons remain unclear—it could be a strategic hiatus by NXT officials to allow him time to regroup after consecutive losses, or possibly due to injury concerns.
Femi made an impactful debut in April 2023, winning the NXT Breakout Tournament and capturing the North American Championship with a record 272-day reign. Both his title loss and subsequent rematch defeat to D’Angelo seemed to slow his momentum, but his potential remains high.
When he returns, Femi is viewed as a promising contender for the NXT Championship, with many expecting him to play a major role in the brand’s future storylines.
Stay tuned as Bleacher Report continues to follow these stories and other developments within WWE and the world of professional wrestling.