Roman Reigns Discusses The Rock and Cody Rhodes, Tommy Fury Eyes WWE, and NXT Updates on Oba Femi
Bleacher Report – November 27, 2024
In the latest developments from the WWE universe, Roman Reigns opens up about his recent WrestleMania 40 main event experience, boxer Tommy Fury hints at a potential crossover into WWE, and there are fresh NXT rumors concerning former North American Champion Oba Femi.
Roman Reigns Talks WrestleMania 40 and Possible Future Match with The Rock
Roman Reigns shared insightful reflections on his WrestleMania 40 main event and the shifting dynamics involving The Rock and Cody Rhodes during a recent interview on the SI Media podcast with Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina. When asked if he was disappointed to face Cody Rhodes instead of The Rock in the WrestleMania 40 main event, Reigns was candid.
“It doesn’t matter to me. I was the main event. I’m the guy everyone wanted to dance with, you know. I’m the hot chick, everyone wanted to take me out,” Reigns said. “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.”
Originally, after Rhodes won the 2024 men’s Royal Rumble, he initially declined to challenge Reigns for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. It seemed that The Rock was the likely challenger. However, negative fan backlash altered these plans leading to The Rock turning heel, adopting the persona "The Final Boss," and aligning himself with Reigns. The Rock and Reigns teamed up to defeat Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins in the Night 1 main event, while Rhodes captured the WWE Championship from Reigns on Night 2. Looking forward, Traina asked Reigns if a showdown with The Rock is possible in the future. Reigns responded with openness, emphasizing the importance of fan interest.
“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,” Reigns said. “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 WWE appearance last month at Bad Blood but has yet to clarify his WWE future intentions. With the upcoming WarGames match at Survivor Series featuring different iterations of The Bloodline, there is speculation that The Rock might make another surprise appearance, potentially setting the stage for a WrestleMania clash with Reigns down the line.
Tommy Fury Hints at Possible WWE Future
Boxer Tommy Fury has given fans a tease about the possibility of crossing over into professional wrestling with WWE. In a YouTube video posted Sunday, Fury was seen backstage at a WWE UK tour event, mingling with WWE Superstars including Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Gunther.
“Big up to Randy Orton, absolutely amazing guy. Big up to Cody Rhodes, all of them. Thank you to WWE for showing us such appreciation,” Fury said. “And I look forward to possibly climbing through those ropes one day. Who knows? But it’s been a great night.”
The 25-year-old Fury, younger brother of former world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury, is undefeated with a 10-0 professional boxing record and famously defeated Jake Paul. Tyson Fury himself had a brief WWE tenure, notably winning a match against Braun Strowman at Crown Jewel 2019 and making memorable appearances such as the 2022 Clash at the Castle event.
Given Tommy Fury’s ties to the Paul family and his athletic prowess, he could be positioned as a compelling new WWE talent, perhaps even as an adversary for Logan Paul, who is an active WWE Superstar and former United States Champion. A potential tag team confrontation featuring the Fury brothers versus the Paul brothers could attract significant mainstream attention.
NXT Update: Oba Femi’s Recent Absence and Future Prospects
Fightful Select reports that Oba Femi, former NXT North American Champion, has been notably absent from recent NXT tapings since his loss to Tony D’Angelo at Halloween Havoc on October 27. The reason for Femi’s hiatus is currently unclear.
Femi established himself as a dominant force after his televised debut in April 2023 by winning the Breakout Tournament and capturing the North American Championship by cashing in on Dragon Lee. His title reign lasted a record 272 days before dropping the belt to D’Angelo, followed by a rematch loss at Halloween Havoc.
While some speculate that Femi might be preparing for a main roster call-up or recovering from injury, others believe this could simply be a strategic break for him to recalibrate following two tough losses. When he returns, many predict that Femi will be a strong contender for the NXT Championship, potentially targeting the current titleholder, Trick Williams.
Stay tuned with Bleacher Report for more updates across wrestling and the wider sports world.