"They better not do it," "Cody in the mud" - Fans unhappy at 51-year-old star's potential return to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40

Cody Rhodes may not face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40.

Roman Reigns is set to walk into WrestleMania 40 as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. While his opponent is unknown, the general consensus is that Cody Rhodes will challenge The Tribal Chief and finish his story. However, a recent development may have put the brakes on that plan.

WWE fans are trembling with fear after The Rock has been tipped to make a return on the road to ‘Mania in 2024. With February’s Elimination Chamber premium live event set to take place in Perth, Australia, tourism officials have reportedly launched an early bid to lure The Great One into appearing at the show.

Of course, if The Rock does show up, it will likely mean he is facing Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. The two have teased a match for years, so it’s now or never. This has led to a mini-meltdown, with several Twitter users hoping that isn’t the case so Cody Rhodes gets his rematch instead.

Check out their reactions below:

However, despite all the buzz, we don’t know for sure if The Great One will show up at Elimination Chamber 2024 and face The Tribal Chief at WrestleMania 40. It will be interesting to see how things unfold in the coming months.

Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes may not happen at WrestleMania 40, even if The Rock doesn’t return to WWE

Whether or not the Hollywood megastar returns to face his cousin, it looks like The Tribal Chief will retain his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 40. This is because Roman Reigns is a few months away from surpassing Hulk Hogan’s title reign that began in 1984.

The Big Uce needs to hold the belt until September 2024 to go past The Hulkster’s record, which means he may remain the champion. Cody Rhodes would be better off facing someone else at The Show of Shows than losing another main event to Reigns.

The American Nightmare can face Randy Orton instead. The two have a storied history, dating back to when Rhodes debuted in WWE. Both superstars have grown since then, making for a compelling angle. Cody can then dethrone Roman Reigns near the end of 2024 or at WrestleMania 41.