The February 21 episode of WWE SmackDown had the wrestling world buzzing as The Rock made his highly anticipated return to confront Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. Fans were eager to find out what “The Final Boss” had planned when his appearance was made public just over 24 hours before the show aired. However, after the segment was over, more questions than answers were provided. On a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer provided insight into the backstage chaos leading up to The Rock’s appearance and speculated on the direction WWE might be taking with this storyline.
“Two or three hours before the show started, it was basically like he’s going to do what he’s going to do, but nobody was really sure what that was,” Meltzer revealed. “After it was over, I believe people were even less certain. I suppose the plan is that Cody won’t accept him, and then there will be a fight.” While Meltzer can only speculate on WWE’s long-term plans, he believes the company may be trying to recreate a legendary rivalry, with The Rock playing a role similar to Mr. WWE’s new Steve Austin is being portrayed by McMahon and Cody Rhodes. Additionally, Meltzer noted that WWE had a fully prepared show before SmackDown went live, but with The Rock’s last-minute inclusion, nearly the entire show had to be restructured to accommodate his segment.
It remains to be seen how this rivalry between The Rock and Cody Rhodes will develop on the road to WrestleMania 40. Stay tuned for more updates!
