Why Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns should headline WWE WrestleMania 40 ahead of The Rock vs Roman Reigns?

Cody Rhodes must unseat Roman Reigns as the undisputed WWE Champion, ideally at WWE WrestleMania 40, in order to complete his story. That would be prevented by rumors that Reigns would instead face The Rock in a long-awaited "Mania-worthy showdown," which were sparked by Rock's recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

The Great One hinted that the event would finally happen this year in Philadelphia while confirming that it was on the verge of happening at the Los Angeles competition last year. If true, it would be directly opposed to the anticipated rematch between Reigns and Rhodes on that same program. When choosing between the two main events, Rhodes vs. Reigns should be given precedence over Rock vs. Reigns. 

Rock and WWE squandered the opportunity to book the latter for WrestleMania 39, but failing to pay off the former at the following April spectacle would be even worse. The American Nightmare is the lone opponent for Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40, despite what The Rock claims. This is why.

The road to WrestleMania won't be assisted by The Rock's schedule

Understandably, fans were thrilled to see Rock return on the September 15 SmackDown episode. It was his first appearance on WWE TV in nearly four years, and it's impossible to overstate the energy and buzz he brings to any venue.

The likelihood of that event taking place if the SAG-AFSTRA strike had already concluded is extremely unlikely. According to SAG-AFSTRA, the Writer's Guild of America just reached a tentative agreement to return to Hollywood, which could mean that the strike ends shortly. In other words, it's almost certain that Rock will start acting again before the 'Mania season starts, thus reducing his availability.

Nor is it just a question of keeping WrestleMania weekend open. So that WWE can start planning from a booking perspective and so he can go through the necessary physical training, The Great One would need to commit to taking part in the match months in advance. He would also need to be on television at least a few times to properly build the match and engage with Reigns, in addition to The Show of Shows itself. Promos that are only cut via satellite won't do. That may not be possible given how busy his schedule always seems to be.

Reigns beating Rhodes was a mistake, and it's time to right that wrong

Although Reigns' victory over Rhodes to keep the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 39 wasn't universally hated at the time, it was the incorrect decision in hindsight. Beginning in the spring of 2022, The Tribal Chief changed to a part-time schedule, but prior to that, he appeared more frequently on WWE TV and frequently defended the championship after WrestleMania 38 than he has since WrestleMania 39.

He competed at Money in the Bank and Night of Champions, but SummerSlam marked his only championship defense since WrestleMania, where he triumphed against Jey Uso. He won't likely wrestle once again until Crown Jewel in early November, according to Dave Metlzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Rhodes has been busy throughout this time, even engaging in a conflict with Brock Lesnar that would have benefited from some gold being on the line. He has been told to hold steady until WWE is ready for him and Reigns to pick up where they left off last year. Reigns' victory over Rhodes was needless and only postponed the inevitable. The challenger's victory in the rematch with the champion at WrestleMania a year later, which began his long-overdue title run, is the only plausible explanation.

Although The Rock vs Roman Reigns draws more attention, the outcome is more obvious.

There is no denying that Rhodes vs. Reigns will not sell as many tickets for WrestleMania 40 as Rock vs. Reigns. After the recent merger with Endeavor and the UFC, WWE is run by new executives, and for that reason alone, they might pressure the organization to choose Rock vs. Reigns as 'Mania's main event.

The main issue with the marquee match is that it would be very difficult for it to live up to the anticipation after all this time. No matter how infrequent his matches are, Reigns can produce when it counts. WWE fans are well aware of this. Rock's ability to compete is in doubt, especially after suffering injuries in each of his last two matches (except the six-second squash at WrestleMania 32 versus John Cena).

Both fights took place almost ten years ago. Rhodes vs. Reigns has all the makings of an instant classic, and the promos building up to the event would be equally exciting. It might turn out to be a good, well-done match, but. Furthermore, Rock would undoubtedly lose if it were a one-shot contest because of his busy schedule.  Years ago, when the match was being discussed on his YouTube channel, he said he'd be honored to put his cousin forward. That significantly lessens the drama compared to Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns II, which could go either way.

Rock shouldn't detract from Rhodes' moment because he has nothing left to prove.

During his three-year storyline with John Cena, which included three WrestleMania episodes from 2011 to 2013, Rock had his final real comeback. In the end, he essentially passed the torch by moving the franchise player over and raising his hand. Anything more would have been the cherry on top for The Brahma Bull. He surprised everyone by defeating Erick Rowan in a brief squash match at WrestleMania 32, but he hasn't since because he can't risk getting wounded because of his Hollywood obligations.

The Rock vs Reigns would have taken place years ago if it was going to happen. According to Rock in his interview with Pat McAfee, they can still earn money together in 2023, but the ship sailed earlier this year when they failed to come up with something novel for the feud. In other words, he has no more to prove. Although defeating Rock would only further Reigns' already legendary legacy, the current emphasis should be on creating additional stars and establishing Rhodes as the WWE's permanent face.

Whoever succeeds Reigns as champion after almost four years will have one chance to create a historical moment for the company. Rhodes is a perfect fit, and WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia is the ideal venue to make the move. The WWE has the option of delaying Rock vs. Reigns until WrestleMania 41 if it so chooses. The main event of WrestleMania that will truly change the course of history is Rhodes vs. Reigns, regardless of whether that family affair happens or not.