WWE Expected SmackDown Segment to Elevate Cody Rhodes as Next Daniel Bryan – WWE is on the verge of announcing a major change to the WrestleMania 40 card, with The Rock set to face Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns instead of the originally planned bout between Reigns and Cody Rhodes following Rhodes’ victory in the Men’s Royal Rumble Match.
Reports indicate that The Rock securing the match against Reigns was part of his agreement to join the TKO Board of Directors and was finalized prior to the Royal Rumble. With this shift, questions arise regarding Rhodes’ role in the upcoming event.
According to insights from Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE initially envisioned Rhodes following a trajectory similar to Daniel Bryan’s rise in 2014, where fan support propelled him to greater stardom. The original plan, as of Friday night, was for Rhodes to challenge Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania 40.
The recent SmackDown segment involving Rhodes and The Rock raised questions about the expected crowd reaction and the desired narrative direction. WWE appeared to anticipate Rhodes receiving a positive response akin to Bryan’s underdog status, while the reaction to The Rock’s involvement remained uncertain.
“The plan as of Friday night was Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes. And we’ll see how it plays out because now they’re trying to turn it into a story and see how the story goes…..I can’t tell you that they didn’t tell anybody [about plans changing]. But certainly, they didn’t tell many people or almost anyone.”
Meltzer discussed the SmackDown segment with Rhodes and Rock and what WWE wanted out of the segment.
“I don’t know what they were expecting [fans booing The Rock]. But they were expecting Cody Rhodes to turn into Daniel Bryan…..They were expecting to make Cody Rhodes into a martyr and make him a bigger babyface out of that. Were they expecting people to boo Dwayne? I don’t know. I’ve asked that one, and I haven’t gotten a straight answer.”
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WWE Expected SmackDown Segment to Elevate Cody Rhodes as Next Daniel Bryan
