In a surprising turn of events, The Rock made his return to WWE on SmackDown, leaving fans feeling frustrated and disappointed. While his unannounced appearance in Birmingham, AL initially generated excitement, the aftermath of this storyline has left a bitter taste in many people's mouths.
WWE shared The Rock's return on YouTube, but the dislike button was disabled, sparing the video from the onslaught of negative feedback. Unfortunately, that didn't stop fans from venting their frustration in the comment section. A particular point of contention was The Rock's threat to steal Cody Rhodes' WrestleMania spot. Many fans expressed their disappointment, questioning why Cody would relinquish his opportunity after winning the Royal Rumble and coming close to defeating Roman Reigns last year.
Comments flooded in, highlighting the discontent with the situation. One comment with 23,000 likes expressed how out of character it seemed for Cody to give up his WrestleMania opportunity to The Rock. The overwhelming number of dislikes on the video, currently standing at 281,000, further demonstrates fans' dissatisfaction.
Several fans drew comparisons to the story of Daniel Bryan, but believed this situation to be even worse. Unlike Daniel Bryan, who experienced an organic groundswell of support, Cody Rhodes had been on a specific trajectory to finish his story at WrestleMania 40. WWE had conditioned fans to believe that Cody would have his moment. The sudden shift in direction risks undermining one of the company's best storylines and could have a disastrous fallout, potentially leading to fans turning on Cody Rhodes.
Rumors suggest that WWE might be planning to unify the belts at SummerSlam, with Cody confronting the Undisputed Universal champion after WrestleMania. However, this idea has received significant backlash as it devalues the WWE World Heavyweight Championship as a secondary title. Fans have already made it clear that they don't want Cody Rhodes to challenge for this second-place belt, as evidenced by their chants of 'no!' during a recent episode of Raw.
Furthermore, injuries are always a risk, and waiting until SummerSlam carries the potential for unforeseen complications. By that time, the momentum and enthusiasm for Cody Rhodes' story might have waned, further jeopardizing the success of the narrative.
While The Rock's return may have seemed like a momentous occasion, the backlash from fans paints a different picture. WWE risks alienating its loyal audience by sidelining an anticipated storyline and potentially tarnishing the credibility of Cody Rhodes. It remains to be seen how this narrative will unfold, but unless WWE changes course, the consequences could be severe.
