Why Roman Reigns vs. The Rock at WWE WrestleMania 40 Would Be the Wrong Call

The wrestling world was set ablaze Monday night following a special appearance by The Rock. The People's Champion teased the long-awaited showdown with Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, for which the seeds had been planted as far back as the 2015 Royal Rumble.

Long a dream match, it would bring together the two most successful members of the Samoan wrestling dynasty for the biggest WrestleMania main event in modern history and, potentially, the most financially significant.

That does not make it the right call, though.

---

Past Due

There was a time when the prospect of Reigns vs. Rock was an ideal match to help establish the former as the top star of this era of WWE. It was a dream match between cousins, sure, but it was a star vehicle for The Big Dog, who could benefit from competing against an icon of the industry.

Nearly a decade after The Great One was brought in to help establish Reigns following his Royal Rumble win in Philadelphia, the second-generation star doesn't need his help anymore.

Reigns ascended to the top of the industry as The Tribal Chief and is the biggest star in the game. He is the face of a company enjoying record revenue and the centerpiece of an overarching storyline that has dominated WWE's creative efforts for the last three years.

He does not need The Rock to legitimize him anymore. He does not need the credibility that comes from headlining against that guy, on wrestling's grandest stage. He set the stage for himself, brought his family and others to his level, and is the undisputed top guy in a way that even Rock was not during his time with the company.

The time for this match was anywhere between 2015-21, when Reigns was still finding his feet as the Superstar WWE wanted to build around. Now, it is little a glamour match, a one-off spectacle that can be splashed on posters and make lots of money for everyone involved.

Beyond the monetary benefits, it is difficult to point to a positive, and far easier to identify a fairly significant issue.

---

The Cody Problem

From the moment Cody Rhodes set foot back on WWE television, he made it abundantly clear that his motivation for returning to the company was winning the title that eluded his legendary father, "The American Dream" Dusty.

That has been the driving force from the get-go and the decision to have him lose to Reigns a year ago was met with great backlash from fans, analysts, pundits, and insiders. If there was a silver lining at all, no matter how dim, it was that The American Nightmare would have a year to overcome adversity en route to a rematch with Reigns, where he would finally overtake the Tribal Chief and win the gold.

Fans patiently followed Rhodes' journey through the feud with Brock Lesnar, throughout the seemingly never-ending program with The Judgment Day, and into his latest rivalry with Shinsuke Nakamura, with his popularity growing along the way.

All with the understanding that his time was coming; that he would win the title.

Then Rock returned, dropped the Reigns hint, and all of a sudden, Rhodes appeared to be the odd man out.

The most popular and beloved star in professional wrestling for the better part of the last two years inexplicably does not have a clear path to WrestleMania if WWE opts to go the route of Rock vs. Reigns for this year's Showcase of the Immortals and that is indisputably an indictment on the creative process.

Yes, things happen quickly. Rock needed a hit; to change some perception following a Black Adam release that was not nearly the commercial hit some expected and negative reports about some ego-driven antics surrounding the film, and saw an opportunity to come back home and get one in the form of the overdue Reigns match.

Rhodes, though, has put in the work and established a connection with fans. He has been a phenomenal face for the company, both in and out of the ring and to take that triumphant moment away from him and the audience that has so passionately supported him, feels like a creative misstep that could have long-reaching consequences.

After all, how many times can fans hear about Rhodes "finishing the story" before it becomes a joke?

An internet meme that fans throw up on social media.

A caricature of itself.

Yes, WWE is a business, and making money is paramount. The company has shareholders to answer to and passing up the opportunity to make a bajillion dollars from a Rock-Reigns mega match is not something that can easily be turned down.

Is that one big payday worth sacrificing sustained growth and income, though, by foregoing a narrative that fans have invested in for two years and risking the cooling down of the red-hot Rhodes?

Especially when the company is more than capable of turning $410 million in revenue without The Rock?

It is not as easy a "yes" as it appears, something WWE may be gearing up to find out the hard way.