Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors: Latest on Rock vs. Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and More

The Rock's return to WWE and confrontation with Roman Reigns has not had the expected reaction from fans, many of whom took exception to The Great One taking Cody Rhodes' spot in the main event of WrestleMania 40 and started a social media movement that trended for 36 hours straight.

How much of that has affected the company's plans for the dream match, though?

The latest update on the battle for The Bloodline headlines this collection of wrestling rumors, which also includes a report on Cody Rhodes' men's Royal Rumble victory and the latest on Mercedes Moné joining All Elite Wrestling.

The Rock vs. Roman Reigns Still Expected for WrestleMania

Despite all of the support for Cody Rhodes to join the main event of WrestleMania 40, Mike Johnson of PWInsider Elite reported that the plan is still "100%" The Rock vs. Roman Reigns (h/t Cageside Seats).

That should not be particularly surprising. WWE may have acknowledged the social media frenzy backing The American Nightmare as part of the #WeWantCody movement, but Michael Cole still hyped Thursday's press event in Las Vegas as a face-to-face confrontation between The Great One and The Tribal Chief.

While he used important keywords like "not yet official" to help protect the creative team in case WWE decided to pivot, it was clear from the imagery and headlines on screen that the dream match, in the works since 2015, is still very much the direction things are headed in.

If that proves to be the case, WWE will have a massive encounter on its hands. A Hollywood megastar whose roots begin in pro wrestling squares off with the biggest star of this generation and the man who continued the Samoan dynasty and spearheaded the epic Bloodline story.

It will also be setting itself up for a WrestleMania in which the main event is rejected by fans who have already made clear their lack of interest in a marquee bout that does not include Rhodes.

That will likely present itself even louder and more passionately Thursday in Vegas when Rock, Reigns and Rhodes are all together for the WrestleMania Kickoff event.

Being the owner of UFC, Endeavor likely sees Rock-Reigns as the biggest match WWE can produce and, like the world of ultimate fighting, it wants to promote that for the year's most prestigious event.

However, this is one instance where not quite understanding wrestling fans could backfire on WWE's new ownership.

Latest on Cody Rhodes' Royal Rumble Win

Dave Meltzer reported in a post on X that Triple H was well aware of The Rock signing with WWE and the expected match with Reigns at WrestleMania when he booked Cody Rhodes to win the 2024 men's Royal Rumble match.

And the plot thickens.

If Triple H knew The Great One had signed with the company and that higher-ups in Endeavor had expressed what they wanted the plan for WrestleMania to be, why go through the trouble of booking the Rhodes win?

Perhaps there are creative details that have yet to be reported and The American Nightmare will somehow end up in the 'Mania main event. Maybe it was the head of creative's way of saying he knows what is best for WWE and it is staying true to the story that has been in place for the last year.

Either that or he really did not know the intentions of his superiors and what The Rock's role in the biggest event of the year would be.

With so many moving pieces, it will be interesting to look back on this Road to WrestleMania with context and hindsight and see just what ended up being accurate as different reports emerged.

Update on Mercedes Moné to AEW

Tony Khan announced AEW Dynamite: Big Business to take place from Boston's TD Garden on March 13, with every sign pointing to the arrival of Mercedes Moné, including the above graphic's spelling of the host city as "Bo$$ton."

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, who also credited Andrew Zarian of Mat Men Radio, reported that Moné has been under contract with AEW since January.

As far as conversations with WWE are concerned, the report stated:

"On December 29, Fightful reported that WWE stated that while they had talks with Mercedes, those talks had fallen through and the two sides couldn't come to terms, similar to what happened prior with AEW. However, talks continued with AEW and we're told that an agreement was in place around that time, which is likely why WWE was open to admitting that their talks had ceased."

Moné is undeniably a huge "get" for AEW. She is a generational talent whose role in evolving women's wrestling in North America cannot be underestimated. She is one of the best to do it, has been part of some of the most historically significant matches of the last 10 years and has a passionate following.

She bet on herself, walked out of WWE, and is about to walk into Khan's promotion and attempt to prove she can be a star on the same level as the top men in the company.

That the AEW president has booked a major venue in Boston for the show suggests he has faith she can be just that.

Time will tell, but there will have to be a consistent effort to better book the women's division in AEW while giving it more time and creative energy. Throwing the weekly match on in the pre-main event death spot on shows, and not having ideas and stories for anyone outside of the title picture, will not work.

He will have to realize his shortcomings as a booker in terms of women's wrestling and correct course because otherwise, Moné will not hesitate to call out a perceived lack of respect and attention to a roster that is packed with talent.

If Khan can do that, the signing of Moné may prove to be one of the most significant in AEW history.