Predictions For Cody Rhodes and The Rock's Bizarre Angle on Road to WWE WrestleMania

The Rock's return to WWE on Friday's SmackDown ignited a new chapter in his story with Cody Rhodes and, in the process, seemingly threw WrestleMania 41 plans into disarray.

Regardless of whether it was the latest entry into a thrown-together story reflective of Rock's unpredictable schedule or something those in the know kept close to the vest, The Final Boss is relishing his opportunity to disrupt proceedings at Elimination Chamber in Toronto on Saturday night.

With the continuation of his story playing out on the road to the biggest show on the WWE calendar, what might fans expect to see from The Great One as he appears intent on making Rhodes' life a living nightmare?

No Heel Turn for Rhodes

Some have looked at Rock's desire to turn Rhodes, to make him his champion and to "take his soul" as the first steps in a heel turn for the top babyface in WWE.

Not so fast.

It is a moral test for Rhodes, not unlike the one Hulk Hogan had to pass when offered money by the evil Ted DiBiase for his WWE Championship in 1987 or when "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was implored by the megalomaniacal Mr. McMahon to become a corporate champion just over a decade later.

Rock is testing Rhodes like those two great villains of a bygone era, attempting to manipulate and scheme his way into taking the top prize in the company because it is a lot easier to flex your political power than get in the ring with a guy who has resisted every test put in front of him, including The Bloodline at WrestleMania 40.

Rhodes has played his part to perfection, wearing uncertainty and concern on his face amid an offer that may be too good (or too threatening) to refuse.

Still, like any great white knight in the history of professional wrestling, he will do just that, incurring the wrath of the most powerful man in WWE and setting up another competitor to take The Final Boss up on his offer.

A Shocking Heel Turn

Rock has made it clear he wants the WWE title and a champion he can mold in his vision, not unlike Mr. McMahon did with him in 1998, when The Great One won the Deadly Game tournament at Survivor Series and became the "Corporate Champion."

With Rhodes unlikely to negate everything he has built and ruin the reputations of himself and his family, it opens the door for someone more desperate to step forward and align themselves with the TKO board member.

Enter John Cena or CM Punk.

Both are among the most popular wrestlers of the last 20 years, both with polar opposite character arcs. One is the goody two-shoes of WWE, who has not been a heel in over two decades and became the modern equivalent of Hogan, thanks to his creed of hustle, loyalty and respect.

The other is an antihero who tells it like it is, for better or worse sometimes, and has always lived by his straight-edge, punk rock, DIY morals.

Both are in the twilight of their careers and seeking another run with the top prize in the company. Add in Punk's desire to main-event WrestleMania, and you have even more reason to believe their characters may be inclined to betray all they stand for in the name of one last shot at glory.

Cena has already given in to temptation he typically would not have, claiming "merit" and putting himself in the men's Elimination Chamber instead of qualifying like everyone else.

A heel turn for him, in pursuit of a historic 17th world title, would be a monumental occasion that added gravity to his retirement tour and left fans wondering what was next for a guy who became predictable in that regard a long time ago.

For Punk, aligning himself with a man he has been outspoken about more than once in his career would accentuate how desperate he is to get that WrestleMania main event and win back a title he has not held in 13 years.

Both open up intriguing and exciting creative paths and give fans something to sink their teeth into ahead of WrestleMania on April 19-20 in Las Vegas.

Perhaps the turns won't take place until The Showcase of the Immortals and if so, it would put an exclamation point on the event and give WWE a building block for the next eight months of programming as it tells the story of a fallen hero succumbing to championship desires.

Potentially in their final run with the promotion in Cena's case.

Sure, there could always be a more predictable outcome, such as Drew McIntyre, who wants the title he was robbed of at Clash at the Castle in Cardiff three years ago, but this feels like an opportunity to do something big and bold while using a star of The Rock's magnitude to instigate it.

As was the case with his own heel turn a year ago, look for Triple H and Co. to ignite another blockbuster story for what WWE hopes will be the biggest WrestleMania of all time.