Will The Rock Confront Roman Reigns at WWE WrestleMania 38?

During WWE's Super Bowl ad for WrestleMania 38, the company showcased some of the biggest stars in the history of the company. Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Ronda Rousey, and AJ Styles all appeared as a prelude to The Showcase of the Immortals.

Interestingly, the commercial also showed a brief glimpse of The Rock and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's showdown from WrestleMania 19. Their match at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington was the perfect ending to their longtime rivalry and The Texas Rattlesnake's final WWE match.

In hindsight, this was a clever way to foreshadow Austin's return to confront Kevin Owens but what if it's more than that? What if another iconic Superstar from the Attitude Era also shows up next weekend as part of this year's two-night event? It may seem a little far-fetched right now, but this would be an excellent time for The Rock to come back to WWE.

The XFL owner is actually the only star in the commercial who is not scheduled to appear at AT&T Stadium. Of course, that could merely be a coincidence, but what if it's not? Could he stand toe-to-toe with his next WrestleMania opponent?

A Satisfying Tease for a Future Match

Yes, it's understandably hard to get excited for an appearance from The Great One. After all, the 10-time world champion dashed fans' hopes in November when he didn't emerge at Survivor Series as a part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of his WWE debut. However, a sighting at WrestleMania 38 could be a great way to set up a future matchup with Reigns.

On Feb. 15, 2020, WWE announced its plans to make Hollywood the destination for The Greatest Spectacle in Sports Entertainment next year. Ever since the company secured the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, rumors have suggested this high-profile match could headline the event.

WrestleMania 39 will take place at the venue on Apr. 2, 2023. As recently as two months ago, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that WWE wants The Brahma Bull to clash with The Tribal Chief at the show. That certainly doesn't mean this match is a lock because so many things can happen within a year and plans change all the time.

However, there are plenty of reasons to believe WWE would love to have such a monumental match in place when WrestleMania returns to Greater Los Angeles for the first time since 2005. Hollywood would be the best backdrop for a movie star such as The Rock to challenge Reigns. It could be a massive draw but it would also be a fitting next chapter for The Head of the Table.

If that's still the plan, why not use this year's iteration of The Show of Shows as a precursor to their showdown. It would be fun to see The Rock enter the fray after The Tribal Chief's match with Lesnar.

Photo credit: WWE.com

A Generational Matchup

Maybe, The Rock could even help The Beast Incarnate topple the universal champion. It would be ironic to see him raise the 44-year-old's hand to end the night as he infamously did for Reigns at the 2015 Royal Rumble. The celebrated wrestler-turned-actor also interfered in Cena's match at WrestleMania 27 to set up their encounter at The Show of Shows the following year.

The Rock vs. Reigns seems inevitable. The Tribal Chief has beaten a Who's Who of WWE legends such as The Undertaker, Cena, Edge, Randy Orton and Chris Jericho. His ongoing feud with Lesnar is the last vestiges of his time as The Big Dog. Once the second-generation star conquers this obstacle, The Great One is one of the few men standing in the way of his quest for immortality.

Coincidentally, The Head of the Table will surpass his would-be opponent as he makes his sixth main event appearance at WrestleMania. The accomplishment will put him on pace to break Hulk Hogan's record of eight. Beating The Rock next year as a headliner would give him uncontestable bragging rights.

There's also something hollow about the way WWE has billed the upcoming Winner Take All bout as "The Biggest WrestleMania Match of All-Time." The Brahma Bull may rightfully take umbrage with such a claim because he competed in much more impactful and lucrative matches at the event at the height of his success.

Even more, The People's Champ was the antithesis of The Tribal Chief as beloved babyface champion. If anyone would take issue with the way Reigns has handled his time on top, it's him. When adding in the ties to their Samoan heritage, this is the recipe for a legitimate dream match with a fresh storyline.

There's a reason why this match has been the topic of speculation for two years. Still, it's so hard to tell if WWE can reasonably make it happen in 2023. Nevertheless, The Rock could conceivably set the table for it on Night 2 of WrestleMania 38.

Of course, this is purely speculative as there haven't been any reports that confirm he is set to make an appearance. We will just have to wait and see at this point, but it would be a sight to behold.

A weekend that boasts the return of Stone Cold, Cody Rhodes and The Rock would be a major win for WWE.