We Want Cody: Why are wrestling fans angry at Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and rallying behind Cody Rhodes?

“The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes revealed on the most recent episode of WWE Smackdown that he would finish the story, but “not at Wrestlemania,” and after discussing the counsel he received backstage introduced Dwayne Johnson to a thunderous ovation. But from the initial surprise came an instant outrage - why is Dwayne Johnson, a part-time wrestler beloved by the fanbase, inserting himself into one of the company’s long-standing storylines? 

Cue dirtsheets bringing up details of how plans were suggested to have Johnson headline Wrestlemania 40 as early as before the recent Royal Rumble event, how his “ego” is now destroying the wrestling community - his last bastion of support after the comic book universe turned on him after “Black Adam” - and signs at the NXT Vengence event last night that all wished for Cody to either “finish the story” or “#wewantcody.”

There are even whispers that tonight’s WWE Raw at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri might even be hijacked by fans, with footage at non-televised WWE events showing the crowd booing any mention of The Rock, Roman Reigns or Wrestlemania. So why are people upset that The Rock is potentially (as of writing, and remember the old “card subject to change” deus ex machina the WWE has) “stealing” something earned by Cody Rhodes, and what is this two-year story fans, including myself, have waited to see finished?

What does Cody Rhodes mean by “finishing the story”

Cody Rhodes’ story is essentially that he wants the title that Roman Reigns currently holds, the WWE Undisputed Championship. The lineage of the title traces back to such wrestling legends as Bruno Sammartino and Hulk Hogan, but there is one name who was “robbed” of the title after winning it - “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, the father of Cody Rhodes.

When Rhodes rejoined the WWE as a surprise competitor against Seth Rollins at Wrestlemania 38 in 2022, his first interview detailed the reasons why he was in the company - to earn the title that his father couldn’t. His story eventuated into a Royal Rumble win in 2023, earning him the right to challenge Reigns for the title at Wrestlemania 39. 

While many were expecting Cody to “finish his story,” instead a run-in from Solo Sikoa led to Reigns successfully defending his title - the story, it would seem, would continue and did so when Rhodes won the 2024 Royal Rumble, allowing him the opportunity to challenge Reigns for the title and, after a two-year build, conclude one of wrestling’s most intriguing storylines in recent years.

Why are wrestling fans upset about Dwayne Johnson returning?

On the February 2 2024 episode of WWE Smackdown, Cody Rhodes had a face-to-face with Roman Reigns where he explained he would still finish the story, but not at Wrestlemania. That prompted Dwayne Johnson to come out and stare down Roman Reigns as the show went off the air. But for many, they felt that Johnson “inserting himself” in the main event is a problem for numerous reasons.

The major issue many have is that after two years of long-term storytelling, the natural ending to Rhodes’ story is at Wrestlemania, the WWE’s answer to the Super Bowl. Wrestlemania for many acts as the end of the WWE’s “season” of storylines, with the winner of the Royal Rumble going on to face the champion of their choice. If Rhodes is currently not looking to finish the storyline at Wrestlemania, then when? It seems that the greatest stage in wrestling would be an ideal fit. 

That aspect also raises a second issue; that the prestige of the Royal Rumble and it officially being the start of the “Road to Wrestlemania” has been tainted with the winner voluntarily stepping aside for someone else to compete. Now, Cody being the white meat babyface (good guy), you can somewhat understand his reasons for doing “the right thing” and allowing The Rock to deal justice to his cousin. But if the Royal Rumble winner from here on in is not concerned with headlining the Super Bowl of wrestling, why is there so much prestige placed on one of the “Big Four” WWE events? 

Then there are claims that Dwayne Johnson used his “privilege” in the entertainment business to leverage his chance to headline Wrestlemania 40. Johnson recently joined the Board of Directors with TKO and it comes as no surprise he has a lot of support from Endeavour. They see it as the biggest possible money-making match the WWE can offer, akin to a UFC super fight (which TKO also controlled since the WWE/UFC/Endeavour merger last year).

Wrestling journalists have released information daily that suggests Johnson strong-armed himself into the position to ensure his “brand” was visible since rejoining the WWE. There have been countless opinion pieces on how Johnson has alienated himself recently from Hollywood after the “power plays” made during the production of “Black Adam,” which effectively killed the DCEU and led to James Gunn becoming one of the co-chairmen of the company. Johnson knows he has gathered a lot of “psychic capital” and goodwill from wrestling audiences, and naturally thought the prospect of him headlining Wrestlemania this year would be an enticing one.

The problem there is that it’s the wrong time for such a match to take place; while short term it means the company would pull in large figures for a projected one-off appearance from Johnson, long-term it might not help the company. Since becoming the face of the company after his 2022 return, Rhodes has been one of the biggest merchandise sellers in the company since his return and has managed to turn his righteous, nice guy image into one that younger fans and casuals have since gravitated towards. Should Cody not headline Wrestlemania, are the WWE potentially burying what could be their next John Cena-esque good guy and a perennial merchandise seller? 

If the plan was for The Rock to headline Wrestlemania 40, as some reports have suggested, it also begs the question of why Cody Rhodes won the Royal Rumble. Many felt that perhaps if this was the case, he should have been eliminated and another winner crowned, thus allowing Cody’s “story” to last a little longer, or have The Rock win the Royal Rumble and make his official challenge to Roman Reigns on the Raw or Smackdown afterwards.

Then again, there are a small group of people who think this might all be a work: a made-up situation within the realms of wrestling that seems like it is something happening backstage that we shouldn’t be in the know of, but ultimately is used to create more suspense regarding what unfolds on screen. Many have touted this blurring of on-screen storylines and backstage politics as “kayfabe 2.0” - a company allowing us to look behind the scenes, but still not enough to “know how the sausage ends up in its casing,” for lack of a better term.

The backlash against the WWE this time around draws parallels to when Daniel Bryan (AEW’s Bryan Danielson) was omitted from the Wrestlemania 30 main event, despite being the hottest wrestler on the roster at that time. That led to fans “hijacking” live shows by chanting Daniel Bryan, “CM Punk” (at a time Punk left the WWE due to numerous issues with booking and personal matters) until the WWE leaned into the grassroots campaign and pivoted their storytelling to allow the underdog Bryan to headline Wrestlemania 30 - and win the main event, earning the top prize in the process. 

Could what the WWE be doing, again using “kayfabe 2.0” as their narrative devices these days, be a throwback to Bryan’s rise to the main event of Wrestlemania? Again, maybe we’re all being worked…

When is Wrestlemania 40 and how can I watch it in the UK?

Wrestlemania 40 will take place on April 6 and April 7 2024 and can be streamed through the WWE Network or bought from TNT Sports.