The Rock is trying to win people over to his participation in WrestleMania 40, where it’s expected he’ll face Roman Reigns. And while many fans are upset that he’s taking the spot that for months appeared to be going to Cody Rhodes, it’s clear that not everyone is of like mind on that front, and that plenty of people are looking forward to seeing Rock vs. Roman.
The fan divide was clear on social media on Sunday morning, when both the #WeWantCody and #WeWantRocky hashtags were trending on X (the service formerly known as Twitter). The latter had many more posts, but that’s in part because it’s been a thing since The Rock’s appearance on SmackDown Friday night, whereas the pro-Rock posts are only now gaining momentum.
It could also be seen on The Rock’s most recent post, where he discussed his connection with the fans and thanked both the city of Birmingham (where SmackDown took place) and Rhodes.
A number of commenters gleefully suggested they were out to “ratio” The Rock, meaning the post would have more negative comments than likes. But at the time of this article, likes outnumbered comments at almost a 2:1 ratio, with tens of thousands on each side.
There’s a word for this explosive, insane reaction – undeniable.
No matter the era, the decade, or the city, the energy and connection between the People’s Champ and the People can never be broken and is truly an electrifying experience that creates chills every single time.… pic.twitter.com/LQI6gMdpIs— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) February 4, 2024
What to make of all of this? It speaks to the idea that while there are a large number of fans who feel genuinely betrayed by WWE’s apparent bait and switch with regard to WrestleMania — particularly after Rhodes won the Royal Rumble and could call his shot for a championship challenge — The Rock remains a massive star, and a meeting between him and Reigns remains a dream match for many.
Is there a way that WWE can thread the needle between these two groups of potential WrestleMania viewers and make as many people happy as possible? It has a little more than two months left to figure it out.
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