Tag: The Rock

Every No. 1 WWE Draft pick through the years

Who deserved to go No. 1? Who was a surprise when they were picked? We go back through the entire history of WWE Draft top picks.

Is it an honor to get drafted, whether it’s in traditional sports or WWE? Sure. But there’s something to be said for being the No. 1 pick.

The WWE Draft is, of course, not the same thing as a pro sports draft, in the sense that it’s done all for entertainment value. It’s not GMs or authority figures sitting around and selecting the best available wrestler, as much fun as that would be.

Still, most years the WWE Draft has been around, the No. 1 overall pick has been a big name, someone you would actually build a wrestling brand around. And even the years when it wasn’t, it’s fun to look back and say, “Wow, really?”

So let’s do that now. Scroll down for a look at every WWE Draft No. 1 pick in history, from the initial WWF draft lottery in 2002 up through the most recent edition.

What did The Rock give to Cody Rhodes on the Raw After WrestleMania?

Cody Rhodes looked shaken by whatever The Rock handed him on the Raw After WrestleMania.

The story that Cody Rhodes finished by defeating Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 was one of perseverance, determination and heroism. The one he’s about to start just might be a mystery.

While addressing the crowd during a long but intriguing opening segment on the Raw After WrestleMania Monday night, Rhodes was interrupted by the arrival of The Rock. The Final Boss did some of his usual shtick, insulting the fans and riling up some mixed crowd reactions.

He also did some unusual things, like asking Rhodes if they could swap title belts (he had The People’s Championship gifted to him by the widow of Muhammad Ali), just to hold. The fans started a “this is awkward” chant in response.

Before he left, The Rock confirmed that he has to go away for a while, as it’s been widely reported he’s off to shoot “The Smashing Machine” about MMA legend Mark Kerr shortly. He also made it clear he’ll come back at some point to go after Rhodes, whether he’s still champion or not. But before he departed, he said he had something to give Cody.

The Rock handed something to Rhodes but told him he didn’t even need to open his hand to know what it was. Then he cryptically said “don’t ever break my heart again” before calmly leaving the ring.

It’s not like The Rock to speak in riddles, and whatever it was, it was small enough to fit in the palm of the hand. It also clearly unnerved Rhodes.

The comments section of WWE’s post on X is full of guesses, some serious and some not. Among the most interesting early theories:

  • It’s a lighter, playing off the real life news that Cody’s tour bus caught on fire during WrestleMania week
  • The Rock is giving back the Rolex Cody gifted to him, as well as Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins
  • It’s a ring of some sort, perhaps Dusty Rhodes’ Hall of Fame ring

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The bummer is that we might not learn more about The Rock’s mystery “gift” until whenever he returns to WWE, unless Rhodes decides to address it at some point. It sure has fans talking, though, and that was probably WWE’s goal in doing this in the first place.

Let the speculation continue.

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Raw After WrestleMania results 04/08/24: New era includes Rock mystery, Cena cameo, same CM Punk

The Raw After Mania didn’t disappoint, though Drew McIntyre might have his head explode thanks to CM Punk.

When WWE Raw rolls into the Wells Fargo Center tonight, it’s going to help turn the page from whatever we just came out of to what Cody Rhodes has dubbed the Renaissance Era. That’s a fine name for it since professional wrestling is back and sports entertainment seems to be fading away like a bad dream once you’ve been awake for 15 minutes.

Also, now that Rhodes is the new champion, he can call it any damn thing he wants.

Last year’s Raw After WrestleMania was famously a big letdown, feeling like any other Raw in mid-June rather than a show that would chart the course for exciting new things ahead. The blame was laid squarely at the feet of Vince McMahon, who apparently did the opposite of saying “perfect, no notes” and concocted a whole new show on the fly. And not a great one.

In contrast, even with Triple H already very much putting his stamp on WWE with WrestleMania 40, you can imagine he’ll want to keep the excitement going with a compelling show tonight in Philly. We already know the first hour is commercial-free, which WWE can no doubt afford to do after the massive WrestleMania gate and the extra sponsorships it showed off compared to years past.

There have been some more hints put out about surprises and such for tonight, but we can’t tell you what they are because Adam Pearce has us blocked on X. We’re not even sure what we did, but we’re all of a sudden big Nick Aldis fans now.

(Just kidding, Scrap Daddy, we still love you even if you don’t feel the same.)

In any case, we’re looking forward to this new era kicking off, so let’s do exactly that.

WWE Raw After Mania results from Philadelphia:

(please scroll down for more details on any match or segment in bold)

  • Triple H and Cody Rhodes kick off the new era, but The Rock says he’ll come for Cody eventually
  • Newly crowned champs Damian Priest and Sami Zayn are shown entering the arena
  • Ilja Dragunov def Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall
  • A video package shows how Drew McIntyre won, then quickly lost the World Heavyweight Championship, and McIntyre is shown heading into the arena earlier today
  • The Judgment Day has more singles gold but no tag team titles … and still has an R-Truth problem
  • The Awesome Truth and John Cena def. The Judgment Day by pinfall
  • Bronson Reed cuts a promo before he’s part of a four-way No. 1 contenders match, and there’s an unusual test pattern in the background on a monitor …
  • Rhea Ripley tells Dominik Mysterio he needs to handle Andrade betraying him but gets attacked out of nowhere by Liv Morgan
  • Roxanne Perez def. Indi Hartwell by pinfall
  • Sami Zayn and Jey Uso still remember their special handshake, apparently
  • Natalya and Perez bump into each other backstage and say they’ll see each other on NXT
  • Sami Zayn is now a champion but Imperium isn’t quite done with him
  • A promo video airs for the impending return of Sheamus

  • Sami Zayn and Chad Gable def. Imperium as Gable pins Vinci
  • Jey Uso cuts his own promo before the main event
  • The three general managers discuss putting their differences aside for the sake of the product, but they get a visit from Chelsea Green, upset about being left out of WrestleMania; she’s happy when she learns she has a match, but the laughs by the GMs suggest she may not be thrilled about her opponent
  • Jade Cargill def. Chelsea Green by pinfall in a matter of seconds
  • Zayn finds Gable and says he knows what Chad wants as a favor: a shot at the Intercontinental Championship; next week in Montreal, it’s on, and Gable says he can’t wait
  • Drew McIntyre says “what happened last night was complete and utter BS,” noting his moment lasted only five minutes and 46 seconds; he thanks Seth Rollins but “that bondage Undertaker” screwed it all up and also says it’s on sight with CM Punk
  • Jey Uso wins a Fatal Four-Way No. 1 Contenders Match, earning a World Heavyweight Championship shot after CM Punk prevents McIntyre from winning

Cody Rhodes finished one story, but The Rock makes it clear another one is just starting

Both “Triple H” and “thank you Hunter” chants greet the CCO as he takes the ring. “Here’s the thing, I came out here to thank you,” he says, noting that by every metric it was the biggest WrestleMania ever.

He had the privilege of welcoming everyone to Mania and now has the privilege of welcoming everyone to Raw. It’s time to welcome the man who will lead us into a new era, which of course is Cody Rhodes. The new Undisputed WWE Champion shakes hands with Triple H before holding his title aloft to multiple sides of the ring.

A big “you deserve it” chant greets Rhodes, after which Triple H congratulates him while also giving Roman Reigns some props for his title reign.

The CCO mentions it’s a gate record for an arena show tonight, and he also shows off a video tribute to Cody set to “Rise Up” (albeit on smaller monitors since the large Tron isn’t in the Wells Fargo Center to squeeze more people in). It brings Rhodes to tears, and he hugs Triple H, who departs afterward.

Cody kneels down and kisses his title belt before getting to his “What do you want to talk about?” catchphrase. Rhodes turns to Samantha Irvin, asking her to announce him again as the new Undisputed WWE Champion, and she happily obliges.

He tells the fans that together, they are standing on top of the mountain, and he acknowledges the 1,316-day run for Reigns, wondering if he’s the most important superstar of our generation. The fans start a “thank you Roman” chant in response.

Rhodes discusses the “why” and shows a clip of his daughter imploring him to finish the story. He says he wants her to know that when he goes to work, he does so in the main event and as champion. Cody ponders the new experience of having the line be for him, but as he gets to the undisputed bit, he’s interrupted by The Rock.

There are some boos for the Final Boss but a “Rocky” chant as well. Ah, but then the trolling arrives in the form of an “Undertaker” chant, and it’s hard for The Rock to start talking as he gets booed when he tries.

The Rock finally says he came out to give flowers but also to insult Philadelphia for breaking the record for the largest gathering of trailer park trash. Both men then take turns holding up their titles for the crowd. Oh yeah, The Rock as The People’s Championship, remember?

Ignoring the fans, The Rock congratulates Rhodes for beating Reigns and says his mom and late dad were proud of him. He talks about the two belts and then asks if there’s any way The Rock can hold “that title.”

Rhodes says yes, if they can swap. Rock says it feels right and thanks Cody for allowing him to do it. The fans start a “this is awkward” chant while they hold each other’s championships.

The Rock confirms that “he has to go away for a little while now,” which he doesn’t want to do since he and Cody made it cool again. When he comes back, though, The Rock is coming for Rhodes whether he’s champion or not.

“I’m looking forward to it,” replies Cody. The Rock reminds Rhodes that while Cody beat Roman, but the previous night, Rock beat Cody. Rhodes’ story with Reigns might be over, but their story has just begun.

Rhodes says that while The Rock is the Final Boss, he’s the champion, the champion of the fans, and that means he’s The Rock’s champion. The Rock says he has something to give Cody before he rides off into the sunset, and he insists Rhodes doesn’t even have to open his hand to know what it is.

“Don’t you ever break my heart again,” The Rock says before departing. And Rhodes suddenly looks shook.

New gold in The Judgment Day hasn’t solved their R-Truth problem

Finn Balor taunts the doubters, and Rhea Ripley says they have some business to attend to. First, though, they bring out the new World Heavyweight Champion, Damian Priest.

The celebration doesn’t last long before it’s crashed by R-Truth, who says he’s brought the tag team titles back to The Judgment Day. It sounds like he’s about to advocate for The Miz joining, but The A-Lister instead joins them in the ring to try to explain to his partner that neither of them are in the group.

Balor is unamused, vowing that the Awesome Truth is going to have the shortest title reign ever. Finn challenges them to put the titles on the line right here, right now, but R-Truth says they can’t because there are only three of us.

He’s not talking about Little Jimmy, but rather “the guy you can’t see.” JD McDonagh happily accepts, then The Judgment Day starts beating Truth down before he can reveal their partner.

“The man you can’t see” helps Awesome Truth defeat The Judgment Day

Well this is a handicap match to start, but we’ll see if it stays that way. Does R-Truth have a real live person to partner with them? They might not need one the way they’re performing early on.

The momentum for the new Rag Tag Team Champions seems to be fading during a picture-in-picture segment, but reinforcements arrive in the form of John Cena. He quickly tags in and hits some offense, and all three men pull off the “15 Knuckle Shuffle” and simultaneous Attitude Adjustments to get the win.

Sami Zayn hasn’t quite freed himself from Imperium

Yet another new champ and another “you deserve it” chant. Zayn says he really wanted to do something historic this year at WrestleMania, and he did it by defeating the best Intercontinental Champion of all time.

With the fans singing again, Sami says they all helped him with their belief. Same with his wife and kid, and his friend Kevin Owens. One other person helped him too, but before he can get to that, he’s interrupted by Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci.

Kaiser says Gunther spent two years putting all his hard work into elevating the IC title, and it breaks his heart to see “somebody like you” holding that championship right now. Imperium heads toward the ring but thinks better of it when Chad Gable joins Sami in the ring.

CM Punk screws Drew McIntyre, Jey Uso wins a title shot

A strong case could be made for any of these four gentlemen, though you’d assume either Jey to keep the face-heel dynamic intact or Drew to seek revenge for the MITB cash-in.

Oh yeah, no DQs in a match like this, so sure, table in the corner, why not? It’s unfortunate for Jey as Reed powerslams him through it.

One thing the fans enjoy is Reed and McIntyre exchanging chops in the finest big meaty men tradition. Reed ends up eating a bunch of superkicks until he’s speared by Uso, and McIntyre hustles to break up the pin.

Reed recovers quickly and nearly pins Ricochet, then McIntyre prevents him from launching into a Tsunami. Reed clears off the Spanish announce table (even though they aren’t there), but he’s the one who ends up on it, and Ricochet hits him with a springboard 450 splash to put him through it.

With McIntyre looking for a win, he’s suddenly grabbed by CM Punk, and Uso takes advantage with a spear and an Uso Splash to win it.

The WrestleMania 40 main event delivered in every possible way

Pro wrestling at its finest in every aspect? We experienced it when Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns met at WrestleMania 40.

Professional wrestling is so many things. But at its core, it is beautiful.

Its beauty lies in its action, its drama, its emotions.

Professional wrestling’s beauty lies on the faces of thousands of fans cheering on their heroes and booing their villains.

And there was no better showcase for how beautiful wrestling can be than Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field. That’s because more than 70,000 people gathered in South Philadelphia to see one thing: the climax of Cody Rhodes’ story.

But the beautiful thing about professional wrestling was that it wasn’t just about Rhodes’ story. There were others, and they all culminated in the most climactic main event in WrestleMania history.

WWE didn’t have to promote Sunday’s match as the “biggest in WrestleMania history” like Vince McMahon did two years ago. The fans’ desire to watch Rhodes defeat Roman Reigns was the only indication anyone needed.

Once the bell rang, WWE delivered.

The main event of WrestleMania 40 was everything it should have been and more. There were cameos from recurring characters throughout the story, call backs to key moments from the past, and there was even a surprise or two.

When Rhodes pinned Reigns to become the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, there was a release of emotions from everyone inside Lincoln Financial Field and from wrestling fans across the world. 

That is because on Sunday, April 7, 2024, everything the wrestling world had ever hoped for had been fulfilled. They had received or been a part of one of the most storybook endings in WrestleMania history. 

If it were an action movie from the 1980s, it may have ended with a freeze frame. While that may sound grossly cliche, it is the type of ending wrestling fans yearn for on an annual basis. They got their wish Sunday night.

The main event of WrestleMania 40 was professional wrestling executed at its highest level. It’s was what professional wrestling is all about.

What is professional wrestling about?

Professional wrestling is about the journey. It is about telling the story of two men who wrapped themselves in their respective family’s wrestling traditions, but for two very different reasons.

On one side was the prodigal son, who returned to the place where he had a prophecy to fulfill: win the title his father never could.

He came within seconds of accomplishing his goal last year, only to have it snatched away from him.

But like any hero, he dusted himself off and fought his way back.

He overcame obstacle after obstacle in order to find his way back to the same spot he was in one year ago: the main event of WrestleMania.

On the other side was the tyrannical villain, whose motives are rooted in providing for his family — or in this case, his tribe. For 1,316 days, he ruled WWE with an iron fist, running through anyone who threatened his position at the summit of the industry, including his own family if necessary.

However, he always made sure that the family had his back, including the ones with even more influence within the company than him.

It’s just that his villainous ways may have cost him in the end.

Professional wrestling is about setting that hero and that villain on a collision course that culminates at the biggest event of the year — twice. It is about living vicariously through all of the characters involved and hoping each of them receive what they have coming to them.

Professional wrestling at its best was on full display Sunday night.

Professional wrestling is beautiful.

Professional wrestling is back in WWE.

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Cody Rhodes def. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40: Best photos

Check out these photos from Cody Rhodes’ WrestleMania 40 victory over Roman Reigns, which featured John Cena, The Rock, and more.

Check out these photos from [autotag]Cody Rhodes[/autotag]’ Universal Heavyweight Championship victory over [autotag]Roman Reigns[/autotag] at WrestleMania 40 Night 2, and saw interference from [autotag]John Cena[/autotag], [autotag]The Rock[/autotag], [autotag]The Undertaker[/autotag], [autotag]Seth Rollins[/autotag], [autotag]Jimmy Uso[/autotag], [autotag]Jey Uso[/autotag], and [autotag]Solo Sikoa[/autotag]. (Photos by Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports, Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

WrestleMania 40 Night 1 reactions: The Rock delivers while Cody Rhodes withers

Wrestling Junkie’s Rob Wolkenbrod analyzes WrestleMania’s first four hours of festivities.

Philadelphia, PA. — WWE hyped WrestleMania 40 as “The Greatest WrestleMania ever,” setting a lofty standard. Yet, with The Rock returning for his first full-length match in over a decade and WWE riding high both financially and creatively, there was a real chance it could live up to the billing and become the best WrestleMania to date.

Just one night at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia isn’t enough to definitively declare WrestleMania 40 as the greatest. However, it undeniably delivered a memorable evening of sports entertainment, or as Paul Heyman emphatically said during his WWE Hall of Fame speech, professional wrestling.

Night 1 was packed with excitement, from a main event featuring four future WWE Hall of Famers to the conclusion of several title reigns, as analyzed by our own Rob Wolkenbrod in a special breakdown of WrestleMania’s opening four hours of festivities.

Rhea Ripley vs. Becky Lynch, a match undeniably deserving of a WrestleMania main event slot, opened Night 1 for the Women’s World Championship. If not for The Rock’s return, perhaps this would have claimed the top slot on April 6, but to open a highly anticipated show, they still performed in front of an excited, invested crowd. The match result never seemed in doubt, however, as Ripley retained the title to continue her year-long reign.

Gunther‘s 666-day run as Intercontinental Champion ended in dramatic fashion, taking the rarely-seen-in-WWE brainbuster and a Helluva Kick from Sami Zayn in arguably the match of the night. Though it did not go the distance of other bouts on the card, this had the feel-good story of WWE’s favorite underdog overcoming all the odds to win on the Grandest Stage of Them All.

Let’s not forget the main event either. Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins faced off against The Rock and Roman Reigns with high stakes involved. If Rock and Reigns emerged victorious, Reigns’ match with Rhodes on Night 2 of WrestleMania 40 for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship would be designated as a Bloodline Rules match. And with the result of the night 1 main event, expect chaos in the closing match of the weekend.

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WrestleMania 40 Night 2 preview: Why Cody fans are taking solace in ‘Avengers’ movies

Cody’s Avengers, assemble? Here’s why some WWE fans believe that’s what awaits on Night 2 of WrestleMania 40.

Right before Night 1 of WrestleMania 40 went off the air, there were some great shots of Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins sitting and mulling over their loss in the main event. Both men wore looks of dejection, as Rhodes now has to head into his rematch with Roman Reigns knowing it will be fought under Bloodline Rules.

That means anything goes, and with The Bloodline, that means the numbers game. The Rock has already promised he’d interfere liberally if given the chance. One can only assume Solo Sikoa is licking at the chops to help his Tribal Chief, and Jimmy Uso will be looking to rebound after losing his Saturday match.

Rollins likely won’t be able to help Rhodes since he has a very difficult title defense against Drew McIntyre. As is often the case with top babyfaces, Cody just doesn’t have enough friends. All is lost.

Or maybe not.

Rhodes fans have been putting faith in a theory that centers upon one of Marvel’s most popular franchises, one that they think will play out on Night 2 when Cody is facing his darkest hour.

What is the Avengers theory?

Put simply, the Avengers theory is the idea that a group of extraordinary individuals will come together to do what others can’t. OK, so that specific language is borrowed from Nick Fury, but the idea is the same: a team will assemble to help Rhodes battle The Bloodline on Sunday night.

The theory has been floating around for months, but it’s taken on new life ever since Rhodes needing help under Bloodline Rules became a possibility. It’s perfectly fine since Bloodline Rules work both ways. Any number of people could come to Cody’s aid, and it wouldn’t affect his ability to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship from Reigns.

Who might be in Cody’s Avengers?

There are actually two lines of thought here. The more fun one is that WWE legends will come to the rescue. There’s even been some suggestions that the clues were there for the whole world to see during The Rock’s infamous rain-soaked beating of Rhodes on the March 25 episode of Raw.

Specifically, a WWE production truck could be seen in the background, with the faces of two specific legends on it, both of whom have been active at WrestleMania within the past two years.

Yep, that’s John Cena and Stone Cold Steve Austin. WWE hasn’t advertised or confirmed that either man will be present in Philadelphia for Night 2, but there have been teases and rumors floating around for some time. Cena even posted something on Instagram that directly implied Austin would pull up for WrestleMania.

Cena has a history with Reigns so his motivation wouldn’t even need explanation. And Austin, despite his penchant for giving both good guys and bad guys a Stone Cold Stunner on occasion, has been a friend and admirer of Rhodes for some time.

Failing that, there are plenty of others who have a score to settle with The Bloodline already on the roster. Jey Uso is an obvious candidate since his ties to the group run deep. Sami Zayn is another, and would be free since he wrestled Saturday (unlike Kevin Owens, who will vie for the United States Championship on Sunday).

Or it could be a mix of people past and present. The point is that on a day unlike any other, Rhodes wouldn’t have trouble rallying people to his cause.

Could this actually happen? The parallels between the downbeat ending of “Avengers: Infinity War” — where the evil Thanos has achieved an unthinkably total victory — and Night 1’s main event have been pointed out by many fans.

If the Avengers theory is correct, Sunday night could be reminiscent of “Endgame,” where a host of heroes unites to join in one triumphant final battle. That could lead to the most spectacular feel-good ending in the 40-year history of WrestleMania, one that will surely help fans disappointed at the end of Night 1 bounce back quickly.

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The Rock hints at more WWE matches after WrestleMania: ‘There might be’

The Rock sounds like he’s got the itch for more WWE matches but wouldn’t tip his hand completely.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson returned to the ring for the first time in nearly a decade on Night 1 of WrestleMania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. But it might not be the final time we’ll see the Final Boss participate in a WWE match.

Not only did The Rock and Roman Reigns end Saturday night with their arms raised, Johnson got the pin that sent Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins to a demoralizing defeat. That all but ensures The Rock will be part of Sunday’s main event, a rematch between Rhodes and Reigns from a year ago that will be contested under Bloodline Rules – allowing The Rock to interfere to his heart’s content should he so choose.

The assumption is that he will, but there’s less certainty about whether this was it for him as an active wrestler. Johnson is expected to start shooting his next movie, “The Smashing Machine” (about the life of MMA fighter Mark Kerr) within the next few weeks.

Yet he’s also a part of the TKO board of directors, with a more vested interest than before in ensuring WWE remains hot. And he seems to have caught the wrestling bug again, revealing in the post-show press conference Saturday night that he had a blast returning to action.

So could there be more matches in his future?

“There might be,” Johnson said before a long, thoughtful pause. “Can’t elaborate that much on that, but there might be. I love what I do and I love our business. And I was born into our business as you guys know, so … we’ll see.”

There has long been speculation that he would face Reigns, a bout that was planned for this year’s event before the decision was made to pivot back toward Rhodes vs. Reigns with the additional elements that have unfolded. Industry observers also believe a Rock vs. Reigns match would be a huge success for WWE, and perhaps the most buzzworthy attraction possible at the current time.

It’s possible either of those matchups could be saved for WrestleMania 41 next spring, with this year’s still to be announced shows in Saudi Arabia or SummerSlam in Cleveland other potential sites. A lot will depend on The Rock’s schedule, but the fan interest is certainly there, and as he confirmed, his personal interest is too.

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The Rock and Roman Reigns def. Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40: Best photos

Check out these photos from The Rock and Roman Reigns’ victory over Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia.

Check out these photos from [autotag]The Rock[/autotag] and [autotag]Roman Reigns[/autotag]’ victory over [autotag]Cody Rhodes[/autotag] and [autotag]Seth Rollins[/autotag] at WrestleMania 40 Night 1, which took place April 6 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, setting up the “Bloodline Rules” stipulation for the main event of Night 2. (Photos by Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports, Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

WrestleMania 40 results: ‘Cody is screwed’ as The Rock, Roman Reigns triumph

A People’s Elbow finished Cody Rhodes and meant the Night 2 main event of WrestleMania will be Bloodline Rules.

Cody Rhodes rises from the floor to start his ring walk and plenty of pyro to boot. As befitting his role as WWE’s top face, he gives a fist bump to a young fan along the ramp.

Seth Rollins manages to outdo himself with his entrance gear, which is hard if you’ve been following his career.

The graphics for The Rock are unreal, playing off his Final Boss moniker more than ever before. He stands in a flaming version of the Brahma Bull tattoo and holds up the People’s Championship he was given by Muhammad Ali’s widow at the Hall of Fame ceremony.

Pat McAfee enthusiastically discusses Roman Reigns while he makes his usual deliberate walk down the ramp. Samantha Irvin does the intros for each of the four combatants one by one.

After the bell rings, there’s plenty of discussion among the two duos before we end up with Reigns and Rollins starting out. Seth gets an early taste of Roman’s power, and the Tribal Chief laughs about it with The Rock.

Rhodes tags in and gives us the first preview of tomorrow night’s main event. Roman gets the first shots in, backing Cody into the corner with a clothesline and right hands. Michael Cole puts the idea forward that everyone but The Rock is risking injury for their Night 2 matches.

The Rock reaches out and enters the WWE ring for the first time in eight years. He circles with Rollins before locking up, tossing Seth backwards with ease. The first shot from Rollins gets the fans to sing, to which The Rock only gives a little nod — and fans start chanting “Rocky” in response.

The famous “just bring it” gesture is done toward Rhodes, who asks for and gets a tag from Rollins. The noise really gets loud as dueling chants break out for Cody and Rock, with Rhodes getting in a series of offensive moves in the corner. A tag is made to Rollins for some double team offense, and Reigns gets a Sling Blade from Rollins when he attempts to lend a hand.

The ref tries to settle things down with all four men in the ring, so the battle simply moves outside. Rollins drinks some Prime and spits in Rock’s face right in front of The Rock’s mom. The beep-out guy is asleep at the wheel as The Rock drops an f-bomb on the ref.

Rhodes suplexes Reigns on the stage as The Rock continues battling Rollins elsewhere in the crowd. The Rock gets some water and spits some in Seth’s face for some payback.

Rollins comes off the barricade and hits The Rock with a double axhandle. They fight back into the ring, where the Final Boss has the upper hand. He wraps Rollins’ left leg around the post more than once. Are we going to get back to a real tag team match? Maybe as Reigns tags in.

Continuing the assault on Seth’s left knee, Reigns grabs a half crab. Roman smacks him with strikes, but he takes a moment to knock Rhodes off the apron and gets sent to the floor.

Roman pauses to throw one finger in the air for acknowledgement. The Rock is back in now, and Rollins is still getting ragdolled. He finally hits a neckbreaker on Roman when the Head of the Table is once again legal, but The Rock tags himself back in and drags Seth to the enemy corner. Rock hits a blatant low blow on Seth, and the ref apologizes to Cody claiming there’s nothing he can do about it.

Unable to get a tag, Seth ends up in a Sharpshooter from The Rock. Rhodes wanders in and smacks The Rock, and the good guys double team until Rollins hits the Stomp on the Final Boss.

Rollins finally makes the hot tag to Rhodes, who opens up for a flurry on the Tribal Chief that ends with a powerslam. A Disaster Kick and Cody Cutter land, but Reigns kicks out at two.

Reigns gets a near fall of his own with a Superman punch. Roman rushes in for a spear but gets countered by a springboard shoulder tackle, and Rollins tags in and hits a top rope splash for a near fall. Paul Heyman complains about the fans singing for Seth, and Reigns recovers to powerbomb his old Shield teammate.

The faces hit a series of superkicks, a Stomp and Cross Rhodes in quick succession, but The Rock pulls the ref out of the ring when Cody looks like he’s got it won. Michael Cole is especially disgusted now.

Reigns locks Rhodes in a guillotine choke, and when The Rock flaunts his immunity to the rules by pulling on Cody’s leg from the floor, Seth hits a Stomp on Roman to break the hold.

The Rock gets his weight belt and starts yelling at Mama Rhodes, who gives it back to him. Cody gets the belt shortly and the ref disposes of it. Rhodes hammers Rock with punches and a Bionic Elbow, but The Rock responds with a spinebuster on the Prime bottle.

A People’s Elbow is countered by a Cody Cutter, and Reigns returns to the fray as well. Reigns has a spear lined up, but Rhodes moves and The Rock takes the move. Cody and Seth hit stereo Pedigrees, then both go to cover, but Reigns and The Rock kick out at the same time.

Rollins comes off the top and takes out Reigns on the floor while The Rock clears the Spanish announce table. Rhodes ends up giving The Rock a Rock Bottom from one announce table through the other, and Reigns spears Rhodes through the barricade right after that.

Reigns and Rhodes are legal once again, and Cody is getting peppered with right hands. Now they stand and trade, with the fans responding on each shot. Rhodes has his super finisher charged, but when he goes for the third Cross Rhodes, The Rock slams Cody with his weight belt from the floor.

Roman spears Cody before tagging his cousin back in. Rock Bottom drops Rhodes, and The Rock makes a throat slash and The Bloodline ‘1’ before hitting The People’s Elbow. “Cody is screwed,” says Cole as the ref gets to three.

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