One of the most talked about matches before WrestleMania 39 a few weeks ago was one that didn’t end up happening. By all accounts, WWE discussed a dream match between Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, but it never came together due to Johnson’s packed schedule as actor and businessman.
Reigns faced Cody Rhodes instead, and to the surprise of many, emerged from SoFi Stadium with the WWE and Universal Championships still in his possession. Johnson has teased seeing Reigns down the road sometime, which has led to inevitable speculation that maybe the two men will simply meet at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia instead.
That very well may be the case, and even if Reigns drops one or more of his titles along the way, it’s a matchup so massive that it wouldn’t need championships involved. Still, as Dave Meltzer noted in his most recent Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required), it’s nothing worth banking on yet.
Reigns had pretty much gone through everyone at the top tier on the roster, and with the exception of Gunther, or of course The Rock. Dwayne Johnson, when he turned down this year due to schedule, did leave a crack in the door open about possibly doing Philadelphia at WrestleMania 40 next year, but that was far from a commitment and certainly nothing anyone should count on happening.
One plus for 2024 is that unlike this year, Johnson won’t have to oversee the launch of a pro football league. His version of the XFL (which used to be owned by Vince McMahon) kicked off in February, and was said to be one of the factors heavily affecting his availability for WrestleMania.
Still, Johnson will still have one of the busiest schedules in Hollywood, and WWE will know it can’t put all its eggs in The Rock’s basket. The backup plan for 2023 worked out pretty well, even if the match didn’t end the way many hoped. We’ll have to wait and see what WWE has as a Plan B for WrestleMania 40, or if The Rock vs. Reigns can come together before it’s an idea that is simply past its expiration date.