The WWE Universe has come to the defense of superstar Cody Rhodes after The Rock reportedly sabotaged his Wrestlemania main event with Roman Reigns.
After Rhodes won his second straight Royal Rumble this January, a Wrestlemania rematch with Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship seemed set in stone.
The two engaged in a battle for the ages at last year’s Mania, but Rhodes ultimately came up short and has been angling for redemption ever since.
As Rhodes and Reigns shared the ring on the latest episode of Friday Night Smackdown, it felt like the American Nightmare would confirm his intentions of a rematch.
Then, The Rock’s music hit, and everything changed.
Reaction to The Rock stealing Wrestlemania main event
With Rhodes seemingly giving up his main event spot vs. Reigns, fans on social media spoke out against “The Great One” stealing the spotlight from a more deserving superstar — again.
CM Punk had a similar thing occur back in the early 2010s when “Rocky” returned to the WWE to feud with John Cena, leaving the then-WWE champion hung out to dry at Wrestlemania.
“We want Cody” began trending on X after the Smackdown broadcast and continued gaining steam throughout the weekend.
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Logan Paul and fans defend Cody Rhodes
Logan Paul, the current WWE United States Champion, even added his name to the pack of supporters for Rhodes.
We want Cody.
— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) February 4, 2024
Some angry fans called it upon the upcoming live crowds to take the narrative back, akin to what happened with Daniel Bryan during the now infamous “Authority” storyline.
It's not only about hashtags. If we really want to make an impact about #WeWantCody, fans need to do this on RAW pic.twitter.com/JqmxfJaNsp
— Wrestling Pics & Clips (@WrestleClips) February 4, 2024
Bleacher Report spoke on how outspread the backlash has been toward the supposed Wrestlemania main event changes. The outrage is paramount.
The Rock replacing Cody Rhodes in the WrestleMania main event vs. Roman Reigns has made #WeWantCody the number 1 trend on X“The way WWE went about booking the match, however, appears to be an abject failure in every sense,” per B/R’s @jtylerconwayMore: https://t.co/vwG3sOOeoP pic.twitter.com/Vr4QxwNM6Q
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 4, 2024
Going further, the YouTube clip from Smackdown sits as the most disliked WWE video in the platform’s history. Over half a million dislikes, and that number is still climbing.
The Rock & Roman Reigns’ segment from this past Friday’s episode of #SmackDown has now surpassed half a million dislikes in under 36 hours.Extending its record as the most disliked @WWE YouTube video of all time.4M Views. 97K Likes. 500K Dislikes. pic.twitter.com/5WcHyDzTFY
— Wrestle Ops (@WrestleOps) February 4, 2024
It’s clear what the fans think of this sudden inclusion of The Rock into Wrestlemania’s main event. Apparently, at least some of the locker room agrees with the sentiment.
We’ll see if the WWE Universe hijacks the upcoming edition of Monday Night Raw by voicing their displeasure. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time.