If Cody Rhodes wins the men's Royal Rumble match for a second year in a row, he'll secure his place at WrestleMania and will likely challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
However, The Rock's return to WWE has thrown a spanner in the works and it's widely believed the Brahma Bull is planning to finally clash with his cousin on the Grandest Stage of Them All to decide who the true Head of the Table is.
Talking to Bleacher Report, Rhodes shared his WrestleMania hopes. "I'm winning the Royal Rumble, and then I think we're supposed to wait and say, 'Hey, this is who I want to challenge,' but if anyone's been watching the story, then they know exactly who I want to challenge and when I want to challenge them, and right the wrong that happened at WrestleMania 39," he explains.
"As far as CM Punk, that's one of the things that makes...the Royal Rumble itself so special is CM Punk also feels very strongly and deeply and passionately that he is gonna win the Royal Rumble," the American Nightmare continues. "I don't know if in the past there's ever been this amount of top talent: Jey Uso, Drew [McIntyre], Sami Zayn, this amount of top stars who are vying for it and have a true opportunity."
It makes all the sense in the world for WrestleMania 40 to be headlined by Rhodes vs. Reigns II and, in the year since their last match, the former has only become a bigger star in WWE. Had he fallen down the card, it might be another matter, but fans watch the rematch to happen.
Rhodes would go on to reveal his belief that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson - who is now a TKO board member - wouldn't return to WWE to take his place and ruin him finishing the story.
"You mentioned 'The Great One' The Rock, nothing but respect for him. I went and saw 'Jungle Cruise,' I'm a Rock fan. I don't think he's the type that would come in and meddle with a story that's been being told over the past two years," he explains. "I think he's probably up to something else, but you never know with WWE. I'll be watching just like everybody else when I'm not wrestling."
WWE would be smart to have Reigns drop the title at the Show of Shows and then spend a year building to his clash with The Rock. The alternative is shoehorning the Brahma Bull into WrestleMania, but the risk there is that fans will reject him.
Stay tuned for updates as we have them!