While Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has attempted to spin a narrative that he decided to turn heel and was key in WrestleMania playing out in a fan-pleasing manner, there's a good reason his tall tales have turned him into a meme recently!
Given what a huge star he is, the "Final Boss" didn't think fans would mind if he took Cody Rhodes' place at the Show of Shows in a match with Roman Reigns. Instead, they turned on him, leaving The Rock with no other choice than to become a bad guy and allow the American Nightmare to finish his story (the alternative was being booed out of every building between then and WrestleMania)
It felt like there was some very real tension between Rhodes and The Rock in the build-up to the PLE and that came through in promos directed at each other. However, there's one insult the current Undisputed WWE Champion admits to regretting.
"I feel maybe I crossed the line. I did a promo where I said he had LDS," he recalls in the video below. "I feel like a lot of people liked the interview and got a nice round of applause when I came back through the curtain but it felt so off brand for me because we have so many young kids that I felt like this one guy is the guy that I'm gonna go to these lengths for and maybe that's what makes this all click."
"This genuine animosity and smile at each other but probably deeply dislike one another. If he's the one who's gonna bring it out, it's probably good TV but it did feel a little, I guess icky in the moment."
As for whether there are plans for them to square off in a match, Rhodes confirmed he remains open to the possibility...if The Rock is willing.
"The offer still stands. And again, if he never comes back, he's done at all. He really has. And as much as I insulted him previously, it was an honor to be part of his last outing. But what I learned physically in the ring with him. It shouldn't be his last outing. There's more. There’s not just gas left in the tank. There might be multiple tanks."
"There's more, and I would like the WWE Universe or pro wrestling fans, I'd like them to see that. I think there's a world where WWE Director of the Board is great, but I think there's a world WWE really benefits and this young audience being able to connect with him," he continued. "They don't know him as the People's Champ. They know him as the Final Boss. I'm that offer stands whenever."
There's still room for this match to happen, but with so much tension within The Bloodline, it seems likely that WWE could now move on to setting the stage for The Rock and Reigns to finally clash at next year's Showcase of the Immortals.
You can watch the full interview with Rhodes below.