WWE recently announced that WrestleMania 41 will take place in Las Vegas. Minneapolis was originally the most likely destination for the Show of Shows, but management changes saw WWE choose a far glitzier location for its annual extravaganza.
Common sense says Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will headline the event, but who is he going to face? After fans hijacked original plans for him to square off with Roman Reigns, this is WWE's chance to finally make that dream match a reality.
However, during the RAW after WrestleMania, the Final Boss instead made it clear that when he next returns to WWE, it will be for a singles match against new Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.
Fans have speculated about it taking place either at SummerSlam or a Saudi Arabia show, but in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer says the match is being saved for WrestleMania 41 in what may be a WWE Championship vs. People's Championship match.
Outside of the fact it was presented to him by Muhammad Ali's widow at the WWE Hall of Fame, the latter title has zero meaning and carries no real weight. Clearly, Johnson hopes to change that.
"Those in WWE have noted that there is no guarantee Rhodes will be champion at that time," Meltzer noted, "which is where the people’s belt comes in. But so many things can change over the course of a year."
The Rock beating Rhodes for the title before going on to face Reigns doesn't sound like the best idea. It would mean another part-time champion and the Head of the Table eventually regaining it by beating (and likely retiring) his cousin puts us straight back to square one.
The American Nightmare managing to earn a win over The Rock is perhaps a smarter move, but whether The Great One's ego will allow it - he does have a seat on the TKO board, remember - remains to be seen. A loss to Rhodes would put him on equal footing with Reigns, at least.
"I’d love to say I’m the WWE Champion because of just me, a la Buddy Rogers," Rhodes recently said. "But the truth is, I’m the WWE Champion because of the team of people that I have around me. And even larger than that, the family of fans that surround me."
"This conversation would not be led in with ‘here’s the WWE Champion Cody Rhodes’ unless those fans had spoken up heading into WrestleMania," he continued. "It was really never a matter of 'We don’t like The Rock.' It was more a matter of 'This story needs to be finished.'"
Stay tuned for updates.