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The Rock may have teased a blockbuster match for WrestleMania 40 with his appearance on WWE RAW: Day 1. Before leaving the ring, he subtly referred to his cousin, Roman Reigns, with a 'Head of the Table' comment.
The comments started a firestorm of speculation as many assumed his words would lead to a match with Reigns at WrestleMania 40. It would be one of the biggest matches in wrestling history and another slam-dunk main-event slot for Reigns.
Nothing has been confirmed yet, but The Tribal Chief and Paul Heyman addressed The Rock's comment on SmackDown. With three months until The Show of Shows, the match could take place in Philadelphia.
Due to current angles and storylines, however, there are also several factors why it shouldn't take place at WrestleMania 40. Here are four of those reasons.
#4 Roman's recent title defenses have been lengthy
Most of Roman Reigns' recent defenses have exceeded 25 minutes. Against Drew McIntyre (Clash at the Castle, 2022), Sami Zayn (Elimination Chamber, 2023), and Cody Rhodes (WrestleMania 39), his matches surpassed 30 minutes. The same happened in Tribal Combat with Jey Uso (SummerSlam, 2022).
Those matches had a lot of great storytelling in their build-up, so the need for a longer bout made sense. The Rock is 51 and hasn't competed in an extended match in quite some time. He's also probably the biggest he's ever been. Those muscles need a lot of oxygen.
With The Bloodline ties, this would need to be another long contest. One-off matches against Goldberg or Logan Paul didn't need to be 30 minutes. Against one of the biggest stars in history, it would need to be at least over 20 minutes. Could The Rock last that long?
#3 It would add a blockbuster match to an event other than WrestleMania 40
The Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event will be special for many reasons. One is that it is the last stop on The Road to WrestleMania. Chamber matches will also determine two challengers for major titles at WrestleMania 40.
The other is that the PLE will take place in Perth, Australia. The Australian government has reportedly asked for The Rock to be at the event. Booking the match for that card would give a very important event a blockbuster match.
Rhea Ripley is the biggest Australian star in WWE, but other huge contests will have to be booked for the card. International shows need at least one huge part-time performer and The Rock would fit the bill for WWE Elimination Chamber. If he simply shows up and doesn't wrestle, it would be slightly disappointing.
#2 The potential result creates a no-win situation for the rest of the roster
WWE may want Roman Reigns (currently at 1,220+ days) to be the longest-reigning champion in company history. That means he would surpass Hulk Hogan's run of 1,474 days as champion in the 1980s if he wins at WrestleMania 40. If he faces The Rock at The Showcase of the Immortals, the outcome puts WWE in a bind.
If Roman wins, nothing changes on SmackDown and he will break the record. That only helps Reigns and not the rest of the roster. If he is going to lose the title, it should be at WrestleMania 40.
Should The Rock win, it puts the title on another part-timer and relays that none of the current stars were good enough to beat Reigns. The Rock was never a work-rate specialist, even in his prime. Being over 50 means his appearances as champion would be sporadic and his matches would be short.
#1 It takes away a main-event spot from a full-time star
When 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin came back against Kevin Owens two years ago, it wasn't a big problem. He didn't challenge a current major champion, so he wasn't taking away a big spot on the card from a full-time star.
The Rock has main-evented WrestleMania before and will do so again if he tangles with Reigns in Philadelphia. It will take a main-event spot away from a full-time star like Cody Rhodes, LA Knight, Bobby Lashley, CM Punk, or another potential challenger.
Part-time returns work when they aren't in major title programs. John Cena faced Austin Theory for the US Title but didn't win. If the big title match does take place at WrestleMania 40, it will close the show and take a prime spot away from someone who is there every week.
