The Rock is running out of time and will have his WWE return match at WrestleMania against a 9-time champion, legend says (Exclusive)

The Road to WrestleMania will kick off at the Royal Rumble, and there is a possibility of The Rock going up against Roman Reigns at the mega show. Dutch Mantell recently explained that The Great One doesn't have much time left for another match and will mostly compete at this year's WrestleMania.

Dwayne Johnson's recent comeback on RAW was a highly successful decision for WWE. He also teased going after Roman Reigns and did great numbers on the company's YouTube and social media channels.

The Rock hasn't wrestled a full-fledged match in years, but he's still a massive draw who always gets the big pops on WWE TV.

During the latest episode of Smack Talk, Dutch Mantell stated that considering The Rock's star power, the company will always open doors for The Great One and try to accommodate him even if the creative plans might be leaning in another direction.

Dutch noted that Rock doesn't have much time left and admitted he'd love to see the 51-year-old Hollywood star take on Roman, who has won nine titles in WWE, at WrestleMania 40 itself:

"They have a lot of doors open to them, and they can go through any one of them and not lose another door. I do think that The Rock, it is getting a little late for him; if he's got to do something, I think he's got to do it this year, and I think it's got to be WrestleMania. And what they do there, I don't know. That's up to them. I will actually be interested in seeing that match just to see what kind of finish they'd have," said the veteran. [From 09:30 to 10:10]

The Rock and Roman Reigns' rumored match has been in the making for several years, and it would mean a lot more now following the rise of Roman as a proven needle mover.

Dutch Mantell says Rock vs. Roman Reigns doesn't need a title

Fans have been waiting to see Reigns get dethroned for a long time, and they are left disappointed with each passing premium live event.

WrestleMania, however, is where most pundits feel Roman Reigns would finally drop the title, and several have backed Cody Rhodes to get the honor of doing the job.

Dutch Mantell, though, felt Rock and Roman Reigns would be a bigger clash, and he didn't even think it needed to be contested for a championship, explaining:

"I don't think it needs the title. I think Rock, by himself, the title accents it, but do they really need it? Not if they do the right thing. They want to see The Rock one more time. One more time, they want to see The Rock in a match that means something against the guy that means something, which is Roman. So, if they fashion that right or sculpt it right, no, it's unnecessary." [From 34:20 to 34:55]

A title showdown between The Rock and Roman Reigns, however, is on Dutch Mantell's wishlist

The Rock is a significant name in showbiz, and he's not been around in a wrestling ring enough in the past decade that every time he shows up on WWE programming, it feels like a genuinely memorable occasion.

As noted above, Rock and Reigns' long-awaited match can sell without the championship stipulation. However, Dutch Mantell would like to see the undisputed championship on the line as it would make it more special.

Putting the belt up for grabs brings up the possibility of Roman Reigns losing the belt, something that Mantell still wasn't in favor of, as he continued:

"But I would like to see it [title match] myself. I would like to see it for the title. But I wouldn't want to see Roman losing, but he'd have to do something." [From 34:56 to 35:14]

If Reigns vs. Rock does happen at WrestleMania 40, should it be a non-title match? Sound off in the comments section below.

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