The highly anticipated moment arrived on the latest episode of WWE SmackDown when The Rock officially aligned himself with The Bloodline, marking a significant turn of events.
Roman Reigns initiated the main event segment by addressing the fans’ support for Cody Rhodes, despite the potential WrestleMania 40 main event being The Brahma Bull versus The Tribal Chief. In a bold move, Reigns announced The People’s Champion as the newest member of the Samoan faction.
Entering the ring, The Great One didn’t hold back, directing insults towards the fans and labeling them as “Cody Crybabies.” He questioned the validity of Rhodes’ story, highlighting his previous loss to Reigns and suggesting that his narrative had reached its conclusion.
The Rock emphasized the lack of sense or continuity in Rhodes receiving a rematch at WrestleMania 40.
There’s speculation about whether The Rock intentionally disregarded Rhodes’ 2024 Royal Rumble victory or simply incorporated it into his villainous persona.
THE ROCK We the One's sign is different from Bloodline 😂#Smackdown #TheRock pic.twitter.com/0WYAcNBYPr
— Rohan Verma (@realrohanverma) February 17, 2024
The consensus is that The People’s Champion is fully aware but is leveraging his role as a heel to solidify his character within the WWE narrative.
The coming weeks are poised to be pivotal in The Bloodline saga with The Rock’s official inclusion in the heel faction. His portrayal during the SmackDown segment evoked nostalgia for his “Hollywood Rock” persona, but it also invited some fan trolling regarding his execution of The Bloodline’s signature gesture, “We The Ones.”
During the closing moments of SmackDown, when The Rock and other members of The Bloodline raised their fingers in the air, some keen-eyed fans noted a slight misstep in his execution of the gesture.
Despite this, the overall sentiment among fans remains one of excitement and anticipation, especially with The Rock’s unexpected heel turn adding complexity to the WrestleMania XL buildup and the ongoing storyline involving Reigns and Rhodes.
The villainous transformation of The Great One, highlighted by his confrontation with Rhodes at the WrestleMania XL Kickoff Press Event, adds layers of intrigue not only to the Road to WrestleMania but also to the broader narrative within WWE.
