Nearly everything changed with Dwayne Johnson’s major return to the WWE and his subsequent adoption of the new villain persona, The Final Boss. Conversely, Cody Rhodes’ story was developing; it was being written as the story of a hero on the rise, and his victory in the Royal Rumble altered the structure of the WWE story.

The Rock’s first plan to challenge the reigning champion and his cousin Roman Reigns for the Universal Title appeared like a dream match. But Rhodes was also in the photo, and The Rock received harsh backlash from fans for stealing the match away from the Royal Rumble victor. Head writer for The Rock, Brian Gewirtz, disclosed that fans would have detested the original idea for Rhodes to appear at WrestleMania 40.

Cody Rhodes’s Original Plans Would Have Ruined WrestleMania 40

After winning the Royal Rumble, Cody Rhodes, with his innate and natural flow, targeted the Universal Title hanging around Roman Reigns’ waist. Many fans and critics alike agree that WrestleMania 40 was one of the best ever, but Rhodes’ original intentions would have destroyed the biggest WWE event. Brian Gewirtz, lead writer for Dwayne Johnson, verified this in an appearance on the Busted Open Podcast.

I don’t want to get into too much detail, but I will say this with absolute certainty: the initial concept was something. There would have been a great deal more people who would have disliked everything about life. I am unable to make that more clearer—I cannot emphasize it enough or downplay it.

While Gewirtz did not go into depth about the first plan in the podcast, it was clear that it included a match between Roman Reigns and The Rock, and it also might have involved CM Punk. The author went on, “But Punk gets hurt and the dominoes start falling and things start shifting.”

“And as the Wrestlemania press conference approaches, we have to promote something—a major event of some kind,” the speaker said.

His remarks appear to be a hint that Punk’s injuries changed the initial plans, although he would have played a significant part in the WrestleMania 40 championship contest. However, events changed, bringing into play the iconic The Bloodline vs. Rhodes, where Rhodes was able to wrap up his tale.

Dwayne Johnson Contributed To A Change In The Storyline Of WrestleMania 40

Even though Johnson returned to the WWE as a babyface with promise, he was severely jeered. The Tribal Chief and The Rock were shown together, but fans were more interested in Rhodes’ life story than in his matchup with Reigns. Additionally, because of Johnson’s sporadic WWE appearances, The Tribal Chief would have won easily.

But around four in the morning, the legendary wrestler had a proposal. In an interview with the Busted Open Podcast, Gewirtz stated, “And then the next thing that happened after that basically changed the course of WWE history in a way.”

That weekend, I received a voice message from Rock. He told me that Smackdown was on Friday, but I believe he gave it to me late—around four in the morning, Hawaiian time—and that it was on Saturday when I received it Sunday morning. He said, “Okay, hear this one out. What if I turned heel? I’m just saying what if I turned heel and we go in an entirely different direction?

Later, The Rock suggested the historic tag battle, teaming up with his cousin to defeat Seth Rollins and Rhodes, but the writer insisted that The Final Boss and The Head Of The Table have to prevail in order to provide a “emotional release” and build tension for the main event on night two. At last, Rhodes emerged victorious.