WWE WrestleMania Rumors: How to Book the Start of The Rock vs. Roman Reigns Feud

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Amid rumors that Roman Reigns vs. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson could be in the works for next year’s WrestleMania 39, this weekend’s Show of Shows would be the perfect setting to begin their dream rivalry.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t WrestlingInc’s Matthew Wilkinson), Reigns vs. The Rock is the “working idea” for WWE when it comes to WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Meltzer noted that while people within the company believe The Great One wants to compete in the match, it isn’t guaranteed since WWE is at the mercy of his busy Hollywood acting schedule.

If plans are indeed in place for The Tribal Chief and The Rock to headline next year, there would be no better way to kick off the program than for The People’s Champion to show up at the tail end of Night 2 of WrestleMania 38.

Reigns and Brock Lesnar are set to clash in the main event of WrestleMania 38, with the winner taking both the WWE and Universal Championship to become the company’s unified world champion.

The expectation is that Reigns will prevail since he is a full-time Superstar and the face of WWE, whereas Lesnar is a part-time wrestler who could conceivably take some time off after WrestleMania 38.

Also, Reigns is set to enter Sunday’s match with a nearly 600-day universal title run intact, and it is difficult to envision WWE ending that run now given how much it has elevated him as a performer.

The Tribal Chief hoisting both titles above his head with pyrotechnics in the background would be a great ending to WrestleMania 38, but it would be even better if The Rock’s recognizable music hit just as fans thought the show was about to go off the air.

A staredown between the cousins and two of the biggest icons in WWE history would be an enduring WrestleMania moment and a sign that something special is planned for next year.

Such a moment would hearken back to WrestleMania 27, which saw The Rock serve as the host. He also got involved in the main event between John Cena and The Miz by screwing over The Champ.

The next night on Raw, The Rock and Cena agreed to face each other one year later at WrestleMania 28, making it the earliest-announced match in the history of WWE’s biggest event.

That seemed to work for all parties involved, as fans got to follow Cena’s journey throughout the year and The Rock popped in to build toward the match when he had time.

Going back to the same playbook for Reigns vs. The Rock would work on every level, especially since The Head of the Table has reached elite status on the mic and has the capability to keep the rivalry going on his own.

Additionally, getting interrupted during a championship celebration would be familiar territory for Reigns since it has happened to him twice over the past year.

After beating Edge at Money in the Bank 2021, he was shocked by a surprise appearance by Cena, who confronted the universal champion and set the stage for a match at SummerSlam.

Then, after The Tribal Chief defeated Cena, Lesnar made his return to WWE programming for the first time in more than a year to renew his rivalry with Reigns.

Perhaps the biggest argument in favor or Reigns vs. The Rock and setting it up at WrestleMania 38 is the fact that the universal titleholder’s entire heel character seems like a jab at The Great One in certain ways.

Since turning heel in the summer of 2020, Reigns has referred to himself as The Tribal Chief and The Head of the Table, claiming that he is the provider for his entire family.

That has always felt like an indirect shot at The Rock since he is one of the biggest WWE Superstars of all time and one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, meaning he should be able to provide more than anyone.

The pieces have been in place for Reigns vs. The Rock for nearly two years, and given there is no bigger stage in sports entertainment than The Showcase of the Immortals, WrestleMania Sunday is the ideal time and place to firmly position them as adversaries.