5 things WWE subtly told us during The Rock's attack on Cody Rhodes - Two major returns, huge turn not happening & more
The Rock shocked the world when he showed up to confront Cody Rhodes on the latest episode of WWE RAW. The Great One interrupted The American Nightmare's opening promo, making the Chicago crowd erupt into "This Is Awesome" chants without saying a word. He then whispered something into Rhodes' ear before leaving the ring to a chorus of boos.
The Final Boss' night was far from done, though, as he bided his time until the end of the show to unleash a vicious attack on his foe. So severe was that beating that The American Nightmare bled, something rarely seen on WWE television. Amid all the shock and awe, though, fans noticed a few barely noticeable details that may hint at what is to come in the future.
Here are five subtle things WWE told us during The Rock's attack on Cody Rhodes on RAW.
#5. The Rock is absolutely not turning babyface to help Cody Rhodes
The Road to WrestleMania XL has been rife with speculation about what potential swerves and turns could happen in the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match. A section of fans think Seth Rollins will betray Cody Rhodes due to his former Shield ties with Roman Reigns. Another section of the audience believes The Rock will betray Roman Reigns, revealing himself to be in cahoots with The American Nightmare.
The Final Boss' unbelievable assault should now put the latter rumor to bed. The animosity between the two megastars was so feral and vicious that there was almost no possibility they were working together to outnumber The Tribal Chief. However, you can never say never in WWE, especially when The Brahma Bull is involved.
If The People's Champion and The American Nightmare are revealed to indeed be working together at WrestleMania XL, it will be the mother of all swerves.
#4. WWE RAW might be moving away from the PG direction on Netflix
The most talked-about aspect of The Rock's beatdown on Cody Rhodes was the fact that he made the latter bleed. Blood has rarely been seen on WWE television since the Stamford-based company shifted to a PG product, so The American Nightmare getting busted open was a shocking occurrence, to say the least.
This, and an off-hand comment made by CM Punk about the show not yet being on Netflix before making a mature joke, could have hinted at the red brand's future. The streaming giant does not have the same restrictions on its content as television networks do, so Monday Night RAW could be dropping its current PG rating.
Going by the reception for The Great One's vicious assault, it will be a popular move.
#3. Fans can possibly witness a singles match between The Rock and Cody Rhodes
Over the past few weeks, the WWE Universe has complained that The Rock has overshadowed Roman Reigns on the Road to WrestleMania XL. The Great One has arguably built more animosity with Cody Rhodes than The Tribal Chief has. With this latest physical attack, it feels like a tag team match would not be enough for payback.
Are we getting Cody Rhodes vs. The Rock at some point after WrestleMania XL? After The Final Boss made The American Nightmare bleed, it is becoming more and more of an inevitability. Whether he wins or loses in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Rhodes needs to "get his lick back" on The Final Boss one-on-one down the road.
#2. Two potential earth-shattering WrestleMania XL returns and #1. A huge tag team match spoiler
During The Rock and Cody Rhodes' brawl in Chicago, one particular easter egg got fans more excited than anything else. A few eagle-eyed internet observers noticed a production truck in the background bearing the faces of John Cena and Stone Cold Steve Austin. This could easily have been a coincidence, but WWE has expertly used foreshadowing before, so it may have been intentional.
Could The Texas Rattlesnake return to aid The American Nightmare against his great rival? Could The Champ return to level the playing field against two of his most iconic rivals? Fans are convinced Rhodes will "assemble The Avengers," making for one of the most epic WrestleMania endings of all time.
By teasing this, WWE may have spoiled the massive tag team match on Night One, indicating that The Rock and Roman Reigns will win. This outcome is the only one that allows The Bloodline to besiege Rhodes on Night Two and necessitate Austin and Cena's interventions.