Biggest star of all time, Hall of Famer set to retire - 5 WWE legends other than The Rock who could challenge Roman Reigns at WrestleMania Hollywood
WWE fans have been hoping for and potentially even expecting the return of The Rock. Much of the audience believes he'll be returning for WrestleMania 39 which is set to take place in California later this year. The hope was that The Brahma Bull would wrestle Roman Reigns.
Unfortunately, there's a chance that the rumored bout between the two legendary family members won't be coming to fruition. According to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer, The Rock is likely not returning for a match. The People's Champion allegedly doesn't believe he has the time to get into ring shape for the event.
While many fans don't believe that the former WWE Champion truly passed up on a return match, there's certainly a chance that this reporting will turn out to be accurate. If that's the case, Roman Reigns' plans at WrestleMania Hollywood will have to shift in a major way.
The Tribal Chief could just end up wrestling a regular roster member, but there's a chance that his focus could shift to another legend. While there aren't many legends who could have a major match at this point, there are still a handful of possible challengers for The Head Of The Table.
Below are five WWE legends other than The Rock who could challenge Roman Reigns at WrestleMania Hollywood.
#5. Booker T could leave the WWE NXT commentary booth for a huge match
Booker T is an iconic superstar. He won numerous world titles while in WCW and went on to capture a plethora of belts in WWE. This includes the World Heavyweight Championship. Booker has slowed down as an in-ring competitor, now primarily focusing on being a commentator and training the stars of tomorrow.
Booker T has essentially no history with Roman Reigns due to when he became inactive in the ring, Despite that, he did have a hand in training other members of The Bloodline. He has also feuded with The Rock in the past.
The five-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion is still in phenomenal shape. Many fans wondered if he'd be returning to action for an NXT event, but there's also a chance that he could step up and attempt to dethrone The Tribal Chief. Even at 57 years old, Booker likely has a size advantage over Reigns.
#4. John Cena and The Tribal Chief have a lot of history together
John Cena is one of the greatest WWE Champions of all time. The talented star is a 16-time world champion, although he held plenty of other titles during his time as an active superstar. The semi-retired star has transitioned to Hollywood in recent years.
Roman Reigns and John Cena have plenty of history together. They've battled at a few Premium Live Events in the past, although Reigns usually ends up the victor. They also recently clashed in a tag team bout on the final SmackDown of 2022.
Given that Cena won the tag team match, albeit by pinning Sami Zayn, another big-time match with Roman isn't out of the question. There's no bigger avenue for the two to clash than at WrestleMania. With Cena being a Hollywood star himself, he'd make for a suitable replacement for The Rock.
#3. Edge and Roman Reigns didn't get their one-on-one WrestleMania match
Edge is one of the most decorated champions of all time. He held almost every title there was to hold from 1998 until his retirement in 2012. The Rated-R Superstar returned to action in 2020 and has been exciting audiences ever since.
The Tribal Chief and Edge aren't strangers. The two were set to clash at WrestleMania in 2021. However, that match was changed when Daniel Bryan managed to earn his way into the bout, turning it into a Triple Threat Match.
Given that The Rated-R Superstar plans to retire this year, there is no better time for WWE to book Edge vs. Roman Reigns than at WrestleMania. If the bout is to happen, it will need to be at WrestleMania. Who will win in the battle of Spears? Fans may get to find out.
#2. X-Pac wants another big match
X-Pac is arguably the most underappreciated wrestler of all time. While he never captured a world title, he was a key member in both D-Generation X and the New World Order. He was also a pivotal player in both WCW and WWE.
While almost everybody on this list is a former world champion, X-Pac stands out among the crowd as being the lowest on the totem pole. While he was never a regular main eventer, he was part of one of the most popular periods in wrestling history.
Many fans grew up watching him. Many wrestlers have learned from and been inspired by X-Pac. The talented star wants to compete in a big way, and even Shawn Michaels seems open to the idea. There's no grander spotlight than WWE WrestleMania. A bout with Roman could give Pac the greatest possible send-off for an underrated legend.
#1. Stone Cold Steve Austin is apparently in WrestleMania shape
Stone Cold Steve Austin is a pro wrestling icon. The former world champion dominated WWE during the Attitude Era and was arguably the biggest, if not the sole reason for the company overtaking WCW in the Monday Night War.
The Texas Rattlesnake doesn't have history with Roman Reigns, but he is arguably the biggest star of all time. At his peak, nobody compared to his popularity, including The Rock.
Austin returned to action at last year's monumental WrestleMania, so a return certainly isn't out of the question. Given how jacked he is these days, many believe he'll be back in action for at least one more major event. Why not have the biggest star of all time battle the top star of today?