Tribal submission, tag team alliance - 4 Things fans did not expect from The Rock and Roman Reigns but got it anyway
The route to WrestleMania 40 has been circuitous ever since The Rock returned at RAW Day 1 to tease a match with Roman Reigns. Fans thought the long-awaited dream match was on the books, but things changed when Cody Rhodes won the Royal Rumble for the second year in a row.
Plans changed on the fly due to reactions to The Great One and Rhodes, forcing the former to turn heel. Instead of battling the Bloodline, he aligned with his family against Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.
With several twists and turns on the Road to WrestleMania, there were some things fans didn't expect from the cousins but got them anyway. Here are four such examples since The Rock came back to WWE.
#4. The Rock allying with Roman Reigns
The biggest thing fans got from the return of The Great One was that he allied himself with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline rather than fighting them.
Joining either side of the feud made sense for the former WWE Champion. He's related to Reigns, Solo Sikoa, and Jimmy Uso, so joining up with the family fits.
Battling them also fits because he could have relayed how he felt Reigns misrepresented the family. He could have also said that some of what happened with The Bloodline was a Roman twisting tradition that suited his needs.
#3. The People's Champion acknowledges Roman Reigns
What was heading toward a one-on-one match turned into one family member submitting to the other. Once The Great One aligned himself with The Bloodline, the dynamics in the group could have dramatically shifted.
The Rock and Roman Reigns are both alpha dogs, refusing to submit to anyone as a subordinate. As the cousins were aligning against Cody Rhodes, Reigns requested that The Final Boss acknowledge him before they continued forward.
The Tribal Chief does this with everyone, but seeing him ask his more famous cousin was a shocking moment. The Great One obliged and acknowledged Reigns because it's what families do.
#2. The cousins will appear together on a famous talk show
Being called 'the Biggest WrestleMania of All Time' means that WWE is pulling out all of the stops to promote the show.
A documentary about Bray Wyatt will be released on April 1, and the Hall of Fame Ceremony will take place after the go-home episode of SmackDown. To fully maximize exposure and The Rock's reach, both he and Roman Reigns will appear on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
It's an NBCUniversal show, so it will be a win-win for both NBC and WWE. The cousins will give the show a final sell for mainstream fans on April 3.
#1. The return of Hollywood Rock
Fans thought they'd be getting The People's Champion version of The Rock once he confronted his cousin on SmackDown. As many expressed their unhappiness with The Rock taking Cody's spot, it forced a shift in character for The Great One.
Since he didn't get the dream match with his cousin, The Rock turned heel by bringing back his Hollywood Rock persona. He wears gaudy vests and shirts to make his muscles look even bigger.
Had things played out differently, the fans would be seeing the same People's Champion that has come back at various times over the last 14 years.