In his first WWE match in eight years, The Rock emerged a winner.
The Rock competed in his first WWE match since 2016 at WrestleMania 40 on Saturday night, teaming with Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns against Cody Rhodes and World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins to determine the stipulations on Sunday night’s championship match.
‘The Final Boss’ came out with an epic entrance that included his brahma bull logo lit up on fire and him walking into the flame and holding up ‘The People’s Champ,’ a title given to him by Muhammad Ali’s wife, Lonnie, at the Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday night.
After the legendary entrances, all the stars faced off in the middle of the ring before Reigns and Rollins started the match. The crowd was ready to explode before a single move.
The former SHIELD members tangled for a bit before Rhodes entered the match in a preview of Sunday’s main event match. Then Rollins and The Rock came in and locked up.
Finally, we got Rhodes and The Rock facing off. It turned to chaos after that, with Reigns and Rhodes going at it on the ramp and The Rock and Rollins battling it out near the announcer’s table. The Rock and Rollins got back in the ring, but that happened just after Reigns had brutalized Rhodes, so the champion attacked Rollins and the two members of The Bloodline did damage. Rhodes later got back to the ring, but Reigns took him out to prevent Rollins from getting any help.
Reigns went for the finisher with a spear, but Rollins countered it. Still, Rollins couldn’t tag in Rhodes after The Rock came in and continued the assault. The Rock tried the sharpshooter on Rollins’ bad knee, but Rhodes came in and slapped The Rock, and Rollins got up in just enough time to curb stomp The Rock. Rhodes became the legal man and then went to work on Reigns, landing a Cody Cutter and a near pin. Rhodes went for another one, but Reigns Superman punched him and went for the pin, only for Rhodes to kick out.
The Rock grabbed the ‘Mama Rhodes’ belt and taunted Rhodes’ mother. Rhodes was able to recover in that time and then used his dad’s signature moves on The Rock, but then The Rock landed a spine buster. He stared over Rhodes, took off his elbow sleeve and went for the People’s Elbow, but Rhodes got up and hit a Cody Cutter.
Reigns again tried a spear on Rhodes, but Rollins moved Rhodes and he instead got The Rock. Rollins and Rhodes then went for the pin, but The Bloodline kicked out. The Rock and Rhodes went on the announcer’s table, and Rhodes used The Rock Bottom on the man himself to send him through the table in an absolutely insane moment.
Rhodes tried doing a Three Cross on Reigns, just like last year, but The Rock used the belt to whip Rhodes and Reigns speared him. The Rock got the tag back into the ring and hit Rhodes with a Rock Bottom, then the People’s Elbow. The Rock pinned Rhodes for the win.
The match was a thriller and it lived up to the massive hype. It never had a dull moment. The Rock looked like he had never taken time away from the ring.
And now it will be Bloodline rules for Rhodes vs. Reigns Sunday night. The story Rhodes has wanted to finish, may not be happening.