At WrestleMania 40, The Rock pulled a move straight out of a political playbook, using his authority to turn the main event against Cody Rhodes into something that resembled a Senate debate more than a wrestling match – with about the same amount of rule-bending. For over 40 minutes, The Rock and Roman Reigns squared off against Rhodes and Seth Rollins in a spectacle that might as well have been dubbed “The Great Filibuster.”
The match, set to determine the nature of Sunday’s championship bout, turned “Bloodline Rules” on its head, turning it into an anything-goes affair. It was less of a wrestling match and more of a strategic power play, with The Rock essentially becoming the Mitch McConnell of the WWE, dictating terms to the referee like he was wielding a veto pen.
“You know The Rock, I don’t f*** around,” he warned the official, in a line that would have had C-SPAN viewers spitting out their coffee. Despite WWE’s best efforts, The Rock’s not-so-PG threat made it past the censors, suggesting perhaps he was going off-script or simply leveraging his executive board clout to redefine “family entertainment.”
As the match descended into chaos, Reigns and The Rock used their influence as liberally as a president uses executive orders, with every attempt by the referee to restore order quashed quicker than a third-party candidacy. Notably, this was a rare occasion where The Usos didn’t intervene, likely deterred by The Rock’s boardroom bravado.
The Rock’s victory over Rhodes, sealed with the People’s Elbow, was as controversial as it was emphatic, setting up a narrative arc that would have Marvel fans nodding in recognition. It was a moment that blurred the lines between villainy and victory, leaving fans to wonder if Night 2 would serve as Rhodes’ “Endgame.”
As Rhodes faces Reigns again for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title, one can only hope that, like any good political saga, a redemption story is on the horizon. Perhaps WrestleMania 40 is setting the stage for a comeback story that even a seasoned senator would find implausible.