In the world of pro wrestling, rivalries often transcend the ring and spill into real life, fueled by high emotions. A notable instance of this is the intense real-life feud between CM Punk and Triple H. Now, a new rivalry appears to be brewing, reminiscent of the Punk-Triple H saga: the recent conflict involving Dwayne Johnson.

Johnson returned to WWE and joined the TKO group’s board of directors. Following The Rock and Cody Rhodes exchanging slaps, it’s evident there’s significant bad blood between them. Now Johnson has uploaded a reel on social media. Is it just kayfabe or is there a new off-screen rivalry? Let’s find out.

Dwayne Johnson’s new move hints at villainous intention

What Dwayne Johnson exactly wants right now is still being determined. He returned to the WWE and called out Roman Reigns to become the Head of the Table. But flipped at the WrestleMania 40 kickoff event. Since then they have gone back and forth calling each other out. Now again, Johnson has posted something on social media. 

Johnson posted a reel on Instagram congratulating WWE on reaching 100 million subscribers on YouTube. The video contains clips of matches and important events over the years.

Johnson captions, “Only the 10th channel globally to ever do so! A helluva milestone that deserves the well-earned flowers of recognition.” He also mentioned how excited he is to see the company grow and more broad work is coming. 

But that is not it, Johnson went on to add, “The jabroni beating, pie eating, trailblazing, eyebrow-raising, downin’ Teremanas at the pubs, sayin’ f**k off you crybabies with a hundred million subs.” Here he again somehow manages to add Cody Rhodes’ fans given nickname. While emphasizing his famous catchphrase, he still made sure to address Rhodes and his fans.

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This reminds many fans of the time when Triple H used to throw personal jabs at CM Punk even outside the ring. So how did the beef start between The Rock and Rhodes?

The Rock and Cody Rhodes’ feud

Cody Rhodes won the Royal Rumble 2024, securing his spot at WM 40, much to the delight of fans eager to see his story unfold. However, Dwayne Johnson’s entry into the picture as the new board of directors for TKO groups disrupted Rhodes’ momentum. Johnson’s bid to become the Head of the Table overshadowed Rhodes’ opportunity to conclude his narrative.

This sparked outrage among fans, leading to the #WeWantCodyRhodes movement. In response, Rhodes challenged Reigns at the WM 40 kickoff event. A heated exchange ensued, with Rhodes confronting the Bloodline and their entire family, escalating tensions. Johnson’s slap on Rhodes marked a shift to a heel persona, intensifying the feud.

In a recent Smackdown episode, following confirmation of a tag team match between The Rock and Reigns versus Rhodes and Rollins, a slap occurred. This time it was Rhodes who slapped Rock. Many thought that this would all be addressed in WrestleMania 40 but it seems like The Rock has other plans. 

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After this the Rock took a dig at Rhodes in the Instagram reel, leading to maybe an off-screen feud too. However, this is not confirmed and only time will tell. What are your thoughts on Dwayne Johnson’s captions? Do you think another off-screen rivalry has taken place? Let us know in the comments down below.