Dwayne Johnson and Roman Reigns Set to Face-Off at WrestleMania 40 Kickoff Event

After winning the Royal Rumble for the second consecutive time in his career, Cody Rhodes pointed towards Roman Reigns to indicate his challenge. However, this week’s RAW changed the landscape for Cody Rhodes, WWE, and the fans. Many WWE fans were left disappointed after this week’s episode of SmackDown after The Rock made an appearance to confront Roman Reigns, potentially hijacking Rhodes’ moment. While WWE and Dave Meltzer sort of confirmed that the two superstars will face off at WrestleMania, a new report suggests otherwise. The new update also gives WWE fans a reason to cheer for Rhodes. 

The Rock vs. Roman Reigns to happen sooner than expected

WWE reported a major update on The Rock vs Roman Reigns match which fans expected to see at WrestleMania. However, as per the recent update, it will happen somewhere else. The report states, “WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), today announced that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Roman Reigns will face off at an open-to-the-public fan and media event – WrestleMania XL Kickoff – live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this Thursday, February 8 at 4 p.m. PT.”

It is shocking news for fans as they were expecting The Rock to feud against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania on Night 2 as the main event. Many fans were also disappointed for Cody Rhodes since due to The Rock’s sudden appearance, Rhodes was shifted to Night 1. However, the report does not confirm any match between the two superstars, but a face-off.

The report further states that the doors for the show will open at 2:30 PM and it will be a non-ticketed event. It will be free for fans to attend. Further updates reveal that Thursday’s event will be commentated on by Michael Cole and Pat McAfee, and streamed live on all WWE social and digital channels alongside the Peacock network.

More superstars to feature on Thursday’s events

WWE also uploaded a picture on Instagram on February 3rd featuring Dwayne Johnson, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, Rhea Ripley, and Bianca Belair. The poster indicates that Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins will also attend the event, as confirmed by the report.

Read more: “Tonight We Made History”: Dwayne Johnson Cuts Impassioned Promo in Leaked Fan Footage After Taking Cody Rhodes’ WrestleMania 40 Spot vs. Roman Reigns

The event is expected to be a promotional show for the record-breaking WrestleMania XL which will take place on April 6th and 7th at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Fans can buy VIP experiences for WrestleMania XL through WWE’s exclusive partner On Location.

What do you think will happen at WrestleMania XL Kickoff?

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