There was a time when fans were excited to think Cody Rhodes would win the WWE Royal Rumble 2024 and headline WrestleMania 40. This would finally end his year-long story. However, things have taken a turn for the worse now that the prospect has come to fruition. With Dwayne Johnson taking his spot against Roman Reigns, fans are more than just unhappy about the long game the WWE has planned.

Ahead of the Press Talk the WWE has held in Las Vegas before WrestleMania 40, fans have begun to question if the original plans for Rhodes are still at play or if the WWE is coming up with something new.

Dwayne Johnson arrives for WrestleMania 40 Kickoff event while alluding to playing the long game

When Rhodes came out to thunderous applause to face Reigns in the ring, no one could have imagined what was coming. Not only did Rhodes relinquish his right to face Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship, he gave it to The Rock. Since then, fans have expressed their disappointment with the decision on social media. As Johnson landed in Vegas ahead of the Press Talk, he said, “I have a feeling this press conference will be talked about forever.” Following this, he also used a term that he has been using for weeks now, “Long gamer.”

This got the fans wondering what was going on. When Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful posted the quote on social media, fans flooded the comment section with their thoughts on it.

Many observers believed the WWE planned the segment specifically to build hype for the match. The WWE Universe still retains hope that Rhodes will be the one who will face Reigns.

READ MORE: “Why Would They Want Heat From Fans?”: Dwayne Johnson vs Roman Reigns WrestleMania Decision Criticised by Former WWE Champion

Fans were beyond excited when The American Nightmare tossed CM Punk off the top rope to win the men’s Royal Rumble. Not only would the former AEW star be heading to face Reigns at WrestleMania, but his story would be coming full circle. This has been something the WWE Universe has been waiting to witness since he arrived in 2022.

The pro wrestling community retains hope of Dwyane Johnson not being “tone deaf”

The comment section of the post has fans divided. While many claim that there is something in the works to get Cody Rhodes back in the match, others claim otherwise. Many WWE fans believe that The Rock will face Reigns at WrestleMania. This stems from the fact that he is on the board of TKO Holdings Group and he has better control over the storyline. Here are the reactions.

Fans believe there could be two fights that Reigns will be involved in.

The next thing was The Rock’s use of the term “Long Game”

Many fans want to wait to see what the WWE decides to do before jumping to conclusions

Many fans drew connections to The Rock’s live-action Moana movie release

Some believe the WWE could be playing everyone

Fans believe the use of the term could hint at The Rock’s future involvement in the WWE

And then there are the memes

Lastly, some do believe Rhodes will be headlining the main event, one way or the other

What do you think about Johnson’s involvement in WrestleMania and the Press Talk? Tell us in the comments.

Watch This Story: Dwayne Johnson’s Daughter Simone to The Undertaker’s Daughter Kaia – Meet Daughters of Top WWE Stars