Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
The Rock Reportedly Not Planned for Rhodes vs. Orton Rivalry
Pat McAfee, Jelly Roll Have Heated Exchange 👀
Despite speculation among fans, The Rock is reportedly not expected to be involved with the rivalry between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton over the WWE Championship.
Since turning heel on Rhodes a few weeks ago, Orton has often been shown talking to someone on the phone in backstage segments. Some believed it could have been The Rock on the line, but Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats) reported that "everyone" is telling him The Rock has nothing to do with it.
However, Meltzer added, "But of course, if it is, The Rock's not gonna let anyone know."
The Rock would undoubtedly be a great fit based on his history with Rhodes. They feuded leading up to WrestleMania 40 and even faced off on the card with The Rock and Roman Reigns beating Rhodes and Seth Rollins in the main event of Night 1.
More recently, The Rock expressed his desire to own Rhodes' soul last year. When Cody refused, The Final Boss shocked the WWE Universe by having John Cena turn heel on Rhodes.
On top of that, the nature of the conversations Orton has been having suggests that whoever he is talking to on the phone has deep family ties in the wrestling business, just like Orton does.
The Rock fits the bill on that front, but he is far from the only logical option given how many multi-generational wrestling families there are.
On Monday night's episode of Raw, Stephanie McMahon surprisingly confronted Cody and expressed her belief that he isn't properly prepared to face and beat Orton at WrestleMania 42.
When Rhodes pushed back, Stephanie slapped him, and Cody ultimately thanked her for talking some sense into him.
If The Rock isn't involved, perhaps Orton has been talking to someone from the McMahon family such as Stephanie, Triple H or even Shane McMahon.
Reported Reasoning for Cena as WrestleMania 42 Host
WWE's decision to announce John Cena as the host of WrestleMania 42 was reportedly financially driven.
According to Fightful Select (h/t Ortman), WWE is hoping the move will boost ticket sales, and the company plans to heavily promote Cena's role as WrestleMania host on its programming this week.
Cena took to X on Monday to reveal that he will be the WrestleMania 42 host in Las Vegas, just months after retiring from in-ring competition:
In December, Cena wrestled the final match of his illustrious career, losing to Gunther by submission at Saturday Night's Main Event.
That capped a legendary career that saw Cena hold world titles on a record 17 occasions. His most recent world title win came one year ago at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas when he defeated Rhodes.
While Cena made it clear that he intended to remain part of the WWE family and contribute in areas outside of wrestling matches, it is still somewhat surprising that he is already resurfacing in a prominent role.
Several notable names from the worlds of wrestling and entertainment have served as the guest host of WrestleMania over the years, including The Rock.
It is difficult to say if Cena appearing but not wrestling will actually increase interest and result in more ticket sales, but having one of the biggest stars in wrestling history on the show in any capacity can't hurt.
Reported Details on Whether Breakker Was Present at Raw
Despite previous reports of Bron Breakker being in attendance for Monday night's episode of Raw at Madison Square Garden in New York City, that reportedly wasn't the case.
PWInsider.com (h/t Ortman) originally reported that Breakker was present for Raw, but after he did not appear on the show, PWInsider.com followed up by reporting that it was a "misunderstanding," and Breakker actually wasn't at the venue.
Prior to Raw, video surfaced of someone wearing a black hoodie, black pants and a mask entering MSG, leading to speculation that it was Breakker:
Breakker has been out of action since the start of February due to a hernia, and his WrestleMania 42 status has been in question as a result.
Seth Rollins returned from a shoulder injury at Elimination Chamber, and he has targeted The Vision in the weeks since then, leading to speculation that Breakker might make it back in time to face him on the Grandest Stage of The All.
Breakker was the one who kicked Rollins out of The Vision by attacking him and injuring him for storyline purposes in October.
It was widely expected that Breakker would make his return on Monday by intervening during Rollins' attack of Paul Heyman, but instead, it was Gunther who showed up and choked out Rollins.
Gunther vs. Rollins was then made official for WrestleMania 42, which suggests Breakker may not be cleared to compete.
If that is the case, WWE had to find a suitable replacement, and it is tough to argue with the choice of Gunther is a former world heavyweight champion and the man who retired Goldberg, Cena and AJ Styles over the past eight months.
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