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Dwayne Johnson Slaps Cody Rhodes Moments After He Makes His Final WrestleMania 40 Decision at Kickoff Event

Published February 08, 2024, 8:30 PM EST

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The ending segment of the WWE WrestleMania 40 Kickoff show went out with a bang. We have Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and Dwayne Johnson on the same stage. The heat slowly rose as Johnson clarified he didn’t care what Rhodes or the fans wanted. Showcasing the Samoan Bloodline Tree on the screen, things went off the rails once the family got insulted.

The roof of the T-Mobile arena in Vegas blew off, as did Johnson. This could be Johnson’s first heel turn in over a decade.

Dwayne Johnson sides with Roman Reigns and calls out Cody Rhodes

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The moment the WWE Universe was waiting for finally came during the ending segment of the Kickoff show. Reigns, Johnson, and Rhodes were on the same stage. This event was credited as the place for fans to know who Reigns would officially face at WrestleMania. This is way more than they could have expected.

While Rhodes tried to talk sense into Reigns, he mentioned what Reigns’ grandfather and Johnson’s grandfather, the original Tribal Chief, would say, looking at the two. Rhodes never intended this, but it came out after Reigns called his father Dusty Rhodes irrelevant. It is clear that bringing in Dusty Rhodes’ name in any kind of negative connotation is a bad idea in front of Cody Rhodes.

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However, this led Johnson to take the mic and say, “When you’re talking about his blood, you’re talking about my blood.” Johnson ended the speech by claiming he and Rhodes now had a problem before slapping Rhodes. This came as a major shock to all those in attendance. Triple H, Nick Aldis, Adam Pearce, and security guards had to get Rhodes and Rollins off the stage. While they did so, Johnson and Reigns stood shoulder to shoulder as the fans watched.

What could this all mean for Dwayne Johnson and Roman Reigns?

Throughout the segment, it was clear that there was some kind of bond between Reigns and Johnson. The two even laughed when Johnson called Rhodes’ support ‘Cody Crybabies.’ This all hinted at Johnson not really wanting to face Reigns to stop him. This was made clear with his final words to Rhodes.

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If you listen to what Johnson says about family, ancestors, and blood, it is clear that he doesn’t believe Reigns is the enemy. Quite the opposite, the way Johnson framed his sentence, it is clear that Johnson and Reigns are one, as they belong to the same Samoan Bloodline. This means that while Johnson wants the seat at the table for himself, he does consider Reigns family. What did you make of Johnson slapping Reigns? Tell us down below.

Watch This Story: Dwayne Johnson’s Message To Themba Gorimbo That Made Him Cry

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Written by:

Christopher Paul

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One take at a time

My passion for professional wrestling began when I saw Kane ripping the Hell in a Cell door off in the iconic 1997 match. I used to enjoy watching WWE re-runs at 5 in the evening when I got home from school. It was sort of a ritual for me.
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Edited by:

Donna Eva