The Rock’s decision to headline WrestleMania 40 has become one of WWE’s worst ideas, drawing criticism from fans who perceive him as arrogant for allegedly taking away the opportunity from Cody Rhodes. Rhodes, the son of the late WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, had engaged in a heated rivalry with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline as part of his comeback to fulfill his redemption story.
Shortly before the WrestleMania 40: Kickoff press conference today, Rock made his presence to the Pat McAfee show, where he slashed Rhodes and his fans for going against him and his daughter.
The Rock calls out “Cody crybabies”
On the Pat McAfee show today, The Rock went straight against Cody Rhodes fans, calling them, ‘Cody Crybabies.’ Rock said, “Cody, I love his passionate fans. Then, there’s the other passionate fans of Cody. They’re called, what’s that? Oh Cody Crybabies. These are grown ass men, ‘Oh Cody’s got to finish his story. Finish his story right now!’ It’s like, wait a second, ‘Hey dad, you wanna go outside and play catch? NO! Cody’s losing and I’m upset.’ The wife comes in, ‘Hey honey, do you wanna have sex? Not now, he’s gotta finish his story!’”
Rock concluded by saying ,”At the end of the day, you got the Cody Crybabies, the Cody fans and Cody himself, so there’s a clear distinction between the three.” The Rock’s comments have received mixed reactions from the WWE fans and the wrestling community.
Rock also went off the limit by mentioning Cody’s children and his wife, Brandi Rhodes, who recently made her reaction, after Rhodes stepped down from challenging Roman Reigns. Fans extended their support for the American Nightmare and expressed their intent to boycott WrestleMania 40 if The Rock is included in the main event.
The Rock responds to daughter receiving death threats
Over the past few days, social media has been inundated with hashtags and posts criticizing The Rock for allegedly robbing Rhodes of his opportunity. The backlash escalated to a serious level when Rock’s daughter, Ava, began receiving death threats from WWE fans. Consequently, she missed the last NXT episode, where she had been appointed as the general manager. Ava was compelled to deactivate her Twitter/X account due to a barrage of hateful messages.
Speaking on the McAfee show, Rock said, “She’s feeling it too. Oh yeah, Cody’s gotta finish his story… By the way, she’s also got death threats. It’s crazy… C’mon guys, we’re all in this thing, and by the way, what happens in the middle of the ring and on these storylines, don’t forget that, again inside baseball, outside the ring, we all talk. We all can figure this thing out while working together.”
The Rock expressed his displeasure on Rhodes’ fans for sending the death threats to her daughter. Rock also reassured fans that he had no desire to outshine Cody or any other wrestler. He emphasized his commitment to collaborating with all parties involved to craft the most compelling storyline and match for WrestleMania 40.
