In a recent turn of events, WWE has reportedly made significant changes to their WrestleMania plans following fan backlash. It appears that WWE legend, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, opted to bow out of his highly anticipated match against Roman Reigns, allowing Cody Rhodes to reclaim his spot in the main event.

According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the negative response to the February 2 SmackDown episode prompted The Rock to suggest stepping aside for Rhodes to rejoin the match. This decision came even after Johnson's recent appointment to the Board of Directors of WWE's parent company, TKO Group, indicating his commitment to the organization.

Not only did Johnson voluntarily relinquish his spot, but he also pitched the idea of a tag team match, seeing Reigns and The Rock join forces against Rhodes and Seth Rollins on night one of WrestleMania XL. The outcome of this pitch remains uncertain, as upcoming story developments might alter these plans.

An intriguing question emerges from this situation: why did WWE initially position Rhodes as the winner of the Royal Rumble if they knew that Johnson was slated for a WrestleMania match with Reigns? Speculation suggests that Rhodes had forewarned WWE officials about the potential negative reaction to his scene with The Rock on SmackDown. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter even suggests that head of creative, Paul "Triple H" Levesque, was aware of this upcoming backlash and worked to keep Rhodes involved.

It is reported that Levesque made efforts to shoot an angle for the February 2 show, where The Bloodline would have supposedly injured Cody, leading to The Rock being announced as his replacement during a press conference in Vegas. Rhodes would then make a triumphant return and capture the championship from Reigns following WrestleMania. However, the true motives behind these plans remain shrouded in secrecy.

Dave Meltzer, the author of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, tantalizingly hints at a deeper, undisclosed narrative that we may learn about in the future. He suggests that there is much more transpiring behind the scenes but cannot be divulged currently due to the timing.

As WWE fans eagerly await developments in the unfolding storyline, one cannot help but speculate on what Roman Reigns has in store for SmackDown on February 16. Will more surprises and twists come into play before WrestleMania? Only time will tell.