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Rumors Are Swirling About WrestleMania 40's Main Event, And I'm Pumped

Mick Joest
·4 min read
55
Roman Reigns holding the Universal Title on SmackDown
Roman Reigns holding the Universal Title on SmackDown

The WWE still has plenty of upcoming premium live events to run before WrestleMania 40, but we're certainly at a point in the year when plans for the major landmark pay-per-view are being discussed. Thus far, we've heard two very interesting options mentioned for at least one of the main events in Philadelphia. I'm absolutely pumped for the two matches being suggested so far, one of which is coming completely out of left field.

As always, insider rumors are never 100% solid. Even the most credible sources can get it wrong, thanks to the ever-shifting landscape of the WWE, injuries to superstars, and the availability of celebrity talent. In regards to the latter, it certainly doesn't seem like the wrestling organization is banking on Dwayne Johnson to commit to a main event this year, despite comments that they'd work with Johnson again. With that said, here's what is reportedly being considered for a main event at WrestleMania 40 so far:

Roman Reigns Vs. Cody Rhodes

When GiveMeSport first reported the possibility of a rematch between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40, I don't think anyone was surprised in the slightest. Many wrestling insiders have speculated that a WrestleMania 39 rematch between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns is on the table, and it makes sense. It feels like the WWE clearly set Rhodes on a feud with Brock Lesnar to give him a high-profile angle and "earn" another title shot, which will then set him up for a rematch with Reigns at some point in 2024.

And who wouldn't be pumped about this match? Cody Rhodes is the top face of WWE, and Roman Reigns is the top heel. It makes arguably more sense they'd rematch at WrestleMania 40 than when the initial title match took place. Of course, there will be plenty of opinions on whether or not Vince McMahon and Triple H should book Rhodes to "finish the story" and win or for Reigns to continue his unprecedented title run. Given how the last match ended, I'm not sure any of us can say we know which superstar will walk out with a title.

Cody Rhodes Vs. Gunther

One new scenario, which was first reported by @WRKDWrestling, is that the WWE is considering a WrestleMania 40 showdown between Cody Rhodes and Gunther. It's hard to say how this would come about, given both wrestlers are on completely different trajectories. Gunther is currently on a dominant streak of defending the Intercontinental Championship, and Rhodes is gunning for the WWE Universal title.

I think what makes this so interesting is trying to figure out what the WWE would do to justify these two major superstars going toe-to-toe at WrestleMania. Both of these guys are worthy of a shot at Roman Reigns, and I'm almost wondering if one of them defeating him could lead to this main event at WrestleMania. It should be noted this was said to be the "Raw Main Event" of WrestleMania 40, which leads me to believe that Reigns would still be the main event for the second night. I still think that Reigns vs. Rhodes is the smarter choice for a main event, but I could also get behind this if there's just no way Reigns is dropping his titles.

Will Roman Reigns Enter WrestleMania 40 As Undisputed Champion?

We don't know for sure whether or not Roman Reigns will still have both the WWE and Universal titles at WrestleMania 40. As it stands, Reigns is the closest any modern superstar has ever come to beating Hulk Hogan's historic title reign of the World Heavyweight Championship at 1,474 days. However, Reigns would need to keep the Universal title past WrestleMania 40 to beat Hogan's record. We can only wait and see if the WWE will try and have Reigns retain at Mania or if he'll fall short well before reaching it after overextending himself at Night of Champions and other events. We'll just have to wait and see.

Monday Night Raw airs on USA Network on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET, and SmackDown is on Fox at the same time on Fridays. There's still plenty of time before WrestleMania 40, but it's never too soon to start watching for more clues as to what matches might be getting set up for the future.