Last month, in one of the biggest surprises in recent memory, the Rock made his return to the WWE. The one-off appearance came about after The Great One’s movie schedule took him to New York, which coincidentally was hosting Raw that week. Talk about perfect timing.The Brahma Bull made his presence felt in a classic exchange withRusev. Not only was the segment thoroughly amusing, but it also acted as a clear sign that management is invested wholeheartedly in the Bulgarian Brute. As Chris Jericho will surely confirm, nothing quite elevates a relative newcomer like an interaction with The Rock.
And who said part-timers were damaging the product?
But as great as the showdown with Rusev was, the best was yet to come. In a pre-taped promo for the 15th anniversary of SmackDown, The Rock then encountered Triple H.
Again, this segment was entertaining as hell, but most importantly there was also a clear purpose. As the banter simmered down, the tension picked up and the seed was emphatically planted for a WrestleMania showdown between the two.
Fast-forward to today, and it appears that seed may be starting to flourish.
A report, the WWE "might be moving forward" with plans for the Rock vs. Triple H in a battle for control of the company. Naturally, The Game would represent The Authority, but in a rehash of a scrapped WrestleMania XXX angle, The Rock would be representing Mr. McMahon.
The initial idea for WrestleMania XXX had been for Stone Cold Steve Austin to align with McMahon. From a storyline perspective, this would arguably have been more fitting, given the Rattlesnake’s history with the chairman of the board.
But for whatever reason—most likely Austin’s history of neck problems—that plan was not pursued.
The Rock, on the other hand, is much younger and fitter than Austin. So already this one looks more feasible than the initial idea. Furthermore, we saw McMahon back on TV as recently as this past week on Raw.
Was this the writers setting in motion a power struggle angle for WrestleMania 31?
With over four months remaining until the Showcase of the Immortals, it may be too early to tell. Nonetheless, recent developments have certainly kept the door open for this one to come to fruition.
So what would this mean for the rest of the card?
We’re likely to see Brock Lesnar face Roman Reigns for the WWEWorld Heavyweight Championship, so this wouldn’t change anything there.
Recent tension has been very much apparent between Dean Ambrose and The Authority, but why have Ambrose go after Triple H when he clearly has unfinished business with Seth Rollins? Especially after the way Hell in a Cell finished.
Daniel Bryan should be back by then, and he’ll be looking to reestablish his legacy. Pairing him with John Cena—who will likely be destroyed by Lesnar once again at the 2015 Royal Rumble—you can easily book a classic “road to redemption” style match which would no doubt be of the highest order.
Add to that the old-school dream of The Undertaker vs. Sting, and you’ve got five matches there that could sell any pay-per-view. Long story short, pitting The Rock against Triple H leaves plenty of options throughout the rest of the card, while the battle for power will add an intriguing element to a clash already brimming with history and backstory.
As mentioned earlier, it’s still a long way off, but the wheels are certainly in motion. It’ll be interesting to keep an eye on this one to see how the Survivor Series elimination match could affect things.
In the meantime, please feel free to comment below with your thoughts on this news, as well as any of the other issues that were touched upon in the article.
Update on WrestleMania Plans for the Rock and Triple H
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