Wrestling Observer Newsletter has reported a WrestleMania 39 match for The Rock might now be off the table. While it's possible that this news is a swerve and that the Hollywood star and WWE icon might be at The Royal Rumble or WrestleMania, the report suggests that The Rock has spoken to WWE and informed them he will not be able to be in the right shape for a match in time to face Reigns at WrestleMania.

On the surface, if true, it's a terrible blow for WWE. They were holding out hopes that Reigns vs. The Rock was going to be their big draw at the Showcase of the Immortals. On the other hand, if The Rock actually can't go, this might not be the worst news. In fact, it might be a blessing in disguise for WWE.

The Rock vs. Reigns Had No Long-Term WWE Future

Fans should be asking, what was WWE's plan if The Rock said yes? There are two scenarios here that could have played out. One, The Rock comes in and loses to Reigns, putting him over as the most dominant champion in decades (which he already is). Second, The Rock wins, ruining months (even years) of building The Head of the Table up, only to see a part-time performer come in for a quick appearance and create a "WrestleMania moment."

If The Rock was going to stick around and wrestle, that would be one thing. He was/is never going to do so again. His Hollywood schedule won't allow it -- neither would the insurance companies involved with his Hollywood productions -- so WWE would have been forced to find a way to make a title win work, then dump the belt, all while lowering the value of it and diminishing all the hard work Reigns has put into it being such a prestigious championship.

Cody Rhodes Should Be The Man, Not The Rock

The Rock being out now makes way for Cody Rhodes to come in and tell his Cinderella story. If WWE had intentions of pushing him towards the biggest show of the year, first by winning The Royal Rumble, The Rock had to either face Roman on one night and Cody the other, or WWE had to split the titles prior to WrestleMania. There is always a creative way to do things and vacating a championship and then having Cody compete for it with another WWE Superstar works... just not as well.

Cody now has a clear path to Reigns and the idea that The American Nightmare be the one to dethrone Roman and fulfill his destiny opens up all sorts of possibilities. If he wins, it puts Rhodes right at the top of the card (where he should be) and WWE can focus on one dramatic storyline instead of two. The Rock vs. Roman is the "flashy" match. Cody vs Roman is the better choice.

The Rock Can Still Appear

Just because The Rock isn't in the main event of WrestleMania 39, doesn't mean he can't show up. The event takes place in Los Angeles and The Rock being on the show just makes sense for all sorts of reasons. He's got a history with the grand spectacle, he's a huge attraction and his wrestling doesn't sell any extra tickets, simply because the show is already sold out. There are fewer complications WWE has to worry about, he can still tell a story about being the Head of the Table -- one that might start this coming Monday at Raw XXX -- and everyone wins.

Not every star has to wrestle on the show for WrestleMania 39 to be a massive success. This is especially true if John Cena and Steve Austin are involved. If either wrestles, The Rock being in a match doesn't have quite the appeal it would have otherwise, simply because fans aren't exclusively looking forward to it. Anytime you have to share that high-profile match spotlight, the shine is slightly dimmer.

WWE can still do much of what it wanted to. The only difference now is that there's a clear path for someone else to be the champion, WWE doesn't have to worry about injuries, booking a part-timer, or overshadowing a deserving main eventer. And, who's to say that this match between Roman and The Rock never takes place? Remember, all The Rock did was say that he wouldn't be ready by this year's WrestleMania. That doesn't exclude him from having this bout with his cousin down the line, or battling over who is really the Head of the Table.

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