9 WWE Superstars Who Should Face This Version Of The Rock

Cody Rhodes

This one is a layup since Cody already challenged The Rock to a match. Rhodes appeared on The Grayson Waller Effect alongside WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins during Saturday’s premium live event Elimination Chamber – Perth (Feb. 24). He hasn’t been able to get over the fact that The Rock slapped him in the face during the Wrestlemania XL Kickoff event, and is interested in getting his lick back before he attempts to defeat Roman Reigns for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship.

Cody Rhodes has a knack for dramatic, theatrical matches. He has made several moments since returning to the WWE in 2022, like winning back-to-back Royal Rumble matches in 2023 and 2024 and competing in a Hell In A Cell match with a torn pectoral muscle. With the visibility and character that The Rock brings to the table, this would be an engaging matchup for much more than just what they could deliver in terms of actual wrestling.

Because, let’s be honest: The Rock is far from his athletic prime; we’ve heard him panting after cutting a long promo, hitting his signature spinebuster and People’s Elbow finisher. This match would not be anything like his legendary trilogy with Stone Cold Steve Austin in the late 1990s and early 2000s, or even his matches with John Cena in the early 2010s.

One would have to assume there would be Bloodline interference in this match, but with Rollins supporting Rhodes, he would have someone to help him fend off any outsiders. It also presents an interesting conundrum if the match were to happen before Wrestlemania: should Rhodes defeat The Rock, giving him more momentum heading into his rematch with Roman Reigns? Should Cody lose, and add more doubt to his abilities to overcome all that the Bloodline has thrown at him over the last two years?

Cody Rhodes is all for doing what is best to create a compelling story, so it would be interesting to see how things play out and what the result would be. Off names alone, this is a must-see bout.

Kevin Owens

Stone Cold Steve Austin had his first wrestling match in almost 20 years at Wrestlemania 38 in 2022. It was the main event of the spectacle’s first night, and who did the WWE trust to work with him in the ring? Kevin Owens.

“The Prizefighter” is one of the most versatile wrestlers in the company. He combines high-flying, brawling, technical, powerful, and overall exciting moves into an extensive repertoire. This allows him to work with virtually anyone in the ring. When he needs to go all out, he can. When he needed to calm things down for a wrestler who was well out of his prime like Stone Cold, he did, and still created an instant classic.

Owens can also bring it on the microphone and doesn’t take too kindly to braggadocious, entitled characters like The Rock. He has been far away from The Bloodline ever since their long feud and even kept his distance upon returning to Smackdown in October 2023. However, if hands need to be thrown, KO has shown that he is always ready, and The Rock doesn’t seem to respect anyone in the WWE that isn’t part of his family.

As Cody Rhodes seemingly builds an army to assist his endeavor to dethrone Roman Reigns and take down The Bloodline, it would make sense for him to call Kevin Owens. And if The Rock is willing to work more matches while he’s back, Owens should be on that list.

Seth Rollins

Let’s make one thing very clear: Seth Rollins, the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion, is literally the top champion on Monday Right Raw. The fact that he is involved in the Bloodline story, despite having his own Wrestlemania opponent to focus on, Drew McIntyre, is a wild reality in itself. However, his campaign for Cody Rhodes to face him at Wrestlemania, and subsequent defense of Rhodes against The Rock and Roman Reigns at the Wrestlemania XL kickoff event, now has him fully involved in their feud.

We already know Rhodes and Reigns will face off at Wrestlemania. We already know Rollins and McIntyre will also face off at the “Show Of Shows.” Still, a tag team match pitting Rhodes and Rollins against Reigns and Rock looks very plausible. But, what about after the fact? What if Reigns retains his championship, Rock wants to bring more world championship gold to the Bloodline, and targets Rollins?

Or, more realistically, what if Rollins wants to dispose of Rock once and for all after Rhodes defeats Reigns for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship? If we’re being honest, even with Rollins’ dominant reign as World Heavyweight Champion, he has still been viewed as an understudy to the company’s true top champion. One thing we know about The Visionary is his insecurity often fuels him to stand up for himself and step up to anyone who is causing it. The Rock would be the perfect stepping stone for him to silence doubters.

Whether Seth Rollins has the championship to defend or not after Wrestlemania, this would be a blockbuster match. Plus, he excels at making his opponents look great in the ring, and a much older Rock than the one that fans grew up loving would probably need that.

It would be the biggest match of Rollins’ career, which is already Hall Of Fame worthy, and a good way to fully kickstart the fall of The Bloodline. He can be Cody’s shield, as he cleverly said in a promo on Monday Night Raw a few weeks ago, but why not pick up his own sword and slay a giant?

LA Knight

LA Knight has undeniably become a popular act within the WWE over the last two years, though his stardom has slightly dwindled since the returns of Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and CM Punk. Still, the “Megastar” is beloved for his cocky demeanor and catchphrases, many of whom have made him the subject of comparisons to Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock.

One’s mileage may vary on whether they appreciate the homage and nostalgia, or feel Knight cosplays those legends too heavily; Roman Reigns even called him a “redneck cosplay version” of his cousin on a November 2023 episode of Smackdown. Regardless, pitting him against The Rock would create an interesting, intergenerational matchup. Again, the in-ring likely won’t yield a five-star classic, but it’s the character work, juxtaposition, and battling fandoms that would carry it through.

Would LA Knight be able to handle The Rock on the microphone? Will The Rock call him out for his cosplay? What will happen if Knight tries to do his elbow drop signature move on the very man whose People’s Elbow finisher became the most electrifying move of all time? The overall story could be very compelling, especially considering Knight’s previous run-ins with The Bloodline. And it would be a major sink-or-swim moment for him, as many people believe he should be higher on the WWE’s hierarchy.

Logan Paul

An internet celebrity-turned-wrestler who has fully immersed himself in WWE‘s culture.

A wrestler-turned-actor who is back to remind everyone who runs the place.

A dynamic story can be told between Logan Paul and The Rock, to the point where it wouldn’t even matter that they are both currently “heel” characters.

They, unfortunately, aren’t on the best of terms in real life, which “The Maverick” discussed in his recent interview with John Cena on IMPAULSIVE. However, if they were to patch things up and were willing to work together, a program and match between the two would be a huge box office draw.

One can easily picture Paul saying he has outpaced The Rock in two fields in less time: content creation and wrestling. How the WWE legend would respond to that and try to humble the young star would be sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat worthy. The WWE excels at blending real-life situations into their storytelling, so perhaps they could find a way to tastefully infuse their actual tension into some riveting television.

Regardless, whatever they choose to do, the names alone would create major intrigue.

Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn has been standing up to bullies throughout most of his WWE career, aside from the times when he played a bad guy himself. Most recently, from 2022 to 2023, he found himself a member of The Bloodline before recognizing they were too nefarious for his liking. He broke away, defeated each member in tag team or solo action, and became more popular that he had ever been.

The Montreal native’s charm is his relentlessness; it doesn’t matter if someone is bigger, stronger, or more powerful than he is, he will still go at them head-on. He is the exact type of person that this version of The Rock would mock, especially given his close friendship with Cody Rhodes.

This is probably one of the least likely matches of any of the ones on this list, but it would make sense. Zayn has struck up a friendship with fellow former Bloodline member Jey Uso and would be a sensible ally if Jey ever had to face off against his family once again.

Honestly, though, it would make just as much sense for Zayn to step up to The Great One on his own. He fights for what is right, and wouldn’t want The Rock to continue trying to dim the light of his babyface allies, Rhodes and Seth Rollins.

Sami Zayn’s passion versus Rock’s ego would be a program fans could sink their teeth into. Not to mention, a huge moment for Sami that would parallel his best friend Kevin Owens, who has already faced off against Stone Cold Steve Austin. In the words of his infectious theme song, “Let’s go!”

Montez Ford

This fantasy match isn’t grounded in any particular backstory played out on television, but there’s something to it.

The Rock has expressed his admiration for Montez Ford in the past. Specifically, he said they both share a “passionate DNA” for professional wrestling and called Ford a “future world champion.” The Street Profits member has also been public about his fandom for Johnson in previous interviews, so it is safe to assume that facing him would be a dream match.

In wrestling, people who like one another often have great chemistry in the ring. It is strengthened by competing in multiple matches together, but an appreciation for each other’s style is enough to know when to give each act moments to shine and conceive cool sequences. There are a lot of entertaining things Ford and Rock could do together in the squared circle, though Ford would likely have to slow down his fast pace just a bit. Also, he has used Rock’s signature moves in matches before, so seeing him perform a Rock Bottom on the move’s innovator would a wild visual in itself.

What if The Rock called him out for that? What if he expressed his disappointment in the fact that Ford hasn’t held a title in almost three years and didn’t live up to the “future world champion” label that he gave him? Ford, in turn, could be the hungry babyface eager to prove himself by taking down the very man who gave him a major co-sign.

Beyond the grapples, Montez Ford is extremely charismatic and talented on the microphone. The Rock is…well, The Rock. Many people believe Ford has the tools to become a viable singles star, and nothing would cement that more than going toe-to-toe with his idol. He may not be high on the WWE‘s singles-star pecking order currently, but as the company has shown over the last few years, they can easily elevate people to main-event status and turn dream matches into reality. This would be amazing not just for Ford, but for the fans.

CM Punk

One thing about CM Punk: he is committed to handling unfinished business.

The Chicago superstar returned to the WWE at Survivor Series in November 2023 and made his intentions very clear: he is going to compete in the main event of Wrestlemania and right the wrongs of his first run in the WWE.

One person who denied him this opportunity during that run was The Rock. He defeated Punk for his WWE Championship at Royal Rumble 2013 and went on to defend the title against John Cena in the main event of Wrestlemania 29. This experience plagued Punk for years, both in character and in real life.

Currently, Punk is recovering from a torn tricep, but the fanfare he has gained and the timing of his injury only fuels what will presumably be an incredible comeback story when he’s healthy and back in-ring. It’s unclear whether The Rock will be around upon Punk’s return, but the WWE could tell a good story of “The Best In The World” defeating the ghosts of his past en route to his main event match by having him face off against Rock, and possibly get his win back.

He has already called out Roman Reigns, but as we know, Reigns doesn’t roll solo. CM Punk vs. The Bloodline, or what is left of it when he returns, is golden. Maybe Punk will restore the feeling of his game-changing 2011, and step up to a new authority figure: The Rock.

Any Member Of The Bloodline (Even Jey Uso)

Based on internet discourse, a contingent of wrestling fans still want the teased Roman Reigns versus The Rock match at Wrestlemania.

Obviously, that isn’t going to happen, barring any last-minute change that the WWE should not do, but people are still pining for it. As of now, The Rock is a full-fledged member of The Bloodline, but if there is one thing we know about the WWE, it is that factions always eventually break up.

Reigns has deferred to his big cousin, but it is safe to assume his ego may not allow this for long. Or, if he happens to lose to Cody Rhodes at Wrestlemania, perhaps The Rock will be ashamed and ostracize him from the family. That’s an easy way to give fans the Reigns versus Rock match that has been clamored for ever since Reigns returned to the WWE in 2020 with his new villainous demeanor, tormenting his family members into being servile to him.

What about Solo Sikoa? The enforcer of The Bloodline doesn’t talk much, but excels at his role of disposing of people the faction either hates or no longer needs. What if Solo gets tired of being pushed around and The Rock becomes one of those people? What if, upon Reigns possibly being pushed away from the family, Solo goes with him and is tasked with taking out The Great One?

Jimmy Uso has elevated as a character ever since being the first blood relative to turn against Roman Reigns, only to questionably return to The Bloodline last summer. A singles match with Rock isn’t likely, but this long-running story has been unpredictable so the match can’t be fully ruled out. At the very least, they could have some entertaining back-and-forth promotional segments with one another.

Jey Uso is the “prodigal Uce” who has not, and likely won’t, return to the family. But what if The Rock rules The Bloodline with an iron fist and demands his loyalty? It would be a big moment for Jey, who has elevated to a true singles star over the last year, to go one-on-one with his big cousin and one of the biggest draws in WWE history.

All of this to say, several threads can be sewn in the fall of The Bloodline with The Rock involved; natural feuds and matches that could uniquely extend arguably the best story the company has ever told. Blood is thicker than water, and The Bloodline members may very well end up shedding each other’s blood for a variety of reasons.