Well... WWE is definitely leaning right into this. Mentioning the hashtag and controversy immediately. Crowd is definitely pro-Cody. But, not only are they chanting for Cody, they're also chanting "Rocky sucks". And that's more important. The guy who made sure they didn't have Black Adam fight Shazaam because he didn't want to look bad? I don't think he wants to risk people chanting Rocky sucks in Philly. When Seth suggested them fighting at Mania, that also got boos. I don't think that's gonna appease the fans.
Cody is about to address the audience, and Mcyntyre interrupts. He tells Cody he has to finish the story, and that he'll have a Mania match. Segment ends without Cody speaking.

At this point... I legitimately don't know where they're going with this. And, I gotta admit, I am much more invested now than I would be if Cody just came out and said he was going to beat Roman at Mania. I'm getting worked... and I'm ok with it... if they make the right choice in the end.

Also. I'm gonna put my tin foil hat on even tighter. I'm skeptical that Punk is actually injured. 

Yeah....its looking more like a work (Cody Rhodes/Rock/Reigns situation I mean).

I'm pretty sure CM Punk is legitimately hurt unfortunately.

If it's a work, it's a brilliant one. They have two months to go. They have to keep the hype and drama going. If it was anyone else but the Rock, you wouldn't believe they were gonna take Cody's spot. But since it's the Rock, you can believe it. 

As for Punk... idk. The way Drew keeps bringing him up. I don't feel like it makes sense if there's not going to be a payoff. Maybe they're playing the long game and setting it up for Summerslam. Or, maybe Punk will be involved in mania in a non-physical capacity. (Guest referee for Seth and Drew?) But, feels to me like something's brewing.

I guess we'll know by the end of the month. If Cody is not facing Seth (and that should not happen) then they would presumably use the chamber match to set up Seth's match. So, they can't put it off longer than that really. 

Speaking of the chamber - assuming they have Cody go after Seth and continue with the Rock and Roman match.....wouldnt this technically make the Elimination chamber a useless PPV cause it usually includes one main event title on the line and I doubt that Roman is gonna be at elimination chamber and Rollins is technically injured.

I guess they could always put the US and IC titles on the line and then there's the Women's titles but still odd place to be with none of the main event titles on the line.

Oh damn... Cole talking about the match and saying "though not official it seems that the Rock and Roman Reigns are on a collision course, possibly at Wrestlemania". The plot is thickening. Cody fans right now like...

Apparently they're trying to force us to watch a press conference on Thursday. And fuck you Hunter, but I guess I will. Won't be happy about it though. 

In terms of Australia. Yeah, kind of hard to see where they go with that. I think normally you could do the card with just the female chamber (that's a weird sounding term without context), but with it being the first big show in AU and a big stadium. Idk. The original plan was probably for Punk to win the chamber. But if my crazy conspiracy theories are wrong and he's changing, it's hard to see what they use to end that event, especially if they're not doing the chamber. Maybe they do the Rock vs Reigns or Cody vs Reigns there? Have Rhea close it since she's gonna get a hero's welcome? I don't really see what they could do to make the show not feel like a bit of a let down. 

On a related note... man... I just don't know if Maxine Dupri is cut out to be a wrestler. At least not right now.

Maxine Dupri is better as a Valet than a wrestler - the way she moves and all is reminiscent of the Divas era.

Yeah. She's a gorgeous woman who doesn't have any experience, so they taught her a few athletic looking things. But the problem is that she isn't even doing those very well. They were smart to make it a story that she kind of knows she sucks and is working to get better. At first it was working, but I think the fan's patience has worn thin. She's had a few bad botches past few times I saw her. 

And of course, no answers tonight. They are going to milk this.

They're promoting a live wrestlemania conference... and making a big deal about the fact that it's live and fans will be in attendance. So you have to assume they're not going to straight up announce Rock vs Reigns there. They figured out tonight that fans will not take kindly to that.

What I think is most likely at this point is that Cody says he can't wait for Mania and he's going to take the title at Elimination chamber. I think that would be the wrong decision. It's basically blowing your load during the foreplay. But, it gives them a good match for that PPV, and fans would get to see Cody finish the story. 

This would kind of be the compromise option where everyone kind of gets what they want, but not exactly how they want it. Cody would still finish the story, but he wouldn't get the mania main event, which arguably is bigger than winning the title in general. You'd still get Roman vs the Rock, but after Roman already lost a month and a half earlier, that would feel a bit underwhelming. And I don't see a great option for Cody at Wrestlemania. 

I think the best option is Cody vs Reigns at Mania with the Rock as guest referee. At the conference the Rock explains that he knew for Cody to win he would to get rid of the bloodline. And the way to do that was for the Rock to beat Roman and become head of the table. Then, Cody would have a clear shot.

But, as the People's Champion, the Rock has to listen to the people, and he has heard what the people want. And the people want Cody. So, Cody will face Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania. But, the Rock is going to personally make sure that the better man wins, because he's going to be the guest referee. 

That seems to be the best of both worlds option. Cody gets to finish the story the right way, they get to use the Rock in all the promotion, they could add intrigue to the storyline (Heyman sewing doubts about the Rock's loyalties), and they can still do the Rock vs Reigns at a later date, which will have extra juice with Roman blaming him for the collapse of the Bloodline. The Rock comes off as a hero just for letting them have the match they should have had all along. 

At no point in did you show how the Rock had a fragile ego.

The guy who beefed w/ Vin Diesel over the F&F franchise, trying to push his own weight and say into it, and refused to be portrayed as Shazam's villain because he wanted his own solo movie that eventually leads to him fighting Superman, which helped lead to the death of that movie franchise, doesn't have a fragile ego.

Sure.

The guy who calls himself "The People's Champion" ain't gonna take too kindly to being booed and hearing "Rocky Sucks" like it's 1996 again.

I'm wondering if there will be die Rocky die chants.