There's a rumor that The Rock vs Roman Reigns match will happen at WrestleMania 41. Wait, what? Yes, Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated (whose previous report that Cody was now booked to wrestle Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40 caused controversy after the WWE disputed it) is now reporting:

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I am not offering a spoiler, but enthused speculation and analysis are that all signs point to Rhodes winning the Rumble. There is, however, some uncertainty with The Rock involved, as a star of his magnitude wields massive leverage and works off his own terms. If he were to tell WWE President Nick Khan he wants to win the Rumble, then that could change plans. But that is not expected, especially with the new possibility that Reigns-Rock could be extended to a time when it airs globally on Netflix.

Barrasso added that:

All signs also point to Rhodes finishing his story on the second night of WrestleMania. That is a story that has been told in exceptional fashion since Rhodes returned to WWE in 2022, and it is one that would be perfect for the main event of WrestleMania 40.

H/T Sports Illustrated

Hold on a Minute

Wrestling fans (at least those who keep up with their wrestling news through WrestleLamia's YouTube videos and website articles) will remember Barrasso reported something radically different on 24 January: noting Gunther would challenge Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship and that Roman Reigns would defend the Undisputed Championship against The Rock. As for Cody, Justin reported: 

Where does this leave Cody Rhodes? Multiple sources close to WWE Head of Creative Paul “Triple H” Levesque have indicated that Rhodes will not headline this year’s event, nor will he “finish his story” at WrestleMania. But there is still a new chapter to write with a marquee matchup to be had… against CM Punk.

H/T Sports Illustrated

WrestleVotes reported later that day about Barrasso's story:

Barrasso has addressed this report, telling readers:

I reported spoilers for Sports Illustrated yesterday regarding the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 40. I reported what was detailed to me by previously reliable sources. It appears this was a deliberate attempt at misinformation, or misinformation that is being spread through WWE itself. I apologize for the errors in yesterday’s report. When posting these reports, the entirety of the information needs to accurate.

H/T Sports Illustrated

The WWE Wants to Keep Everyone Guessing

The idea of the WWE working fans and the media was recently addressed in this article. As mentioned there:

As WrestleLamia has suggested before, wrestling news sites can only rely on their sources. If a source provides erroneous information or is told to suggest something different than what's actually planned, a reporter can only use their judgment and seek multiple sources. The WWE wants to keep fans guessing because surprising the WWE Universe is a major storytelling component. Don't be shocked when a news source reports something and something entirely different happens. If it occurs on a regular basis, it's time to find a different news source. However, like any news, consumers have to apply critical thinking. They must also remember that wrestling is still built on fooling the audience, so adopting "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's DTA (don't trust anybody) policy is a good idea.

Once again, fans should utilize their judgment and determine who (if anyone to believe). What do you make of this latest report?

Photo Credit: WWE

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