WWE world heavyweight champion Roman Reigns just dropped his Mount Rushmore of professional wrestling this week on Club Shay Shay, naming Hulk Hogan, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, and John Cena as his undisputed legends. And get this: his rationale for picking these guys is straight-up business. Reigns explained his dad always told him, “This ring is only about money. It’s a business. Don’t treat it any other way.” It’s a cold, hard truth, and it perfectly explains his choices. But even with The Rock on that iconic list, the buzz around a dream WrestleMania match with Reigns just took a serious hit.
It’s All About The Benjamins, Believe That
Reigns wasn’t pulling any punches about why he picked those specific four. He’s not looking at “ringers” versus “money drawers,” he’s only focused on the cash they generated. He totally believes Hogan, Austin, The Rock, and Cena each “changed the pro wrestling business in their own unique ways.” No doubt, they were absolutely “critical” for everything we see in WWE today. You really can’t argue with that. Hogan made WWE a household name back in the mid-80s and was still on top into the early 90s. Then he went to WCW in 1996, turned heel, and was still drawing massive numbers. Talk about a game-changer!
Then you’ve got Austin and The Rock, who basically blew the roof off the Attitude Era in the late 90s, making WWE explode in popularity. After that era cooled down, John Cena grabbed the torch and carried the company as its main face for years, right up until Reigns himself became the unquestioned top guy around 2020. So yeah, Reigns’ picks make total sense when you look at their impact on the business.
WrestleMania 43: Dream Match On Hold?
Now, here’s where things get wild. Hogan passed away last year, Cena’s retired, and Austin is pretty much retired, even though he popped up for one match at WrestleMania 38 in 2022. The Rock, though? He was just in the mix at WrestleMania 40, teaming up with Reigns to beat Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins in the Night 1 main event. Ever since that, and even before, everyone’s been buzzing about a potential Reigns vs. The Rock match for a future WrestleMania. It’s the ultimate family showdown, right?
But then Fightful Select just dropped a report last month saying WWE is “operating on the assumption that The Rock will not be available” for WrestleMania 43, which is scheduled for April 2027 in Saudi Arabia. Woah. That’s a gut punch for anyone hoping to see that match. If The Rock is out, the pressure is squarely on Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and all the other current stars to step up and carry WWE into the future. Just like the legends Reigns named on his Mount Rushmore did in their time. It’s a huge task, but if anyone can rise to it, it’s The Tribal Chief and the guys around him. Get ready, because the road to WrestleMania 43 just got a whole lot more interesting.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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