The Rock shocks wrestling fans to stand WITH Roman Reigns and SLAPS Cody Rhodes for insulting his family… as the American Nightmare confirms he will face the Tribal Chief at WrestleMania

The Rock has shocked wrestling fans to stand with Roman Reigns, before slapping Cody Rhodes during a kick-off event for WrestleMania 40, where the American Nightmare will face the Tribal Chief.

The WWE world was shocked this week when it emerged that The Rock would be taking Rhodes’ spot to challenge Reigns at the event, leaving fans outraged.

But during a kick-off event in Las Vegas on Thursday, Rhodes confirmed that he would not be taking on the eight-time WWE champion in April.

Rhodes told the crowd: ‘At WrestleMania XL in the main event, I choose you, Roman Reigns!’

It allows Rhodes to finish his story – but also created tension with 51-year-old The Rock, who slapped him on the stage following verbal insults about the families of both the eight-time champion and Reigns.

Rhodes confirmed he would take on Roman Reigns instead of the eight-time WWE champion 

Reigns is the biggest draw in wrestling right now, and fans were keen to see a re-match

Reigns and The Rock are real-life cousins, but it was still a surprise to wrestling fans when Dwayne Johnson stood with him during the press conference.

Earlier on in the launch, Reigns had said he would prefer to face The Rock in the main event, but instead, he will face Rhodes at WrestleMania for a second year in a row.

Fans were also keen to see a re-match this time around, with the Bloodline story between Reigns and Rhodes being the biggest draw in wrestling right now – and one that many were hoping to see on one of WWE’s biggest nights.

Last week, the wrestling icon turned Hollywood superstar made a stunning return to SmackDown.

WWE fans were seething after plans to have The Rock challenge Reigns for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania emerged, by booing any mention of him during live shows including Monday Night Raw.

Cody Rhodes previously told MailOnline that legendary figure The Rock does not need to return for WrestleMania, thanks to WWE’s top storylines.

He revealed: ‘With all the respect in the world to one of the GOATs, The Rock, it looks like the options we have here within the roster are even better because of the stories that are happening.’

The American Nightmare wants to win the undisputed WWE Universal Championship since his father Dusty Rhodes fell just short of winning the illustrious title.

Rhodes had been the first man in 25 years to clinch back-to-back Royal Rumbles, and made it clear he wants Reigns’ belt.

Rhodes added: ‘I’m looking for a championship title belt, the most important one in our world the biggest in all – not just in the WWE bubble but in all the bubbles – and be the first to say as a Rhodes I did it. And it wasn’t Dusty Rhodes and it wasn’t Dustin Rhodes – it was Cody Rhodes.’

Seth Rollins previously insisted that WWE does not need The Rock after wrestling icon took Cody Rhodes’ place at WrestleMania 40.

Rollins told NFL Network’s Good Morning Football: ‘If The Rock wants to jump on the bandwagon, ride my coattails into Wrestlemania, that’s totally fine with me,’ he said.

‘Look, I get it. WWE is as hot as it’s ever been. We are selling out arenas, stadiums. Any place we go right now is huge.’

The American Nightmare wants to win the undisputed WWE Universal Championship 

The Rock looked set to challenge Reigns at WrestleMania, to the dismay of many WWE fans

Seth Rollins joined Rhodes in insisting that the WWE world does not need The Rock back

Rollins added: ‘He can take his little piece, and then he can go back to Hollywood and do this thing because we got this thing. We don’t need you. We love to have you, but we don’t need you, big guy.’

WWE‘s long-term plan might be to set up a triple threat match between The Rock, Rhodes and Reigns, which would give 38-year-old Rhodes a similar push to the one that elevated ALL Elite Wrestling star Bryan Danielson [fka Daniel Bryan] to becoming one of the biggest stars in the industry.

Rhodes has also received public backing from WWE United States Champion Logan Paul and fellow superstar Ricochet who both joined in on the ‘WeWantCody’ hashtag that spent days trending on X.

The video of The Rock going face-to-face with Reigns became the most disliked video ever posted to YouTube by WWE.