The Rock WWE WrestleMania XL Kickoff: Former GM Believes Heel Slap of Cody Rhodes

The Rock's WrestleMania XL actions sparked heel speculation, but Eric Bischoff believes it's just the beginning of a new WWE chapter.

The recent actions of The Rock at the WrestleMania XL Kickoff event have sparked speculation that the WWE legend may be transitioning to a villainous role. However, former WWE on-screen General Manager Eric Bischoff has expressed his doubts about this possibility.

During a chaotic on-stage segment in Las Vegas, Cody Rhodes selected Roman Reigns as his opponent for WrestleMania XL and proceeded to criticize both Reigns and The Rock, suggesting that their grandfathers would be ashamed of them. In response, The Rock delivered a resounding slap to Rhodes, seemingly aligning himself with Reigns in the process.

Addressing the situation on his 83 Weeks YouTube channel, Bischoff shared his perspective on whether The Rock has officially turned heel, stating, "Nope. I think this is a step. This is one page of the first chapter in Rock's story in WWE. It's act one. It's the beginning. It's the opening chapter. It's the first chapter."

Prior to the Las Vegas event, The Rock confirmed on The Pat McAfee Show that he would be returning to the ring at WrestleMania XL. While it was initially expected that he would face Reigns at the event, it now appears that this matchup may not occur in the near future. Despite recently joining the board of WWE's parent company TKO, The Rock is anticipated to make only sporadic appearances on television.

WrestleMania XL is scheduled to take place at Lincoln Financial Field on April 6-7 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Bischoff predicts that The Rock will make four more on-screen appearances leading up to the event, emphasizing the potential for compelling storytelling in a short period of time.

The last time The Rock portrayed a villainous character in WWE was in 2003 when he adopted the persona of Hollywood Rock, flaunting his box-office success and asserting his superiority over other wrestlers.

As the buildup to WrestleMania XL continues, the question remains: What do you hope to see at the event? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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