The Rock appeared on SmackDown to present Cody Rhodes with an offer to become “his champion” and fulfill family dreams in exchange for his allegiance. This development sparked discussion about potential character shifts in the storyline.
During an episode of Notsam Wrestling, Sam Roberts addressed the speculation surrounding Rhodes’ potential character direction:
This is where people go, ‘This is where Cody becomes a villain.’ And I’m like, ‘I can’t; I don’t see [it]!’ [You saw and heard the reaction that Cody got?] That’s what I’m saying. I don’t see this making Cody a villain. I don’t see Cody becoming a villain. I don’t see John Cena becoming a villain. I just don’t.
The Rock revealed he would attend WWE Elimination Chamber in Toronto on March 1 at Rogers Centre to hear Rhodes’ response to the proposition. This announcement came after The Final Boss emphasized his position on the TKO Board of Directors during SmackDown.