Cody Rhodes Declined The Rock's Alliance Offer Before WrestleMania 41

Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports Cody Rhodes rejected The Rock’s proposal to form an alliance and turn heel, leading John Cena to align with The Final Boss instead.

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Cody Rhodes Declined The Rock’s Alliance Offer Before WrestleMania 41

Cody Rhodes reportedly turned down an opportunity to align with The Rock ahead of WrestleMania 41. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, The Final Boss approached Rhodes with the idea of forming a partnership that would have included a heel turn for The American Nightmare.

The report reveals that after Rhodes declined the proposal to remain a babyface, WWE pivoted to their second choice for Rock’s ally – John Cena. This decision led to Cena’s shocking heel turn at WWE Elimination Chamber 2025 when he aligned with The Final Boss.

The situation began developing earlier this year when The Rock publicly asked for Rhodes’ “soul” during a promo on WWE programming. At Elimination Chamber, Rhodes formally rejected Rock’s advances in front of the audience.

The report stated The Final Boss wanted to align with Cody Rhodes and turn him heel. Moreover, people in the company believed the move would’ve hurt them, and The American Nightmare decided to turn down the idea and remain a babyface.

This revelation adds significant context to Cena’s unexpected character shift, which marked his first heel turn in nearly two decades with the company. As the second choice for Rock’s alliance, Cena embraced the villainous role that Rhodes had declined.

The report indicates internal WWE personnel supported Rhodes’ decision to maintain his babyface character, with sentiment that turning him heel would have been detrimental to the company’s plans and storylines.

Both The Rock and Cena are now positioned as antagonists heading into WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, where multiple championship matches and high-profile confrontations are expected to take place on WWE’s premier annual event.

The American Nightmare continues his current trajectory as one of WWE’s top babyface performers, while the newly formed Rock-Cena alliance represents a major shift in the company’s power dynamics.