On a recent edition of his “Strictly Business” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff discussed The Rock joining The Bloodline amidst Roman Reigns’ feud with Cody Rhodes ahead of WrestleMania 40.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On The Rock’s heel turn: “No, let’s see how it plays out. I am having a hard time, just — my visceral reaction is, ‘Ooh, why? He’s — but no!’ But look, he’s an amazing performer. And if that’s what Dwayne ‘The Rock Johnson’ has decided he wants to do, then I would definitely give him the benefit of the doubt. Let’s see where it goes.”
On WWE diluting Cody’s story with The Rock joining The Bloodline: “Well, look, it’s been confusing. Let’s just — my reaction, and I have been following that because I’m fascinated by it from an actual storytelling perspective, and not a cosplay story. It’s been confusing, and I think there was one plan, they executed that plan. Cody handed off his opportunity to Rock. There was a reaction to that, and then there was a reaction to the reaction. And here we are today. So I think that bobble that took place when Cody handed off his shot at Roman to Rock? That was a fumble. And they recovered really well, and now are building. I think we’ll see in the next two weeks how well they’ve really tightened up the story, and how well that story is really going to work.
“But I would agree that it’s — that bobble that took place a couple of weeks ago was confusing, or you could say dilutive. But for me, it was just awkward and confusing because nobody knew how to react. ‘Yay, it’s the Rock! But not like this. We want this, but we want the Rock!’ So that confusion and like, delayed emotive response as a result of it, is what I think that question is rooted in. And I agree with it because I felt it too. But I’m interested in seeing what they do tonight [on Smackdown]. I’m interested in what we see next week. That will tell us just about everything we need to know.”
The recent news of The Rock joining The Bloodline amidst Roman Reigns’ feud with Cody Rhodes ahead of WrestleMania 40 has caused quite a stir in the WWE universe. In a recent episode of his “Strictly Business” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff shared his thoughts on this surprising development.
One of the main points Bischoff discussed was The Rock’s heel turn. He admitted to having a visceral reaction to the news, expressing his initial hesitation about the decision. However, he acknowledged The Rock’s incredible talent as a performer and emphasized the importance of giving him the benefit of the doubt. Bischoff believes that if The Rock has chosen this path, there must be a reason behind it, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.
Another topic Bischoff touched upon was the impact of The Rock joining The Bloodline on Cody Rhodes’ story. He described the situation as confusing, particularly from a storytelling perspective. Bischoff noted that there was a plan in place, with Cody initially being involved in the feud with Roman Reigns. However, Cody then handed off his opportunity to The Rock, which caused a reaction from the audience. Bischoff referred to this moment as a fumble but commended WWE for recovering well and continuing to build on the story. He expressed curiosity about how the story would develop in the coming weeks and believed that it would reveal whether the creative team had successfully tightened up the narrative.
Bischoff also addressed the fans’ mixed reactions to The Rock’s involvement. He acknowledged that while many were excited to see The Rock return, there was also a sense of disappointment or confusion about how it was executed. He attributed this to the delayed emotive response caused by the unexpected turn of events. Bischoff shared his agreement with the fans’ concerns and expressed his own interest in seeing how WWE would handle the situation moving forward.
In conclusion, the addition of The Rock to The Bloodline and his involvement in Roman Reigns’ feud with Cody Rhodes has generated both excitement and confusion among fans. Eric Bischoff’s podcast provided insights into the situation, highlighting the initial hesitation, the impact on Cody’s story, and the mixed reactions from the audience. As WrestleMania 40 approaches, it remains to be seen how WWE will navigate this unexpected twist and deliver a compelling storyline for its viewers.