In an unexpected turn of events on this week’s WWE SmackDown, Cody Rhodes made a surprising decision regarding his WrestleMania XL opponent. While anticipation was high for a rematch with Roman Reigns for the undisputed WWE universal championship, Rhodes shocked the audience by stepping aside for a colossal face-off. Instead of challenging Reigns, Rhodes chose to let none other than “The People’s Champ,” The Rock, take on “The Head of the Table.”

The final segment of the show featured Roman Reigns addressing Seth Rollins’ claims about being the top star in WWE. Rhodes interrupted, expressing his desire to finish the story with Reigns and win the title that eluded his father. However, he announced that the challenge wouldn’t happen at WrestleMania. To everyone’s surprise, The Rock entered the arena, and Rhodes, after embracing his cousin, gracefully exited the ring, paving the way for the epic Reigns vs. Rock showdown at WrestleMania XL.

Meanwhile, Bayley, in a separate revelation, broke away from the Damage CTRL faction she founded. After discovering their bullying tactics, she chose Iyo Sky as her opponent for WrestleMania XL, setting the stage for a showdown for the WWE women’s championship.

In other notable moments from WWE SmackDown, Kevin Owens secured a victory over Austin Theory with an assist from Logan Paul, and Bayley confronted her former faction with a shocking announcement. Additionally, the tag team division saw action as Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate earned a victory, advancing to a No. 1 contender’s match for the undisputed WWE tag team titles.

The night concluded with a statement-making debut, as Tiffany Stratton, who officially signed with SmackDown, triumphed over Michin with her “Prettiest Moonsault Ever” finisher.