WWE WrestleMania 40 Rumors: Latest Reports on Potential Card, Top Superstars

WWE WrestleMania 40 Rumors: Latest Reports on Potential Card, Top Superstars0 of 3

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The road to WrestleMania 40 is in hyperdrive, with top matches and storylines heating up as WWE approaches its biggest premium live event on April 6 and 7 in Philadelphia.

While rumors and innuendo surrounding prospective additions to what is already a jam-packed card have been few and far between, industry insiders have provided a look into the edgier content at the forefront of promos from Cody Rhodes and The Rock.

What did they have to say and what is the latest on the expiring contract of the current No. 1 contender to the World Heavyweight Championship, Drew McIntyre?

Find out with this collection of reports featuring three stars destined to be defined by the upcoming Showcase of the Immortals.

Backstage Heat on The Rock?1 of 3

Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reported that some behind the scenes in WWE are upset over what they perceive to be a double standard regarding The Rock and his cursing on television.

Meltzer also reported that WWE pre-writes Rock’s promos so Fox can approve them and be prepared to beep curses out accordingly.

Finally, he stated that Rock does as he pleases because of his status within the company, as a member of the TKO Board of Directors, and insulates himself with “representatives” so he can “stay out of the messes.”

None of which should surprise anyone.

Rock is a massive star away from WWE. He is a proven commodity, a star brighter than any on the company’s full-time roster. Of course, he will be given leeway that others are not and the freedom to say things that others in the company could not.

If “Stone Cold” Steve Austin walked through the door tomorrow and promised to “open up a can of whoop-ass,” he would get away with it in a way that someone like Pete Dunne or even Bobby Lashley is not.

Does that make it a double standard? Absolutely, but it is one that stars of that magnitude have earned through the work they have put in to get to that point.

Until there is a change to what is accepted and not company-wide, those feelings of unfairness will likely continue, even those most frustrated by it should know better.

As we found out Monday on Raw, though, The Great One is not the only Superstar capable of throwing out some curse-laden lines directed at a WrestleMania opponent.

Cody Rhodes Granted Permission to Curse on Raw2 of 3

Cody Rhodes responded to The Rock’s promo from Friday night on SmackDown by dropping a few uncharacteristic curses on his own of The Great One, heightening the tension and animosity that exists between them ahead of WrestleMania 40 and the big tag team match pitting The American Nightmare and world heavyweight champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins against Rock and undisputed WWE universal champion Roman Reigns.

According to Meltzer, the two-time Royal Rumble winner was allowed to curse to “stay babyface” and deliver an adequate response to his rival.

It makes sense in that it showed off a different side of the traditional babyface, allowing him to express himself after Rock took shots at him, his father, and his mother in the previously mentioned promo.

Rhodes needed that leeway to fight Rock’s fire with some of his own and while what he said was still relatively tame, the fact that he said it at all was so out of character for him that it landed with the audience.

Of course, we still have yet to see the No. 1 contender to wrestling’s top price get truly angry and fire up in a way so out of character that one has to ask whether Rock has gotten under his skin too much, but it was still a logical next step.

Perhaps the reaction from fans to Rhodes and Rock’s use of curses will allow WWE officials to take a step back and consider expanding what is and is not allowed on programming. Maybe it even inches the company toward the PG-14 label it once carried during the height of the Attitude Era.

Update on Drew McIntyre’s WWE Contract3 of 3

Alex McCarthy of DailyMail.co.uk reported at the end of February that WWE and Drew McIntyre had yet to agree to terms on a new deal and at the time, talks were not “close to being finalized,” though both sides were hopeful.

Appearing on The Ringer’s The Masked Men Show, McIntyre provided the latest (h/t Fightful for the transcript):

“It’s very important to me, having a new contract. It’s been talked about for a very long time on the internet. I’m not the only one whose contract comes up every few years or whatever, but you would think it, reading the internet. There is nothing I can say right now. I can say that I’m having fun. I can say that I intend to continue having fun and I’m in my prime. I’m younger than everyone thinks I am because I’ve been around for such a long time. I have years to go. No matter what, you’ll still see Drew McIntyre wrestling. I can say ‘or Drew Galloway’ and that would get everyone’s attention,”

McIntyre had a little fun at the tail end there but appears to confirm that there has been no movement on a new deal.

It would be surprising if accurate.

The Scottish Warrior is all over Monday Night Raw as its lead heel and challenger for the world title at WrestleMania. One would be hard-pressed to believe that he would be in a position to compete in one of the marquee matches at WrestleMania 40, with the potential to leave the company after the biggest event of the year and go elsewhere.

It would be akin to cooking a hot meal, having it walk out the door to your neighbor across the street, and never having any of it for yourself.

McIntyre is doing the best work of his career, has planted seeds for a showdown with CM Punk later in the year, and could be the centerpiece of the red brand for the foreseeable future.

Letting him get to this point without a contract when he has already showcased why he is a valuable asset would be a massive misstep for the company’s front office.

Put pen to paper, make it work for both sides and let McIntyre continue to cook.

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