In professional wrestling and in storytelling, there are levels to everything, similar to when playing a video game. “The Final Boss” is the last and final boss the hero will have to fight in whatever is at stake, whether it’s rescuing the princess or the rise to the top.

So, when The Rock calls himself “The Final Boss”, he is in fact the final boss fight. There’s no way around it. When he says, “In the world of pro-wrestling, everything culminates in a match. What I love about the character of the Final Boss and Cody Rhodes, is it’s not about the title, it never has to culminate in a match. I think to have a storyline and two characters that are very popular, to never have to get in the ring for a match, and have this compelling and off-putting thing ‘he wants his soul’, what does that mean? ”, how does that make sense?

It doesn’t.

This isn’t meant to throw any shade towards Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. I think he and everyone at TKO and WWE know that fans want a match between himself and Cody Rhodes. I think what The Rock was doing in that moment is what he has been doing and that is shifting the focus to Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena. Fans don’t have to like it, but that’s where the focus should be. Rhodes; the “new Cena”, the “new face of the company” vs Cena; a true one of one, accomplishing something never done before in the WWE… a 17-time world champion, the self-proclaimed “The Last Real Champion”. That is not to mention that this is Cena’s farewell tour. That “u can’t see me” catchphrase we’ve all heard for over 20 years is finally coming to an emphatic end because “After this, [we] can’t see [him]” any longer.

So, what does this mean?

It means that it makes sense for “The Final Boss” to step back out of the spotlight… FOR NOW. This allowed Rhodes vs. Cena to be the focus at WrestleMania 41. Rhodes and Cena get to have their time in the spotlight now. Cena’s farewell tour remains at the center of this story.

However, The Rock must fight Rhodes. From a narrative perspective, it’s unavoidable. The Rock tried to take Cody’s match at WrestleMania 40. He left Rhodes a bloody mess outside in the rain on national television during an episode of Raw. Then there was the tag team match at WrestleMania 40 – Night One with The Rock pinning Rhodes. Then on Night Two, Rhodes with the help of Cena, Seth Rollins, Jey Uso, & The Undertaker, defeated Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship. And if you remember, on the following episode of Raw, The Rock told Rhodes he’d be back for his title. Yes, now there’s the added element, the added level of Cody’s soul.

So, how do we get to the “The Final Boss” fight?

Option #1: Double Turn at SummerSlam

Rhodes and Cena face off at SummerSlam in a WrestleMania rematch for the WWE championship on August 2nd and 3rd. For those of you who know what a double turn is, this may sound counterintuitive but stay with me.

For this, you would have to be in the story for the long game. The long game is the gold standard of storytelling in professional wrestling. It’s a weekly, ongoing episodic series with twists and turns and story arcs that never truly end. If Cena were to lose and Rhodes to regain the title at SummerSlam, then WWE could have “The Final Boss” come into the ring disappointed with Cena. The Rock would then discard Cena with Rhodes finally giving his soul to The Rock.

Now let’s be honest. In recent months, WWE has been hinting at Rhodes selling his soul. Cody used heel tactics to beat Randy Orton at King Of The Ring. He has been seen wearing the same glasses and watch The Rock wears. Cody even acknowledged the heel turn conversation and revealing he has thought about it. Let’s not forget this past Friday night on Smackdown where Cody forced an incapacitated Cena to sign the contract for their fight at SummerSlam.

And if you think about it, Cody turning heel and siding with The Rock makes sense. Since he won the title back at WrestleMania 40, he has watched all his friends either turn on each other or turn on him. And now, Randy Orton, a long-time friend and mentor, could be next. Over recent weeks, Cody knows it and we know it. Orton has been “hearing voices in his head” so to speak. We’ve seen the uncontrollable head movements and squinting of the eyes every so often.

This would make Cena a “face” or good guy for the last few months of his farewell tour. Then, he could fight the likes of Gunther and Drew McIntyre. Maybe he could fight Dominik Mysterio for the IC title in hopes of becoming a Grand Slam champion, really the last thing he would need to do in WWE.

Rhodes would then be a “heel” or bad guy. I think that could give WWE a unique opportunity to have the “face” of the company be a heel, which I think Rhodes is capable of doing. Wrestling fans know that some heels become so popular that they in fact can become the “face” of the company and in an interesting way, a “face” since a majority of fans would cheer for them despite being a heel, just like they did for “The Tribal Chief” Roman Reigns. However, to pull this off, it has be done with the right guy, at the right time, and in the right situation. I think Rhodes is the right guy and I think the WWE – if they execute it perfectly – could take advantage of the opportunity if they play their cards accordingly.

There would then be so many possibilities of what Rhodes heel run could look like alongside “The Final Boss”. Far too many to write and speculate on. Yet, at least in this hypothetical, we would see Rhodes turn on The Rock, seeing the error of his ways, regretful for the mistake he made in giving his soul up. From there, a build up to a match would be easy.

But I have one major problem with this…

Where does that leave Cena and his last match?

Cena’s very last match in December should mean something. There should be something at stake. Sure, you could have him fighting for the IC title, fighting to become a Grand Slam champion, but wrestling fans know a key aspect of this industry is paying it forward, “putting over” or establishing the next guy. There’s a saying in pro-wrestling that “the best way to go out is to go out on your back”. In other words; laid out, defeated, boosting your opponent to the next level, which leads me to Option #2.

Option #2 – Cena’s Retirement Match and the Road to WrestleMania 42

If Rhodes is the supposed “new Cena”, then Rhodes should “go over” or win in December, not at SummerSlam. Maybe Rhodes loses because Randy Orton turns heel and stops Rhodes from winning, setting up a feud between them. That would take Cody out of the title picture for a bit. Then in December, Cody – after going through more “Hard Times”, gets another rematch against Cena. This time, Cody would defeat Cena for the title and send Cena into retirement. This could ultimately lead to The Rock, now without Cena, having to take matters into his own hands, challenging Rhodes at WrestleMania 42, where Rhodes would be victorious, defeating “The Final Boss”, the final step in cementing Rhodes as the new face of the company.

So, what do you think? Do you think “The Final Boss” will step into the ring with Cody Rhodes? How should WWE get us there?

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-Jay