During the March 1st, 2024 episode of Friday Night SmackDown, the curtain lifted with Roman Reigns and the Bloodline making a grand entrance, basking in the applause of the Arizona crowd. Soon after, The Rock seized control, delivering a promo that stretched beyond its allotted time, setting the stage for significant alterations involving Naomi.
Persistent chants from the crowd, clamoring for Cody Rhodes, prompted Roman Reigns to signal Paul Heyman to bring their segment to a close. However, an unforeseen turn of events unfolded with The Rock’s entrance. Cementing his heel persona, The Rock addressed Cody Rhodes’ challenge for a solo match at WrestleMania but ultimately turned down the proposition.
Instead, he suggested a tag team match for Night One of WrestleMania 40, pitting Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins against Roman Reigns and himself, injecting fresh dynamics into the main event storyline.
There were previous reports that suggested that The Great Ones promo extended beyond the anticipated duration, and it was then revealed by Sean Ross Sapp behind Fightful’s paywall. The results of this exceeded time frame included the exclusion of Naomi’s entrance and other planned segments from the broadcast. Sadly, Tiffany Stratton and Naomi, initially slated for a combined two segments, found themselves limited to a nine-minute timeframe, encompassing entrances and the concluding moments.
“The Rock’s segment with Roman Reigns went over by over ten minutes. Naomi’s entrance and some other things were cut from the broadcast as a result. Tiffany Stratton and Naomi were supposed to get a combined two segments, and ended up going nine minutes, including commercials, from entrances to the finish.”
