Dave Meltzer Compares Roman Reigns To Kevin Owens In WWE WrestleMania Context

With Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson likely to make his return to the squared circle against Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, some are wondering how the inactive Johnson will fare against the similarly inactive Reigns. On "Wrestling Observer Radio," Dave Meltzer compared Rock's return to that of WWE Hall of Famer "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, who faced Kevin Owens in an impromptu match in the main event of WrestleMania 38 Night One.

"Even Austin, as great as Austin did with Kevin Owens ... it wasn't a short match but it wasn't a long match either it was a normal length match. Kevin Owens in a lot of ways is a lot better than Roman Reigns, as far as in the ring and being able to carry a match with someone who isn't experienced," Meltzer admitted, noting Reigns and Rock are expected to have a full-length, WrestleMania main event-caliber match.

WWE is likely to clarify matters regarding the WrestleMania 40 main event at this evening's press conference in Las Vegas, but the fact still remains that fans are confused about the sudden pivot from Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes to the former XFL President. Based on recent reports, it's possible that Dwayne Johnson joining the TKO Group Holdings Board of Directors came with the understanding that he would wrestle at some point in 2024, with Endeavor's Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro possibly putting Johnson in a position where he would overrule WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque regarding the direction of the WrestleMania 40 main event.