Backstage News On WWE Stars’ Reaction To The Rock Replacing Cody Rhodes At WrestleMania

This week’s two-hour WWE on FOX show on Friday night was an eventful one to say the least.

The post-Royal Rumble episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown featured appearances by talents from Raw, NXT and outside faces such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, as well as many who didn’t appear on-camera.

Fightful Select is reporting that one source backstage at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama for this week’s post-Royal Rumble episode of the blue brand program noted that it was “the most outside faces” they’ve seen behind-the-scenes at the show in a long time.

Another interesting note from the report is that the internal reaction among talent and staff in WWE at Friday night’s SmackDown to the announcement of The Rock replacing Cody Rhodes for a WrestleMania XL main event against WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns was “one of shock.”

Speaking of The Rock, he was said to be backstage at the Legacy Arena on Friday night throughout the entire duration of the show. As noted going into the show, Rock was spotted at a gym in Birmingham early in the day and near the venue as the show drew closer.