Backstage Report On Cody Rhodes' WWE Raw Promo

The saga of Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns continues hurtling toward a finish line at WWE WrestleMania 40, though Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has become a significant aspect of the story here in the final act. Last night on "WWE Raw," Rhodes responded to The Rock in a fiery promo that included some colorful language.

On today's "Wrestling Observer Radio," Dave Meltzer offered details on what he had heard about the promo. Rhodes was reportedly given the go-ahead to curse during last night's show to ensure he maintains his image as the company's top babyface. It seems the idea was that Rhodes had to get as aggressive as Johnson has been in recent promos to keep his momentum rolling.

Johnson's open use of expletives over the last few weeks has drawn some controversy, as WWE still bears a PG rating. However, WWE and its partners seem to be content, with a recent report indicating that The Rock's scripts have been sent to Fox for approval, allowing the network to prepare to bleep the star when necessary.

Last Friday, Johnson posted yet another social media promo and appeared that night on "WWE SmackDown," where he called out Rhodes' mother. This led to the energetic promo from Rhodes last night, and the clashes will likely continue in the days leading up to WrestleMania. The two are set to come face-to-face again on this week's "SmackDown."

Next month, night one of WrestleMania 40 will come to a close with Rhodes and Seth Rollins facing Reigns and The Rock in a tag match. The following night, Rhodes will get his rematch against Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in the main event.