Revealed: Why Stone Cold Steve Austin didn't appear at WrestleMania 40… as it emerges the WWE legend WAS supposed to confront The Rock in the main event instead of The Undertaker

WWE pulled out all the stops when it came to Cody Rhodes' rematch with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40.

After Reigns and The Rock had emerged victorious the previous night in a tag-team showdown against Rhodes and Seth Rollins, Night Two's main event was contested under 'Bloodline rules' meaning no there would be disqualifications.

As such, a number of familiar faces got involved in the instant classic.

Bloodline member Solo Sikoa was the first to interfere, hitting Rhodes with a Samoan Spike before John Cena returned to the ring to make the save.

Reigns would again get the upper hand when The Rock got involved before Rollins returned to even the playing field before the Undertaker appeared and attacked the People's Champion.

Rhodes was then able to gain the upperhand and defeat Reigns to win the WWE title, ending his rival's three-and-a-half-year run as champion in the process.

However, it has since emerged that WWE had originally planned for Stone Cold Steve Austin had originally been set to appear in The Undertaker's place.

According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, discussions between the two parties had taken place in the lead up to the event at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

However, a financial agreement was not reached in time, and WWE ultimately opted to use The Undertaker instead.

Austin retired from wrestling in 2003 following an accumulation of injuries from a decorated career inside the ring.

But in 2022 The Texas Rattlesnake returned to competition, taking on Kevin Owens in the main event of WrestleMania 38 Night One in his native Texas.