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Some stories have gone on for so long that they begin to take on a life of their own. It’s starting to feel like The Rock vs. Roman Reigns has reached such mythical status.

Over the last few years, the hope for a dream match featuring the two WWE superstars has reached a fever pitch.

As of today, it’s hard to remember when the suggestion for the match even originated. Nevertheless, it becomes a talking point ahead of WrestleMania just about every year. Of course, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see why WWE would like to see these two generational stars face off on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

This unparalleled marquee matchup is the type of promotional tool the company used to build its biggest pay-per-view event of the year. It would undoubtedly draw millions of views and generate more ticket sales, but is it really possible at this point?

One could argue that the possibility of one last match from the most successful crossover star in pro wrestling history has become a white whale. Sure, The Rock has said he is open to it, and Reigns is the perfect opponent for this generation for several reasons. However, when do we start discussing whether that window is closing?

As the saying goes, never say never when it comes to wrestling. We’ve seen much more seemingly improbable outcomes come to fruition in 2022 alone. After all, Stone Cold Steve Austin wrestled in the main event of The Show of Shows in April following his retirement in 2003.

So, The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment could still step into the ring again to take on The Tribal Chief. Many believe it will happen at SoFi Stadium next year as WWE returns to Hollywood. For now, let's break down the timeline of this ongoing rumor and the most recent updates.

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An Idea That Blossomed Into An Inevitability To Some

As far as we can tell, the fantasy book for this star-studded match tracks back to 2018 when rumors surfaced online ahead of WrestleMania 35. Supposedly, The Rock was set to return, win the Royal Rumble, and challenge Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship at the event.

In December, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter debunked this claim as an unsubstantiated rumor. According to the respected pro wrestling historian, the company planned to book the match even before Reigns went public with his leukemia diagnosis. He later confirmed that it was "not true at all” on the F4WOnline message board.

The Big Dog eventually made his triumphant return on the Feb. 25, 2019, episode of Raw and went on to wrestle Drew McIntyre at The Showcase of the Immortals. Still, the excitement around an encounter with The Brahma Bull didn’t die down. In fact, it ramped back up ahead of the next road to ‘Mania season.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world to shut down, and WWE had to host its iconic event in an empty arena for the first time in the history of the company. Even more, Reigns pulled out of the show amid a build toward a clash with Goldberg at Raymond James Stadium. As a result, the Samoan star went on a five-month hiatus.

During that time, The Rock sparked interest in the dream match again. He seemed optimistic when asked about it as a part of a Q&A on Instagram Live.

"I think anything is possible," he said (h/t Kellie Haulotte of Wrestling Inc). "Sure, of course, I'm always open. That's the cool thing about professional wrestling: There is an adaptability to wrestling. You never say never in the world of pro wrestling.”

"You never say never to Vince McMahon, who has been one of my mentors in the business for a very long time. Very, very close friend and confidant. You never say 'no.' For something like that to happen, I think the venue would have to be right. The business model would have [to] be right. But I'm very close with Roman—he's family to me, so we will see."

An All-Time Great Character Change Adds Credence to Rumors

The rest–as they say–is history. Reigns came back to WWE at SummerSlam 2020 and surprisingly turned heel. The long-awaited character change turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to him. His transformation into The Tribal Chief will eventually go down as one of the best reinventions of all time.

It’s impossible to discount how much his shift into The Head of Table upped the ante for fans hoping to see him finally wrestle another famous member of the Anoa’i family. Now, this blockbuster matchup had a compelling reason for them to go head-to-head to match its hype and potential drawing power.

On Feb. 15, 2020, WWE announced that Hollywood would be the destination for The Greatest Spectacle in Sports Entertainment the following year. That seemed an ideal venue for this showdown.

According to WrestleTalk, the company hoped The Rock would return in late 2020 to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania next year. However, that would depend “on a variety of factors, including COVID and Rock’s movie schedule.”

In December of the same year, WrestlingNews.co reported that Vince McMahon didn’t think “that WrestleMania 37 would be the time for the match to happen.” Their source said the former CEO didn’t “know how many fans will be allowed to attend the show," adding: "He definitely wants fans there, and we will probably have to implement social distancing, but he would rather wait until WrestleMania 38 if Rock wants to do it, but we can’t do the show in [Los Angeles].”

On Jan. 16, 2021, The Granddaddy of Them All relocated to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fl. As a result, the event occurred at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, this year and was booked for SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, for 2023.

Ultimately, the highly sought-after leading man’s busy schedule didn’t permit him to participate in the festivities. In November 2021, he told Andrew Freund there was no truth to the rumors of an upcoming match at WrestleMania 38 during an interview with Dish Nation to promote Red Notice.

That didn’t stop fans from continuing to get their hopes up as WWE promoted Survivor Series as a celebration of the 25th anniversary of The Rock's debut at the event. Nevertheless, viewers quickly became disappointed when he didn’t make an appearance at the show. Instead, we got some bizarre segments featuring a golden egg as a promotional tie-in for his aforementioned Netflix film.

In February, Meltzer reported that “the idea for next year's event at SoFi Stadium is to have Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson vs. Roman Reigns and Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch as its two big showcase matches.”

The sitcom based on Johnson’s life, Young Rock, even made light of the dream match and gave fans a new tease in April. Meanwhile, Meltzer reiterated that The People’s Champ vs. The Undisputed WWE Universal Champions is “100 percent the plan.”

For now, we will have to wait and see if this highly anticipated match finally ensues as WWE hosts its first WrestleMania in Hollywood since 2005. This certainly isn’t the last time you’ll hear about it.

Can social media personality Logan Paul roll into Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and do what no professional wrestler has been able to for the last two years: defeat Roman Reigns and become the Undisputed WWE Universal champion?

It is the question on the minds of wrestling fans ahead of Saturday's Crown Jewel premium live event, in which Paul will compete in just his third match against the top star in the industry.

On the surface, he does not belong there. Even with the massive promotional machine behind him, he's a celebrity with two matches to his name who is now challenging and, potentially knocking off, Reigns. It's a tough sell.

But we have seen Paul exceed expectations at just about every stop in his partnership with WWE, particularly between the ropes. What happens if he lands that one lucky punch and does the unthinkable?

Ahead of his shot at making history and turning the wrestling business upside down with a stunning victory over The Head of the Table, Paul sat down with Bleacher Report to talk about the match, his journey in WWE, a growing love for the art of pro wrestling and the man behind the over-the-top online personality.

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Video contains NSFW language.

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Paul Previews Crown Jewel

"I think this match is going to be the best, excuse me, one of the best WWE matches we have seen in a very long time. You have to make that conscious decision: Do you want to watch it live as it's happening in front of your face, or do you want to see it afterward, you wanna see the highlight reel? I don't know, but you ain't gonna want to miss this match."

Paul knows there is a palpable interest in his return to the squared circle for his first match since August's SummerSlam, where he battled self-proclaimed A-Lister, The Miz, and was praised across social media for his performance.

"Hell yeah, man!" he said when asked if he was surprised by the fans' response to the Nashville performance. "This might surprise you, but the reception to me online hasn't always been positive. I don't know if I’ve ever done anything in my life where pretty much everyone was like, 'Ahh…I might not like the kid, but that was good. That was good. You gotta respect it.'"

That match gave him the confidence to challenge the biggest star in the industry for the top prize in professional wrestling. "That's why I challenged Roman Reigns. I saw back what I can do, I liked it a lot and I said, 'why not just shoot for the best,' and I baited Roman Reigns into a fight."

The contest not only presents Paul with an opportunity to win the championship in just his third match in a WWE ring, but also highlight his blossoming love for the art of professional wrestling.

"As an outsider and someone who considers himself an artist, to now see the artistry of the sport, it's beautiful. I’m glued." He's not the only one. "Like, my family and friends by default will come to the matches and watch, and they love it. They love it because they can see the beauty in what we're creating. It's Broadway physicality and I love it."

Brother Jake, fresh off a victory over Anderson Silva to extend his unbeaten boxing record to 6-0, will accompany Logan to the squared circle in Saudi Arabia, per Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio. He will look to keep Reigns' Bloodline teammates at bay and ensure his brother has the fairest shot at shocking the world and pulling off one of the greatest upset wins in pro wrestling history.

A win would put him in a position to be the face of the wrestling industry's top promotion and a spokesman for the business, a role he has embraced.

"I started doing it and I'm like, which part of this is fake because all of this stuff hurts? These chairs are metal. Like, where are the plastic chairs? Like, there's no plastic chair factory. The chairs are metal, the table is a hard, rigid table. The ladders are ladders. Where's the fakeness in this sport?"

Paul admits that beyond the loudness, glitz and glamour of the Hollywood lifestyle that he portrays for millions across his social media platforms, he is an introvert who relishes the opportunity to decompress and step out of the spotlight, something fans of WWE may not realize about the celebrity who has stepped off the red carpet and into the squared circle. "I'm a simple guy who lives a relatively simple life. I just work my f--king ass off."

The charismatic young star, who rose to fame first through social media platform Vine, then YouTube, credits his development as an in-ring performer over the course of his first two matches to former WWE Superstar and current official Shane Helms.

"He's constantly sending me stuff to watch. I told him, 'Dude, I'm a sponge, I'm a student. I have no ego, send me whatever you want,' and we exchange texts about what he thinks I can do, what I think I can do and how we can incorporate it into a match, so I do have to give credit to Shane Helms because he's been instrumental in helping me understand the nuances of the sport."

That hard work has him prepared to not only stand across the ring from the most dominant Superstar in WWE over the last two years in Roman Reigns, earn a major payday and see himself on the promotional materials for the 2022 edition of the company’s Crown Jewel extravaganza, but also beat The Tribal Chief and become, arguably, the most improbable world champion of all time.

"He's underestimating me and it's going to be the biggest mistake of his life."

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Paul-Reigns Analysis

There is a certain spectacle about Paul challenging Reigns that WWE is very aware of. The social media maven is controversial, and to borrow a phrase from Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff, controversy creates cash.

Paul is a major celebrity, recognizable around the world. The princes in Saudi Arabia know him, like him and wanted him to be part of the event, per Meltzer. His involvement in WWE from day one was designed to attract new viewers to the product and create awareness among potential new fans.

The WWE fans know this. They also know he was brought in and given high-profile spots on the show, and in their minds, he has stolen the spotlight away from full-time wrestlers. To them, he is the latest part-timer to find exposure at the expense of their favorites.

The boos have been loud, and the keyboard warriors, eager to target WWE for relying on a celebrity to sell a big-time main event, have been critical of his involvement.

Personal preferences aside, to suggest Paul has not put in the work to be in this position would be irresponsible.

He was recently spotted training with Shawn Michaels, and one simply does not make the leap that he did from his WrestleMania 38 tag team match to the SummerSlam encounter with The Miz without being serious about the business and the quality of his performance.

The match with Reigns will be the greatest test of Paul's evolution as a performer and a telltale sign of how serious he is about his in-ring role. There is a certain level of expectation when it comes to The Tribal Chief, who, barring the Brock Lesnar series, has crafted a historic title run by delivering a series of bangers against opponents of all sizes and backgrounds.

If Paul shows up like he did in his previous in-ring outings, his words may prove prophetic and the match with The Tribal Chief may be one of the best Undisputed WWE Universal Championship matches in recent memory.

A stumble, on this stage and against that guy, could undo all the goodwill he has acquired based on his previous efforts.

Based on his body of work and the energy and focus he has exhibited in the lead-up to this match, there is reason to believe he is about to etch his name alongside the likes of Lawrence Taylor, Bad Bunny, Andy Kaufman and Stephen Amell as the best celebrity competitors in WWE history.

Reigns retains, obviously, but do not be surprised if the talk of the wrestling world Saturday afternoon is another expectations-exceeding performance from Paul.

It wasn't another no-hitter. Or even all that pretty, really. But what mattered by the end of Thursday's game was that Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros both got a World Series win.

For the pitcher, it's a long-awaited first. For the team, it means they now need just one more to secure the Commissioner's Trophy for the second time in six years.

After ending up on the wrong side of the second no-no in World Series history in Game 4 on Wednesday, the Philadelphia Phillies at least managed to get on the board for six hits and two runs in Game 5. But the Astros did them one better in the latter category to win 3-2.

It was a "there goes that man again" affair for the Astros offense. Still fresh off winning the MVP for the American League Championship Series, Jeremy Peña became the first rookie shortstop to hit a World Series home run in the process of going 3-for-4 with two RBI.

Thor: Love and Thunder 🫶⛈ pic.twitter.com/1WZwZl1fxQ

— Houston Astros (@astros) November 4, 2022

Verlander had to work hard to limit the Phillies to a lone run through five innings, and Houston's vaunted bullpen even had some trials of its own in the final four frames. To wit, Jean Segura's run-scoring single off Rafael Montero in the eighth was the first hit off an Astros reliever with a runner in scoring position all postseason.

Yet with help from clutch defensive plays by Trey Mancini and especially a Superman-like Chas McCormick, the Astros were able to escape Philadelphia with a 3-2 series lead.

“It’s symbolic for me that my first [World Series] win was such a great team win," Verlander said afterward, via Ryan Fagan of the Sporting News.

According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, 19 of the 24 teams that have ever been in the same position Houston is in now held on to win the series.

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Verlander's Leash Was Just Long Enough

Who's to say exactly how many people were wondering about what kind of leash Dusty Baker was going to have on Verlander in Game 5, but their numbers were apparently great enough for the veteran manager to feel compelled to answer the question.

“Everyone is wondering if he has a short leash," Baker said, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. "He doesn’t have a leash at all. He’s Justin Verlander.”

Verlander's reputation obviously demanded as such. He is, after all, a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer who's in line to win his third Cy Young Award after leading the majors with a 1.75 ERA in the regular season.

Reality, however, had been painting a different sort of picture for the 39-year-old in the playoffs.

Verlander got lit up for five-plus runs in two of his three postseason starts, including the one he made in Game 1 of the this World Series last Friday. That performance pushed his career World Series ERA to a record-high 6.07, and likewise extended what was already the longest Fall Classic winless streak to eight starts.

It took all of two pitches for Verlander to achieve still more World Series infamy on Thursday, as Kyle Schwarber made it a record 10 home runs off the right-hander in the World Series when he connected on a high fastball leading off the first inning.

GREAT JOB, KYLE pic.twitter.com/VeFn9BFJPM

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) November 4, 2022

The tone set by that blast didn't really let up through the first three innings. Verlander was able to keep further runs off the board, but barely as he issued four walks and got tagged for four hard-hit balls.

The leash, it seemed, needed shortening.

Baker nonetheless went with his heart and stuck with his ace, even letting him begin a third trip through the Phillies order after he retired the eighth and ninth hitters to lead off the fourth. The gambit worked, as Verlander struck out Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto in succession and then retired Nick Castellanos after a hard double by Bryce Harper.

One could posit that the baseball gods did Baker a solid by covering a bad decision with good results, but that would be to deny Verlander the credit for adjusting as needed.

He was leaning heavily on his fastball through the first three innings, going to it for 39 of his first 55 pitches. He shifted away from it to get the next six outs in the fourth and fifth, throwing it just 15 times out of 39 total offerings. Effectively, his slider and curveball saved the day.

Justin Verlander, Bowel Locking 80mph Curveball. 💩 pic.twitter.com/Kl1LydxAGM

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) November 4, 2022

The final line on Verlander: five innings, four hits, one run, four walks and six strikeouts.

That's not going to join, say, any one of his three career no-hitters as one of his best performances. Heck, it's not even his best World Series performance by the numbers.

The sheer grit of it, though, makes it worthy of a place in the general lore of Justin Verlander. He's pushing 40 and he's up over 190 innings after Tommy John surgery cost him basically all of 2020 and 2021. It's therefore hard to fault him for looking gassed throughout the playoffs, up to and including in Game 5.

Yet he got the job done anyway, and it only took everything he had.

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Whither the Phillies Offense?

Let's wind the clock back to Tuesday, at which time the Phillies offense couldn't have been any hotter.

Said offense produced five or more runs in eight of the 14 games that the club had played to that point in the postseason. That day's performance was a culmination of sorts, as the Phillies won a 7-0 rout in Game 3 with the help of a World Series record-tying five home runs.

Since the fifth inning of that game, however, the Phillies have all of seven hits and two runs.

The Phillies largely have themselves to blame for this. After striking out 33 times in the first three games of the series, they've fanned 26 times in the last two. And by the time Segura finally broke through in Game 5, they had gone 20 straight at-bats without a hit with a runner in scoring position:

Phillies are 0 for their last 20 with RISP. Haven't had a hit with runners in scoring position since Game 1.

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) November 4, 2022

There's more than one Phillies hitter who's just not hitting right now, but much of the blame has to come down on Hoskins and Realmuto.

They haven't been much of a bridge between Schwarber in the leadoff spot and Harper in the cleanup spot, as they're a combined 6-for-42 in the series. Though it should be noted that he was the victim of McCormick's brilliant catch in the ninth inning on Thursday, Realmuto has just one hit in 17 at-bats since he almost single-handedly won Game 1.

The Astros have had to work harder to keep Harper in check, but what they're doing is largely working on the two-time MVP. He has two hits in 12 at-bats since the start of Game 2, largely in the face of a diet of inside heat that was especially pronounced in Game 5:

How the Astros attacked Bryce Harper tonight 😮 pic.twitter.com/cPahxBonhN

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) November 4, 2022

Of course, this approach hints that two things can be true at once: that the Phillies' sudden offensive slump is as much a case of brilliant pitching as bad hitting.

"They have great starting pitching and every guy they bring in out of the 'pen is nasty and has been outstanding throughout the whole postseason," said Hoskins, per Paul Casella of MLB.com. "We're missing some pitches, I'm sure we are. But I think, for the most part, they are making their pitches. It's tough to hit when they are."

Even if he didn't quite follow up the six no-hit innings that Cristian Javier provided for the Astros in Game 4, Verlander obviously did what he had to do to get through five innings in Game 5. And as for Houston's bullpen, its 0.88 ERA for the postseason is very much on-brand with the MLB-best 2.80 ERA it had in the regular season.

To boot, there's a reason that the music that Astros pitchers are playing right now might sound familiar.

You might recall last year's American League Championship Series, in which the Astros fell into a 2-1 hole to a Boston Red Sox squad that outscored them 21-8 in Games 2 and 3. But as hot as Boston's bats were then, they suddenly became ice-cold as Houston's arms permitted just three more runs in the last three games of the series.

It's now the Phillies who seem to be under this same spell, and it's hard to imagine them so much as forcing a Game 7 if they can't find ways to break it.

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What's Next for the Astros and Phillies?

Following an off day for travel on Friday, the World Series will resume for Game 6 at Minute Maid Park on Saturday.

Zack Wheeler will take the ball for Philadelphia, opposing Framber Valdez for Houston. The same two hurlers first squared off in Game 2, wherein Wheeler struggled with his velocity in giving up five runs in five innings while Valdez permitted one run over 6.1 innings.

First pitch is scheduled for 8:03 p.m. ET.

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Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.