Cody Rhodes made history at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia when he defeated Roman Reigns and took home the Undisputed WWE Championship. The American Nightmare’s popularity was especially remarkable considering the obstacles he had to overcome to complete the story and fulfill his father Dusty Rhodes’ ambition.
Despite the incredible build-up to his title win and the fight itself, he wasn’t particularly well-liked by some fans during his first few weeks as the WWE champion. Many pro wrestling fans contended that Cody’s most memorable moment was winning the highly coveted title at The Show of Shows and that the remainder of his reign would be uneventful.
Notwithstanding the industry rumors, Cody’s appeal has not decreased, and the company marketing has made sure that his reign appears amazing. Performing the accomplishment in the midst of everything supporters were expecting wasn’t simple. Out of all the opponents he might have faced, the Triple H-led company decided to match him against AJ Styles, and the two titans of professional wrestling put on an amazing show.
Despite having great matches, Rhodes’ overall title reign could not entertain the majority of fans. Though WWE tried their level best to make this reign historic, for some part of the fans, the reign has been pathetic. It is high time for the company to change the way of showcasing Rhodes and find a better superstar to replace the American Nightmare. Join us as we take a look at some of the reasons why Cody Rhodes should not be involved in the title picture anymore.
The lack of compelling storylines already made Cody Rhodes’ title reign boring
No one can forget the generational feud between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns which started in 2023 and went on till 2024. Since his rivalry with Reigns ended at WrestleMania XL, The American Nightmare hasn’t been able to reach the levels of fierceness since then. His feuds have been generic and predictable with normal face-offs which didn’t add any hype to a title match.
Being the top dog in the WWE, Rhodes needed to have good feuds which could have uplifted the title’s prestige even more. His feud with Styles had great potential but constant face-offs and generic promos ruined the chance of having a banger rivalry. This was seen even more when Logan Paul stood up and challenged Rhodes for the title out of nowhere.
The Maverick had no right to challenge for the title but did without even winning any match. Their feud consisted of boring promos that lacked intent and drama giving crowds nothing but an overall predictable bout with Rhodes being the fan-favorite hero and Paul being the ultimate loser. Rhodes desperately needed a personal rivalry to impact the audience adding a bit of unpredictability to his matches,
Cody Rhodes’ highly anticipated fairytale isn’t even about him
All this time, Rhodes has boasted how he wanted to finish his story and start a new chapter. With him finally dethroning The Tribal Chief at WrestleMania, fans expected even bigger things to come. Rhodes not only finished the story, but he also finished all the creditability and possibilities of having better feuds. One of Rhodes’s biggest feuds didn’t even have him as the main character.
It was the tremendous work of The Rock and Roman Reigns that attracted fans to their TV sets each week. They were more interested in seeing Rock and Roman work out their inner demons rather than focusing on Rhodes’ fairytale story. Even now, Solo Sikoa is running riots on the Blue brand which is overshadowing Cody’s reign. As he prepares to battle Sikoa in the near future, the focus is being shifted to the title picture again.
Dragged and repetitive promos are damaging Cody Rhodes’ title reign
For about two years, The American Nightmare and Roman Reigns’ Bloodline have been at odds. Even if their rivalry is among the best, Rhodes needs to put that animosity behind him. But Rhodes just appears to be living in the past. It is challenging for the audience to get into his character because of his frequent references to The Bloodline.
The former AEW EVP almost seems to be more preoccupied with the drama that transpired between him and The Rock than with his duties as a champion. Rhodes’s recent promos, aside from his repetitive catchphrases, are replete with allusions to his completed story. Even while Cody should be happy about beating the odds, he needs to accept that he is no longer the underdog.
While Rhodes is the biggest babyface of the company currently, he needs to have a champion’s caliber. Comparing him with other babyfaces the company has produced such as John Cena, Daniel Bryan, and others, they weren’t soft-spoken during their promos. These constant mishaps have made Rhodes’ overhyped title reign one of the most pathetic runs in the company’s long history.
