When the main event of WrestleMania 39 arrived a year ago at SoFi Stadium, I was sure Cody Rhodes was walking out with the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship that had for so long remained tightly in the grasp of Roman Reigns. WWE had signaled as much all along the way, hinting that it would be a night where Rhodes culminated a journey he was making not just for himself, but for his legendary late father as well.
We all know what happened.
The same matchup is slated for this Sunday at WrestleMania 40. WWE has done an incredible job not only making people want to see Cody and Roman run it back, but adding additional layers into the narrative so it’s not just a rematch.
Common sense suggests there’s no way that Rhodes loses again. History does too, as the last time two editions of WrestleMania had the exact same main event — WrestleMania 28 and 29, pitting John Cena against The Rock — the loser of the first match won the second meeting.
The difference between 2012-13, or really between now and almost any other time in WWE history, is the incredible hot streak the company is on. For more than a year, there’s been a steady cadence of sold out shows. Gate records seem to be falling monthly — and as recently as this week, when Raw at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn was the highest-grossing Monday night show WWE has ever held.
That kind of success gives WWE the kind of creative freedom it doesn’t usually enjoy. While Vince McMahon might have zigged where people expected him to zag just out of spike, Triple H and his team have so much earned trust that they can do the unexpected and not have to worry about fans abandoning the product in droves.
Thing like Reigns emerging from yet another WrestleMania with his title reign intact.
To be clear, I still expect Rhodes to be the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at the end of the night, soaking in the adulation from the fans at Lincoln Financial Field. I just won’t be quite as shocked this year if he isn’t.
Let’s examine why.
Cody Rhodes vs. The Rock is now the biggest money match WWE could make
WWE isn’t like its corporate partner, UFC, at least for the time being. It doesn’t need to put together the best possible pairings to ensure shows are packed. WrestleMania 40 sold most of its tickets long before any of the matches were finalized, because the brand itself is on fire. There’s a reason even the biggest of the company’s stars have been saying recently that things would roll on even without them, and that’s because it’s true.
But the popularity of WWE extends to metrics beyond ticket sales, which means it still behooves the creative team to find ways to try to hook people who aren’t following its programming regularly. It has that now thanks to The Rock.
The man who’s now dubbed himself the Final Boss is one of the most recognizable entertainers on the planet, someone who appeals to more than the weekly audience. It’s been apparent since he’s embraced his heel turn with The Bloodline during his current stint: The Rock still has a unique star power that no other current WWE talent can match.
And a funny thing happened along the way. Whereas once The Rock vs. Roman Reigns was the biggest match WWE could put on, it’s now pivoted ever so slightly to The Rock vs. Cody Rhodes.
That’s not an indictment of Reigns in any way, but simply an observation based on the build to WrestleMania 40. Fans want to see Cody get some payback on The Rock in a one-on-one situation. The tag team match on night 1 will undoubtedly scratch that itch to a certain degree, but it may also just stoke the desire for a singles showdown even more.
There are many ways to get to that, of course, but the most direct one is to have The Rock play an instrumental role in preventing Rhodes from winning on Sunday night. The catch would be if The Rock is unavailable, as he’s expected to return to shooting movies right after WrestleMania 40. There’s also no reason he couldn’t just roll back into WWE ahead of, say, SummerSlam and challenge Cody if the American Nightmare does win in Philadelphia.
So a hypothetical Rock-Cody match isn’t contingent on Rhodes facing defeat for the second straight year, and it may not even be possible given extenuating circumstances. The fact remains that it’s now a tantalizing dream match that no one was even considering a few months ago, and a Cody loss would hint heavily that it was coming down the road.
Not everyone will be mad if Roman Reigns wins in Philly
For longtime WWE fans, it’s hard to forget the 2015 Royal Rumble and the way the crowd in Philadelphia treated Reigns. Even with The Rock on hand to try and give his cousin the rub, the fans that day were so upset that Daniel Bryan didn’t win the Rumble match that they booed the crap out of Roman.
I was there in person, and there was something in the air even before fans piled into the Wells Fargo Center. It was hard to describe, but it was palpable.
Things have changed a lot for Reigns since then. He hadn’t even dreamed up the Tribal Chief persona, and The Bloodline was still years away. Reigns now is what WWE was hoping he’d be nine years ago, but he hadn’t made “The Leap” yet, as Bill Simmons might say.
Reigns has been the unquestioned top star in the company for several years, in ways that go beyond his lengthy Universal title run. He’s also not your stereotypical top heel, as he has plenty of fans (even young ones) who would be thrilled if he somehow manages to pin Rhodes for the second straight year.
On top of that, while WrestleMania 40 is taking place in Philadelphia, it won’t be a strictly Philly crowd at Lincoln Financial Field. People journey to the WrestleMania host city from all over the world, so that element is also different than that infamous Royal Rumble.
Will lots of fans be heartbroken if Rhodes loses again? Yes. Will some still cheer Reigns, and will pretty much all of them tune in for Raw to see what’s next? Also yes.
Fans aren’t just going to abandon Cody Rhodes
Rhodes is one of the savviest performers in the business today, one who simply understands the craft at the highest level whether it’s inside the ring or representing WWE in the media. So when he was making the rounds this week suggesting that he has to win this time or fans won’t have his back, it’s some 3D chess-type stuff.
On “The MMA Hour” this week, Rhodes suggested that he’d be a “joke” if he didn’t beat Reigns this time.
On the surface, that seems like Cody saying there’s no way people would continue to support him if he comes up short again. And maybe a few will jump ship, as that’s always a risk.
This is wrestling, however, which means there can always be extenuating circumstances to help save face. It’s possible they might even be the same ones for the second straight year, since it’s possible and maybe even probable that Rhodes and Seth Rollins lose the tag team match on night 1, making Rhodes-Reigns a Bloodline Rules affair on night 2.
Cody’s supporters will be angry if he loses again, no doubt. They might even channel some of their dismay toward WWE, just not enough to stop them from watching.
They might not even be outraged that Reigns is still the champ, which is the ideal situation if that’s the direction WWE is headed. In a best case scenario, Reigns continues his run, giving more legs to The Bloodline saga. People are clamoring for a Rhodes-Rock match, and The Rock is actually free to do it sometime over the next year. And business continues to boom in the meantime.
Maybe that’s not where all this will end up. Maybe Rhodes will have his hand raised and we’ll get to retire “finish the story” so it can go out to pasture or to stud or wherever phrases go when they’ve run their course.
It’s just much easier to see WWE giving Reigns a victory since it’s dealing from a position of strength that it so rarely has enjoyed, even as the top wrestling promotion in the world for decades. I promise not to be as shocked this time.
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