A look at Cody Rhodes’ run as world champ
Rhodes’ 378 days with the title elevated him to an entirely new place in wrestling
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Cody Rhodes delivered a marvelous run as WWE Champion
Prior to WrestleMania 40, Cody Rhodes had precious little experience carrying a company as world champion.
Rhodes spent a scant 50 days as the NWA champ, a stint memorable solely for the title victory at the original All In. He also held the Ring of Honor title, but meat was left on the bone there, too, not receiving the time needed to turn the run into anything of note.
So Rhodes entered his first world title run in WWE without a whole lot of experience. That, of course, led to doubts. There were whispers before WrestleMania 39 that Rhodes wouldn’t be able to provide the excitement necessary as champ. A year later, the knock became that Rhodes’ stories would all be related to his matches. Unlike then-champ Roman Reigns, it was uncertain whether Rhodes possessed that extra gear a world champ needs to provide.
Now, two weeks after dropping the title to John Cena at WrestleMania 40, it is only appropriate to look back at how his run unfolded. And let the record show: Rhodes was marvelous during his first-ever run as WWE Champion.
Remarkably, Rhodes accomplished a superb run without a signature rival. His two biggest rivalries since returning to WWE have been with Reigns and The Rock, but Rhodes didn’t wrestle either during his time with the belt.
Rock was the first person to share the ring with Rhodes after he won the belt, with their meeting taking place on the Raw after WrestleMania 40. Their feud reached its zenith in March at Elimination Chamber, when Rock engineered Cena’s heel turn on Rhodes.
Yet, even without The Rock, Rhodes persevered as champion. He constantly made his title programs compelling, starting with AJ Styles. That was the right call for a start. Unless you’re Logan Paul, you’re getting a very good match out of Styles, and that is exactly what Rhodes did in France at Backlash.
Though there was a forgettable bout against Paul at King and Queen of The Ring later that month, then a return bout against Styles–this time of the “I Quit” variety–at Clash at The Castle, Rhodes turned lemons into lemonade with Solo Sikoa. A talented wrestler, Sikoa who was not quite ready for the main event, yet Rhodes carried their program.
To Rhodes’ credit, he made Sikoa look like an imposing force–and in a manner that no one other opponent as done. When they headlined SummerSlam, Rhodes finished their match with the crowd in his corner, no easy task considering that Roman Reigns had just made his first appearance since WrestleMania.
After that, Rhodes-Reigns III was teased–yet never materialized. The Rock appeared on a few separate occasions, but it did not produce a match or even a cameo at WrestleMania.
Rhodes shined in his match against Kevin Owens at Bash at Berlin, as well as against Gunther at Crown Jewel, then delivered his best story with Kevin Owens. That intensified when Owens turned on Rhodes. Surprisingly, Owens’ best attacks on Rhodes took place off-screen, designed for social media. That didn’t help Rhodes, but he still made the most of it.
Rhodes put the feud with Owens to bed during their ladder match at the Royal Rumble. From there, it was on to WrestleMania, where a heel turn from John Cena awaited.
This could have been spectacular, a wonderful parting shot as champ. Faced with the uphill battle of facing Cena, The Rock, and even Travis Scott, it meant Rhodes would have been battling against the odds.
Then Rock pulled a disappearing act, not even promoting WrestleMania 41. Rhodes was tasked with getting the most out of a then-47-year-old Cena in his first singles match in two years. Without the benefit of much interference (Travis Scott did return to take a Cross Rhodes), Rhodes did what he could to salvage the moment.
Rhodes established himself as a top guy during his 378-run as champion, proving that he belonged at the very top of a company. That is a place he never attained in AEW, New Japan, or anywhere else–until WWE.
We now enter the most pivotal stretch of Rhodes’ career. Without the title, it will be interesting to see how he responds. There is only one certainty for a wrestler who wins the title, and that is you are guaranteed to lose it. Can Rhodes regain the belt? The story certainly calls for it. It is widely assumed he generates enough interest to merit a rematch against Cena, though there is a risk involved. Someone like Reigns or CM Punk could leapfrog into that spot, which is why Rhodes’ connection with the crowd will be paramount once he returns. Considering that was the backbone of his title run, all signs point to Rhodes winning the title back.
Rhodes’ mantra for years has been becoming “undeniable”, which is what Bret Hart did after he dropped the belt at WrestleMania IX. When Rhodes returns, we’ll need to see that championship mettle.
It is time for a spectacular next chapter. Rhodes’ run as a crowd favorite won’t last forever, especially in an ongoing era where the fan base always wants babyfaces to turn heel. Despite popular opinion, dropping the belt is a blessing–it allows Rhodes to chase the title and lets the industry to see a different side of him.
Winning the belt isn’t easy, but captivating an audience for over a year with it is even harder. That is what Rhodes did, adding even more meaning and prestige to a belt already held in high esteem.
The best title runs lead to an encore, which is where Rhodes is headed. It is impossible to grade his opening run as anything but a resounding success.
Raffle winner for April; new prize for May
Congratulations to John Baker, the Undisputed raffle winner for the month of April.
John, who is our first subscriber from the UK, receives an Andre The Giant figure from the Big Rubber Guy line.
Next up is the May raffle, which is a chance to win a replica of the classic Winged Eagle championship belt. It is open to all subscribers.
Bo Nickal hype train put to a stop by Reinier de Ridder
Bo Nickal’s undefeated streak is over.
Nickal (7-1) was knocked out last night by Reinier de Ridder. It happened in the second round when RDR corpsed Nickal with a vicious knee to the liver, winning the bout by TKO.
A former two-division champ in ONE Championship, de Ridder (20-2) has had almost zero hype since arriving in UFC. That is about to change. With the victory, RDR extends his winning streak in the UFC to three, repeatedly winning the head positioning battle and dominating in the clinch.
Hopefully you made yourself some money here. He exposed Nickal–an incredibly successful NCAA wrestler who has been overhyped in the Octagon. Nickal simply could not compete with RDR’s elite bodywork. Perhaps this will turn out to be the best-case scenario for Nickal, who needs to sharpen his skill set to be a contender. But it is undoubtedly a dream scenario for RDR.
After the fight, de Ridder called out Sean Strickland. That is another favorable matchup, even though Strickland would enter as the heavy favorite. The former ONE champ now takes one giant step closer to the UFC middleweight title, causing the Bo Nickal hype train to come to a grinding halt.
Jeremy Stephens looks fantastic in loss
Jeremy Stephens lost to Mason Jones last night. But his return to the UFC was still a success.
Despite extending his UFC losing streak to six in a row, Stephens put on a show in the cage, forcing Jones to take a beating in order to come away with the victory.
Stephens capitalized off a successful run in BKFC to come back to the UFC. That return once seemed improbable, but Stephens has now earned himself another fight after an extremely competitive showing against Jones.
Hangman Page should be the one to dethrone Jon Moxley
Hangman Page defeated Kyle Fletcher last week on Dynamite, a victory that advanced him to the finals of the Owen Hart Cup against Will Ospreay.
While it is widely assumed that Ospreay will win, that moment should belong to Page.
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