Cody Rhodes is currently scheduled to square off against Roman Reigns in April at this year’s WrestleMania. But while The American Nightmare’s story will end in April, his still-ongoing feud with The Rock shouldn’t.
The Rock’s surprise involvement in the ongoing storyline so far has had more twists and turns than anyone could’ve ever imagined, punctuated by the unexpected brutality he’s displaying towards Rhodes, who, earlier this year, willingly gave up his spot in April to see The Rock and Roman Reigns have a go against each other at this year’s Showcase of the Immortals. And while he’s technically set to “settle” things with The Rock alongside Seth Rollins in Night 1 of WrestleMania 40, the WWE shouldn’t rule out the possibility of a singles match.
Post-WrestleMania 40, Rhodes will need the ultimate foil to his infallible babyface, and who better to take up the mantle than The Rock?
Since his return to the WWE, Rhodes’ kayfabe character is a genuine and hardworking wrestler beloved by fans. He’s supposed to be a breath of fresh air in a business full of betrayals; he’s representative of the good in all of us but he isn’t perfect. His belief in everyone doing the right thing has cost him already thrice: against Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, and The Rock, most recently. But his trust has been rewarded already as he has gained unlikely allies in Jey Uso and Seth Rollins.
But that’s not all that Rhodes is. Even outside the ring, Rhodes maintains his persona. He is a pure babyface who goes out of his way to let a “little” version of himself walk out to his theme song and tours like he’s running for president: shaking hands, kissing babies, and even attending fan weddings as their best man.
In two years, Rhodes went from the WWE’s biggest threat to someone who has built an unbreakable bond with audiences; a bond that fans haven’t been shy to give back when they shouted #WeWantCody all over social media and even inside WWE arenas now.
So, who else would better serve as a foil to Rhodes’ babyface?
Roman Reigns has served as the top heel of the WWE for the better part of the past five years, but The Rock has effectively turned him into another obstacle for Rhodes.
Breaking Reigns’ streak and taking his title belts will complete Rhodes’ story. Afterward, he’ll stand before someone who has overshadowed Reigns’ entire run in three months. The Rock’s recent actions, from his initial betrayal to constantly calling out fans and the recent brutal attack on Rhodes, have transformed him into the WWE’s “final boss”, a nickname that he bestowed upon himself.
It sounds like something straight out of a video game: the hero overcomes all odds and gets to the villain only to find out that the final boss is someone else.
The WWE would be wasting a ton of build-up if it threw everything away in April. This could potentially go on for another year, even with The Rock’s limited schedule. From pre-taped segments, shorter matches, and trading bards on social media, extending a feud like the one between Rhodes have with The Rock have endless upside. The WWE can even use the reports of some talent expressing resentment towards The Rock’s special treatment.
Besides, one way to explain where Roman Reigns figures in all of this is by banishing him into the island of relevancy.
Rhodes’ shtick so far is that he turns his enemies into his allies, earning their respect. So, who’s to say that Reigns wouldn’t rally behind him eventually? Once The Rock takes over The Bloodline inevitably following Reigns’ loss following what fans are theorizing is an Avengers: Endgame-like moment in April that sees WWE legends such as John Cena and maybe even “Stone Cold” Steve Austin come to his rescue, the WWE could write him out as being shunned by the entire family for failing to “provide”.
If that happens, Reigns could come to Rhodes’ aid in the future to try and take back The Bloodline from The Rock, which is the beauty of all of this.
If WWE plays their cards right, Cody Rhodes vs The Rock could headline WrestleMania 41 followed by Roman Reigns vs The Rock at WrestleMania 42.
Given the emotional investment of the fans in The Bloodline storyline, the WWE would be wise to keep on feeding their hunger for more, and one way to keep this going is to build up towards an eventual singles match between Cody Rhodes and The Rock after WrestleMania 40 first.
