Subhojeet Mukherjee on February 16, 2024
Cody Rhodes was initially set to headline WrestleMania 40 against Roman Reigns after winning the Royal Rumble. However, WWE temporarily changed that to The Rock vs. Roman Reigns and this caused a ton of outrage. Plans clearly changed, with the scrapped plans for Rhodes and The Bloodline prior to WrestleMania 40 finally revealed.
The February 2nd episode of Friday Night SmackDown concluded with tension as The Rock confronted Roman Reigns. Cody Rhodes introduced the Hollywood megastar into the scene, seemingly relinquishing his WrestleMania 40 title shot, causing outrage among fans.
This led to fans rallying for The Rock to give Cody Rhodes his WrestleMania 40 spot back. Despite that, Cody Rhodes ultimately chose Roman Reigns as his WrestleMania 40 opponent during the WrestleMania 40 kickoff press event.
According to Dave Meltzer on The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it was noted that Triple H worked behind the scenes to retain Cody Rhodes. Meltzer suggested that Triple H had an initial idea for an injury angle on the February 2nd Smackdown, where The Bloodline would attack Cody Rhodes.
The plan was for Reigns vs. The Rock to be announced for WrestleMania during the Kickoff event, but Rhodes would make a comeback. The belief is that Cody Rhodes was never meant to be “screwed” and would still have his match against Reigns at some point.
It was further added that the plans changed due to CM Punk getting injured and Rollins requiring an opponent for WrestleMania. Meltzer mentioned that WWE opted not to have Reigns involved in an angle to injure Rhodes, as it would make no sense to then have Rollins face Rhodes in a match.
“WWE didn’t want Reigns doing the angle to injure Rhodes, since if they did that angle, it would make no sense to do Rollins vs. Rhodes.”
As WrestleMania 40 approaches, Cody Rhodes’ path from initial plans to face Roman Reigns to unexpected twists reflects the unpredictable nature of WWE. Despite fan outcry and backstage maneuvers, Rhodes ultimately chooses to stand against Reigns, showcasing his determination. WrestleMania 40 promises not just epic clashes, but also a testament to the resilience of its stars in the face of uncertainty.
What do you think of this story concerning Cody Rhodes? Do you feel the initial plans were any good? Let us know in the comments section below!
February 16, 2024 1:18 pm
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