Fans Want Cody Rhodes to Finish His Story
The talk of the wrestling world over the past 48 hours revolves around WWE seemingly disregarding Cody Rhodes and finishing his story.
Cody Rhodes wasn’t my preferred choice to win the 2024 Royal Rumble; I would have preferred CM Punk. I understand the decision to go with Cody. However, from a narrative perspective, Cody’s journey demands a showdown with Roman Reigns. Opting out of his shot at redemption so it will be The Rock against Reigns contradicts the essence of Cody’s narrative.
The segment on Friday’s SmackDown featuring the three wrestlers has generated the highest number of dislikes on WWE’s YouTube channel, surpassing 500k dislikes. Also, #WeWantCody has become a top trending topic on Twitter, accumulating over 236k comments. Numerous reports, including TMZ, have covered the situation extensively. WWE has buried the World Heavyweight Championship and, more significantly Cody Rhodes. A babyface of the levels of John Cena, in favor of a Rock vs. Roman Reigns match.
I’m certain WWE/TKO has enough self-awareness to see that the vast majority of fans are not buying into this plan. Especially when it includes the WWE Championship. People are booing The Rock in 2024, that speaks volumes. While many believe this may all be a ‘work’, it is very hard to believe that. Although, WWE has time to change the narrative at the drop of a dime.
Self-Made Problem
Since Wrestlemania 39, WWE has faced criticism for not having Cody Rhodes win the WWE Championship. Paving the way for an engaging Rock vs. Reigns storyline without affecting other talents’ stock and the title. Instead, the Bloodline story has stagnated, Roman Reigns’ character development has stalled, and fans feel they’ve been treading water since. Now, with The Rock seemingly inserted into the main event with Reigns, expecting fans to wait another year for a potential new champion poses a substantial risk. Also, what was the point of Rhodes winning the Rumble in the first place then?
Getting Rock vs. Reigns is not the problem, it is how we are getting to that match that’s the problem. Burying championships and fellow wrestlers, along with erasing two years of fan investment in Cody Rhodes, is something fans won’t accept. It’s crucial to note that Wrestlemania is set to take place in Pennsylvania, a state known for expressing frustration with WWE’s booking decisions. If this is the direction WWE is committed to, this storm of fan backlash will only get worse.
As Wrestlemania approaches, WWE finds itself under mounting pressure. Whether this is an All-Time ‘work’ or a misstep in the company’s history for the sake of a “big money” match remains uncertain. However, the overwhelming sentiment among fans is that Cody Rhodes is being unfairly treated, given the investment made in his character over the past two years. Fans are fed up, and their voices will echo until Wrestlemania. Cody Rhodes should have finished his story a year ago. #WeWantCody.
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