How Cody Rhodes Can ‘Finish The Story’ In 2024
Cody Rhodes returned to WWE for one thing: To win a world championship in honor of his dad Dusty Rhodes. If we are being honest, he should have won at Wrestlemania 39; since this is our reality, Cody Rhodes deserves to finish the story in 2024.
It seems gloomy at the moment as to how Cody will get to finish his story this year, with The Rock seemingly penciling in a match with champion Roman Reigns in the future. With many believing that a match of that magnitude can only happen at Wrestlemania, right?
Here’s how I fantasy book Cody Rhodes finishing his story and how we get Reigns vs The Rock, everyone wins. Buckle up we have a ride ahead.
The Royal Rumble:
Cody is entering the Royal Rumble in three weeks, seemingly being a strong candidate to be the first person since “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in 1997 and 1998 to win back-to-back Rumbles. I would have Cody Rhodes enter at No. 1 and run the gauntlet; playing up the story that Rhodes NEEDS the Rumble win like with Shawn Micheals chasing the Undertaker in the 2010 Royal Rumble. Roman Reigns would retain his championship at the Royal Rumble against AJ Styles. He’s the winner of the triple threat with Randy Orton and LA Knight in this scenario.
Roman Reigns sends Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa to enter the rumble as well to deal with Cody–Rhodes gives the match everything he has, with close calls left and right, combined with some big eliminations including Uso and Sikoa with some miscommunication on their part. Most importantly, through all this showing glimpses of potential Cody feuds when he becomes champion. Facing off with Gunther, Sami Zayn, maybe Bron Breakker and more.
Cody makes it to the final six in the match, however, it is an incensed Roman Reigns who interferes and eliminates Cody Rhodes. Cody, as well as the rest of us, are heartbroken and surprised–this revelation will open the door for CM Punk to win the 2024 Royal Rumble Match, truly starting that World Heavyweight Champion program with Seth Rollins at Wrestlemania.
In the aftermath of the Royal Rumble, Cody Rhodes is on the next episode of RAW addressing the fans. Pissed off that he was robbed of his opportunity to finish his story, Rhodes vows to destroy Roman Reigns and bring his reign of terror crumbling down … in Perth, Australia. Rhodes wants to make sure Reigns will not attend another Wrestlemania as WWE Undisputed Champion.
Building to Perth:
Rhodes “invades” Smackdown–brand split. Cody attacks Jimmy Uso in the parking lot, then Solo Sikoa backstage, eventually attacking Roman Reigns and even trying to “end his career.”
Roman is beside himself, as Cody tries to end his reign as “the head of the table” and feels disrespected. Accepting his challenge to face him in Perth for the championship. Rhodes baited Reigns into giving him a championship match at Elimination Chamber, which plays on Reigns’ superiority complex in his character.
Feeling Cody is not on his level and is not on his level and allowing someone like that to attack him needs to be made into an example once again. Reigns feels he needs to put this story to bed. Rhodes attacked Reigns’ insecurity and it paid off.
In the following weeks, Reigns puts Cody Rhodes through the ringer facing each Bloodline member. Roman has been getting fed up with the faction disappointing him with the Royal Rumble, Cody’s invasion, etc. Rhodes defeats Jimmy Uso clean to start building him up for Elimination Chamber. Next, he faces Solo and Reigns sends Jimmy to aid Sikoa but superkicks Solo’s head off his shoulders by accident. Cody wins.
The Narrative:
During this time, Cody speaks on how Roman Reigns was a dominant champion for the first half of his reign, beating the likes of Brock Lesnar on his own–“God Mode as Reigns puts it–but Cody tells Reigns he’s gone soft.
Before Cody came back to WWE, Roman had that look in his eye back then but the look has gone away after all the manipulation of his family and constant title matches finishing the same way. Then Reigns runs away for weeks on end.
Using the fan perception of Reign’s title reign in the last year tells the story that Roman Reigns is vulnerable. His story went from winning a world title in WWE to taking Reigns’ title.
Reigns responds in kind that this story you want to finish with me will only end one way and look how Wrestlemania 39 worked out for him, saying Cody failed himself, failed the fans and failed his dad. Reigns is on top of the world, and his leaving time and time again is a reflection of there being nobody who can hold a candle to him in WWE, saying they (WWE) had to create a “consolation prize” just to keep morale up.
However, Rhodes attacked the Tribal Chief and he now has a debt to pay. The only ‘debt’ Cody owes is to the fans and Dusty for allowing Reigns to leave Wrestlemania last year with the championship.
Elimination Chamber:
Cody vs Roman is the Main Event, it has been an electric event. Especially with the help of the Australian crowd of 70,000 people. The match goes for about 35-to-40 minutes, with these two fighting all over ringside, Cody does callbacks to Dusty getting a bull rope, and to his brother Goldust with shattered dreams. Reigns spears Cody through the timekeeper’s area for a great near fall.
In the final stretch of the match, Reigns goes for the spear again and annihilates the referee. Out comes Jimmy Uso ready to cost Cod … until he meets a superkick by none other than Jey Uso, as the crowd goes ballistic when Jey puts Jimmy through the announce table with a splash.
Finally, jump-starting the brother vs brother Wrestlemania match that was sparked back at SummerSlam, Solo arrives giving Cody Rhodes a Samoan spike and brawls with Jey into the crowd out of sight. Reigns has been getting more and more desperate throughout the contest, constantly referring to Paul Heyman for advice, and getting rocked by the Australian crowd. Heyman tells Reigns to finish Cody’s story, Reigns sets up for another spear…
IF YOU SMELL…
The building is shaking from the pop The Rock’s music got, Roman Reigns is in absolute shock and everyone is looking for The Rock. Rock runs through the crowd and attacks Reigns, hitting him with the rock bottom and people’s elbow. The Australian Government has asked for The Rock to appear at the show, and this is honoring that obligation massively. Cody hits a trifecta of Cross Rhodes on Reigns.
1..2..3 *Kingdom plays*
Cody Rhodes has won the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship. Cody finishes his story and finally captures the world championship that had eluded his family. Celebration is an understatement for the reception for Rhodes.
Road to Wrestlemania:
With Roman dropping the title at Elimination Chamber he can go forward with the match with the Rock at Wrestlemania as it should. Cody can face the winner of the Elimination Chamber match, say Randy Orton, to play on the history the two have together. The Usos have their match at Wrestlemania preferably with Rikishi with their father as the referee. Solo can start becoming more of an independent star, distancing himself from Reigns more and more over the year as the next Paul Heyman guy.
If Rock vs. Roman is the plan for Wrestlemania then it does not need the championship to make that feel important. Altogether, the championship would hold that feud back. Having Cody win the title at Elimination Chamber elevates the show as one where change can happen.
I feel events like the Royal Rumble are super dependent on Wrestlemania because of the implications each event has on it. Why can’t a title change at one of those events more often? Eddie Guererro won the WWE Championship one month before Wrestlemania 20 at No Way Out.
I have no idea what route WWE will go in terms of finishing Cody Rhodes’ story, with The Rock now seemingly pointing to an eventual match with Roman Reigns soon. All in all, I believe this is a great way for all parties involved to be happy, maybe except for Roman Reigns. However, I hope Reigns has a reinvention this year. The booking of his character has been getting more and more frustrating. Either way, I’m excited to see how WWE goes about this year’s road to Wrestlemania and more importantly Cody finally finishing his story.
Will WWE go in a different direction? Most likely. Guess we have to sit back and enjoy the show.
Book it better WWE!
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