MGP: Will Cody Rhodes continue his story at WrestleMania 40?

Welcome everyone to another year of “Gorilla Pose Monday”! A weekly column here at Cageside Seats featuring the latest shows and reports, trying to figure out what's happening in the world of WWE, AEW, and more!

Well guys, this is definitely going to be a WrestleMania season Great one. is not it?

That may depend on how heartbroken you are watching Cody Rhodes finally end his story by defeating Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship at Lincoln Financial Stadium in Philadelphia.

Main event for Wrestlemania 40 That seemed almost guaranteed when the Chieftain and the American Nightmare took an epic look at them smack down Last October, it had just received a huge boost in uncertainty.

When The Rock returned last Monday night raw, it wasn't just a ratings boost or Jinder Mahal's clowning. The Hollywood leading man has made it clear he's ready to claim his seat at the head of the table.

Reaction from the WWE Universe was mixed. The live audience in San Diego lost their minds in delight. Cody Rhodes fans also lost their minds on social media, but instead they panicked. He was immediately quick to judge that The Rock was swooping in to claim the prominent spot at 'Mania next to his cousin, prolonging Cody's never-ending saga in the process.

In all honesty, I was one of those people who immediately jumped off the ledge and came to this conclusion. At first, the idea that The Rock's first legitimate match in over a decade would come at Cody's expense was a huge surprise to me.

As the week went on, my thoughts on the material changed. I may not like this move, but I certainly understand it.

Call me crazy, but I'm a fan of rewarding your full-time guys. Even after his devastating defeat at the hands of Roman Reigns last year, Cody Rhodes remains one of WWE's most consistent performers and best merchandise sellers.

His work rate in 2023 was unparalleled. On top of competing in a career-high 113 matches for the company last year (an average of more than two per week), Rhodes has been the face of countless community and charitable events for WWE. He worked the schedule of the WWE Champion without being the WWE Champion.

Cody Rhodes earned his spot in the main event Wrestlemania 40. He has earned the right to finally win the title that has long eluded his family and cemented his legacy as head of the Rhodes family table.

There is no doubt in my mind that Cody Rhodes will be WWE Champion one day. This will not happen in April.

Or is it possible?

As we learned on smack down This past Friday, Roman Reigns will now defend his WWE World Title at the WWE Universal Championship Royal Rumble In a fatal four-way match against Randy Orton, LA Knight, and AJ Styles.

The WWE creative team has now given itself a path to satisfy fans who want to see The Rock take on Roman Reigns and members of the WWE Universe who want to see Cody finish his story.

The equation is simple.

Randy Orton won the WWE Championship at the Rumble by pinning Knight or Styles. Booking The Rock to eliminate Roman and the rest of the Bloodline will be crucial to setting up his showdown with Roman in Wrestlemania. Cody could then go on to win his second straight match at the Royal Rumble to become the #1 contender, giving people two big matches in Philadelphia:

• Roman Reigns vs. The Rock for the Tribal Leader title
• Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship

Given their history with each other, Viper winning his 15th World Championship en route to facing his old stablemate Legacy at Mania is really the only play that makes sense in this scenario.

In fact, Randy Orton is the only suitable competitor for Cody if he's not facing Roman Reigns. However, booking that match without the WWE Championship comes with some hurdles.

Orton is an exclusive member of smack down menu, while Kodi finished raw. Winning the Rumble allows Rhodes to challenge any champion he wants to face. Until very recently, it was assumed that he would choose Reigns. However, facing his old mentor on the grandest stage of them all with the company's biggest prize on the line isn't a bad consolation prize.

Not to mention the title, getting Cody and Randy together for “Mania” would require some roster jumping exercises that would certainly be met with the predictable “why even split the brand” criticism.

I think there's a possibility that Rhodes could be in the World Heavyweight Championship picture, but why hold up what is sure to be a great personal rivalry between Seth Rollins and CM Punk?

It's best to leave well enough alone in this regard.

So to summarize. Randy wins the title. Cody wins the Rumble Cody wins the title at Mania and Rock and Reigns close the show.

Everyone wins, right?

Er… let me go ahead and throw some water on the ball of hope some of you have burning inside of you.

Since taking over as WWE's Chief Content Officer, Triple H has proven time and time again that he can't be sidelined. At least when it comes to the WWE Universal Championship.

The game has had plenty of opportunities to make an Eternal Moment by having someone kill the latest WWE boss and not yet pull the trigger.

After missing out on crownings of Drew McIntyre in Cardiff, Sami Zayn in Montreal, and Cody Rhodes in Los Angeles, does anyone really think Triple H will end Reigns' historic run without him participating in the finale?

A fall for anyone other than Reigns would be a weak end to the most important world championship of the past two decades in WWE. I sincerely doubt this is the endgame that Triple H had in mind all this time.

Book Road Killer 4L Royal Rumble This was not done for Cody, but for Orton. Randy has been extremely hot since returning from injury, and the company simply doesn't want him to lose to Roman. And they don't want him to beat Roman either.

According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Monitor RadioThe idea is for Knight or Styles to take the pin in order to protect Randy before WrestleMania.

A Reigns win would wipe out all his potential rivals on the blue brand, leaving no one to destroy him. He would hit everyone. Except for one man.

I can see you guys rushing to the comments section to ask Judicial Department. The Australian government has reportedly been pushing for The Rock to appear on the show, which has led many to speculate that The Rock and Roman could be the main event of that show, instead of Wrestlemania.

It's a possibility, but it's not likely.

The only way that match will be booked in Perth is for WWE to find a way to make more money than they would have if the match was held in Philadelphia.

Revenue will always be the driving force behind any decision WWE makes. It is work after all. And doing what's best for business is why they brought back The Rock in the first place.

There is no doubt that WWE would benefit greatly by bringing The Great into the fold. Merchandise, sponsorships, ticket sales, an increase in Peacock subscriptions – it all adds up.

Not to mention the increased ratings The Rock will bring to WWE's weekly television product at a time when the company is still trying to get a new media rights deal for WWE. Monday Night Raw. according to Wrestling economy2.154 million people watched last Monday's segment between The Rock and Mahal.

His presence throughout everyone to Wrestlemania The season is of great value to the company. Besides, reports Australian tourism officials want the rock in Judicial Department Don't say anything at all about his wrestling on the show. Reports said they were negotiating for appearance.

That might mean getting a spot as a special guest judge. That might mean a promotional slide. Heck, that could mean a rock concert. Any of which would increase ticket sales for the event and make Australian fans very happy.

Putting money aside for a moment, and this being said with absolutely no disrespect to Cody Rhodes or his value to the company, The Rock vs. Roman Reigns is easily the biggest match WWE can put together in 2024. It deserves a main event. A spot on the biggest show in WWE history.

This is also why you should share the jackpot with the company. Not that a match between The Rock and Roman Reigns needs the WWE Championship. no. WWE Championship needs Rock and Roman eras.

For 1,225 days and counting, Roman Reigns has held the WWE Universal Championship. It has been taken to three in a row Wrestlemania Main event matches. Not giving her a top 4 spot would be a huge disservice to everything WWE has done to build the prestige of that championship during this era of convenience.

The WWE Championship will not be the main event Wrestlemania Unless it was around the tribe leader's waist. It won't happen.

Any match that takes place after Rock and Roman will almost certainly be doomed to failure. An experience lived by Triple H Wrestlemania 18 When Chris Jericho and himself had the daunting task of following The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan in front of a completely exhausted crowd.

WWE is in a tough spot here. Bringing in The Rock is a business opportunity too good to pass up. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. If WWE can make this match happen this year, they should. They may not get another chance because The Rock is one of the busiest men in Hollywood.

Compounding the pre-WWE booking issues is that it doesn't make creative sense to remove the belt from Roman Reigns before then. Wrestlemaniano matter how you do it.

Yes, this makes the main event in Philly highly anticipated, because (spoiler alert) The Rock is not going to win the WWE Championship. And yes, Cody Rhodes got the short end of the stick.

Not everyone will be happy. Not everyone will get what they want. It's just how life goes.

Fear not Kodi fans. Triple H knows how important The American Nightmare is to the company. His time will come. Its time will Come.

Patience, for both American Nightmare and its adoring audience, must truly be a virtue.

You can follow Rick Uchino on Twitter And stay tuned for more in-depth interviews with WWE and AEW talent right here on Cageside Seats.

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