As a film enthusiast with a lifelong passion for wrestling, I’ve seen my fair share of ups and downs in the WWE universe. Cody Rhodes winning The WWE Championship was a high point, but the prolonged anticipation for The Rock’s return has turned into a bit of a drag.
Following his triumph at WrestleMania and securing the WWE Championship, thus concluding his narrative arc, Cody Rhodes encountered The Rock on Monday Night Raw the subsequent night. Their exchange was tense, and it appeared quite obvious to viewers that The Rock would challenge for the title he had just claimed. This intriguing segment generated excitement among fans about a potential match between them. However, eight months later, I’m growing concerned that this setup might be leading to issues.
As a die-hard movie enthusiast who’s been eagerly waiting for The Rock’s comeback to the wrestling ring, I can’t help but feel disheartened by the lack of progress. When The Rock bid us farewell in April, it wasn’t clear when he would grace us with his presence again. Some fans speculated we might catch a glimpse of him at SummerSlam in August, but alas, he sustained an injury during the filming of his new movie, The Smashing Machine, over the summer. This setback shifted our anticipation towards November’s Survivor Series, particularly after The Rock made a shocking appearance at Bad Blood, where he stood toe-to-toe with Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns, delivering an ominous throat slashing gesture. However, even Survivor Series has passed us by without The Rock, and the latest whispers are cause for concern.
There’s a lot of talk that WWE may be preparing for WrestleMania 41 without The Rock, despite his denials. In fact, some stories suggest his appearance at Bad Blood wasn’t part of a planned storyline but simply a way to keep him in fans’ minds. While I’m not bothered by the idea itself, the implication is troubling – if there are no plans for The Rock that would hint at a return, it suggests he might not be coming back soon.
Currently, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has the freedom to pursue whatever projects he chooses. He’s not only a globally recognized actor, but also an exceptional professional wrestler. There were minor issues when he returned in January due to its impact on ongoing storylines, but once those were resolved and he got into the swing of things, he delivered an unforgettable stint. If he decides to return six months or even eighteen months from now, I’m all for it.
It appears that Cody Rhodes lacks a definite long-term strategy. I’m neither Triple H nor part of WWE’s creative team, but the segment after WrestleMania where The Rock asked to physically possess Cody’s WWE Championship seemed like a strong hint they would battle for the title at some point in the future. However, it’s been eight months since then, and we don’t seem any closer to that match. If there isn’t an imminent plan to deliver that fight, I’m not sure Cody should continue holding the title for much longer.
I’m not implying that Cody isn’t adored by the crowd or that he doesn’t excel as WWE’s representative. He does, and it’s wonderful to see him basking in extended glory. He truly deserves this moment. However, his reign with the WWE Championship has surpassed 250 days, and his current clash with Kevin Owens is the first one that genuinely keeps viewers intrigued. While he’s had impressive matches, especially with AJ Styles, and made The Bloodline fascinating, this latest bout with KO is the first instance where fans have even entertained the thought of him losing.
Cody Rhodes isn’t like Hulk Hogan or Roman Reigns; instead, he resembles Bret Hart more. The longest Bret Hart held the major title was 248 days, followed by Shawn Michaels at 231 days and Kurt Angle at 126 days. When considering other champions, their longest title reigns typically lasted around a year or less. However, it’s worth noting that many of these champions regained the title later on. This pattern is intentional, as WWE creates obstacles for their characters to keep them engaging and dynamic.
Cody hasn’t had any of that. I guess you could argue him joining forces with Roman Reigns was some character development, but to be honest, it just sort of felt like he was being shoehorned into Roman’s story. Now WWE has used the fallout of him helping Roman to great storyline advantage, and as such, we’re currently getting something really interesting with Owens. But there’s still this lingering feeling amongst many fans that no one is really a threat to win The WWE Championship until The Rock comes back. But if he’s not going to be back at or before WrestleMania 41, I think WWE needs to move in another direction. I think they need to consider letting Kevin Owens win the Championship, at least for a short while. It would be the fastest way to make Rhodes’ storyline feel like must-see TV again.
This morning, I was discussing with some of my colleagues about who might headline WrestleMania. Could CM Punk finally get his chance after so many years? What if John Cena makes a comeback to wrestle someone like Gunther for the title? Would that be fitting? Or could Rhea Ripley surprise us all? Most likely, whatever Roman Reigns does will undoubtedly be a main event. However, there’s some uncertainty about Cody Rhodes, even though he is the current WWE Champion. Many fans believe he might face Randy Orton, but do you think that’s a WrestleMania Main Event-worthy matchup? Instead of assuming he’ll win and waiting for The Rock, wouldn’t we all still be wondering?
Cody Rhodes is widely regarded as WWE’s most beloved babyface champion since John Cena, and he comes across as an admirable individual who continues to receive thunderous cheers from fans. However, while he truly deserves his success, it might not be wise to keep the Championship on him if The Rock isn’t returning for another nine months or more. The current program with Kevin Owens has served as a reminder of how lackluster the rest of his title run has been. Therefore, if The Rock can’t inject some excitement and obstacles into his narrative, WWE should start brainstorming ways to find that with another character. Alternatively, in my view, they could award the title to Kevin Owens for a short period, say one or two months. He has yet to claim the major belt, and he’s been exceptional during this current storyline.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is fantastic. It’s ideal to bring him back for a prominent role in the next opportunity he has, but if that chance isn’t tied to this year’s WrestleMania, then Cody Rhodes should no longer hold off. He needs to face defeat by someone relatively soon. If handled skillfully, a significant loss followed by several months of pursuit would only boost his popularity and significantly enhance the intrigue of his storyline.
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2024-12-18 23:09