Cody Rhodes completes his story and defeats Roman Reigns in WWE WrestleMania 40 in todays Wrestling news
Rhodes’ championship story ended two years after his return to WWE.
The story is over.
Cody Rhodes won the undisputed Universal Title on a cold Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia. This was the culmination of a multiyear run that began two years ago with his return at this event.
The match lasted approximately 33 minutes, and featured a number of notable run-ins with The Undertaker and The Rock as well as John Cena and Seth Rollins.
It was a coronation when Rhodes, 38, returned to WWE in 2022 at WrestleMania38 after six years. This was fueled by a revitalization of the indies. NJPW, Ring of Honor and then the founding of AEW.
History is made, but history ends
The win ends Reigns’ 1316-day historic run that began with August 2020’s Payback. This period saw 31 successful title defences and a unification between the Universal and WWE championships against Brock Lesnar during WrestleMania.
This weekend, he set a new record for the number of WrestleMania Main Events.
Many were surprised by his defense of Rhodes’ title at WrestleMania last year, and more were inspired as they believed that the time was right to have Rhodes hold the title.
Rhodes then defeated Lesnar, won over members of The Judgment Day and a union with Jey uso, which saw them win the undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles, a feud against Shinsuke Nagamura, before winning this year’s Royal Rumble.
Rhodes won the Rumble for men and continued his feud with The Bloodline. Then, just as Rhodes was about to call his shot Rock entered the scene to take his own shot at Reigns. It looked like the story would be put on hold. What followed was an incredibly dizzying period of two months, during which Rock turned heel and Rhodes and Seth Rollins teamed up against Rock and Reigns at WrestleMania on the first night.
The road to WrestleMania was certainly unexpected.
The match
The match was played under Bloodline rules because of the result of the previous match, where Rhodes and Rollins had lost to Reigns & Rock. Sunday’s match had another less-pushed stipulation: If Rhodes lost, then he would not be able to face Reigns for the title again.
Rhodes, after throwing Reigns against a ringpost, introduced a table. However, he was nailed by a Drive-By. Reigns then returned the table to a chorus of boos. He then introduced the first weapon, a kendo-stick, to beat Rhodes’ arms.
At the 19-minute point, Rhodes was pushed through the announcers’ table and then nailed by a Superman Punch for a nearfall. Rhodes, as Reigns was about to spear him, countered by using a Cody Cutter and a nearfall. He then hit his own spear again for another nearfall.
The interference began.
Jimmy Uso threw a Superkick as Rhodes was about hit a Cross Rhodes. Reigns threw a Superman Punch but was distracted by Jey’s music. The two brothers fought on the ramp until Jey pushed them both through tables conveniently placed along the ramp.
Rhodes speared Reigns over the barricade that was in front of the area for the timekeeper. He pulled Reigns into the ring, and tried to repeat his Cross Rhodes sequence. Solo Sikoa took him out. Sikoa pushed Reigns to Rhodes but the challenger raised his shoulder at two.
Sikoa began to lay in shots, and then they hit the combo spear/Samoan Spike for another close nearfall. John Cena then knocked Sikoa off the top rope, and gave Reigns an AA. He then delivered an A.A. to Sikoa via the Spanish announcer table, as a measure to avenge the one-sided defeat Cena suffered against Sikoa last season.
Rock, Cena’s WrestleMania rival twice over, appeared next. The two had a staredown and Rock hit Rhodes with a Rock Bottom. He then removed his white “Mama Rhodes'” belt in preparation for the whip. The Shield’s music started playing and Seth Rollins jumped into the fray, only to be hit by a Reigns Superman Punch.
The lights went out as the Undertaker music played. When the lights came back on, Undertaker appeared to chokeslam Rock. The lights went off again and both men vanished.
Reigns, Rhodes and Rollins were all left in the ring. Reigns hit Rollins in the head with a chair, but Rhodes blocked Reigns’ spear attempt with his knee and then hit his three Cross Rhodes while Paul Heyman screamed at ringside. Rhodes won the Universal title by pinning Rollins in the middle of ring.
Post-match
Brandi Rhodes, the woman who had been on stage with Cody during his introduction, jumped briefly into the ring for a celebration before giving her husband the opportunity to soak up the praise from the 72,000+ people in attendance.
The ring was then filled with stars such as Cena and Kevin Owens. Randy Orton, Jey uso, LA Knight CM Punk Sami Zayn, and LA Knight lifted Rhodes onto his shoulders. Rollins, his mother Brandi, and other family members joined him in the ring. The tears started to flow.
Rhodes then took to the microphone, thanking Bruce Prichard for his contribution and calling out Paul “Triple H’ Levesque. After a long hug and some words, Levesque raised Rhodes’ arm and the hugs carried on in the ring as well as outside where he hugged an emotional Michael Cole.
Cody Rhodes completes his story and defeats Roman Reigns in WWE WrestleMania 40 in todays Wrestling news, Chatalong Chatbox, Results will be Hidden inside a spoiler Button so you will not bet spoiled about direct results.
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