The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes went up against all odds and obstacles on his turbulent road to WrestleMania 40 in his quest to conquer championship glory. With the ‘We Want Cody’ movement behind him compelled by the captivating narrative built ever since his monumental return to WWE in 2022, Cody Rhodes did the unthinkable. In a main event that saw chaos, surprise appearances by WWE legends, and an electrifying crowd in Philidelphia on their feet, Rhodes dethroned The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns to win the Undisputed WWE Championship. He not only achieved the historic end of his story but also concluded the record-setting reign of Roman Reigns at 1,316 days.
With Rhodes’ victory, WWE has ushered into a new era under the leadership of Paul “Triple H” Levesque who has envisioned Cody Rhodes as the flagship star of his regime. But the build-up of the Cody Rhodes story that saw massive support on the road to WrestleMania 40 has also given rise to a certain section of Cody detractors upon the completion of his story.
Ever since Cody Rhodes became the new Undisputed WWE Champion, he has been penalized by that section of fans on social media. The fans have cited Rhodes’ limited promo delivery skills and repetitive narrative as a major flaw, believing that he is not ready to put his WrestleMania 40 victory in the rearview and rise to the occasion as the champion now. Moreover, fans have also felt a lack of mystique with Rhodes as champion in only a few weeks as compared to the magnanimous presence Roman Reigns commanded during his title reign. Finally, Rhodes as champion has garnered less traction for him and the product on television and social media, a prime example being The Bloodline segment featuring Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga did better numbers than Rhodes’ recent promos.
However, the full supporters of the ‘We Want Cody’ movement are still prevalent after his monumental title win at The Show of Shows. This has been witnessed by the recent sell-out WWE live events on their annual European tour with Cody Rhodes as the headlining act alongside side loud cheers for The American Nightmare from the audience in attendance for WWE shows. Furthermore, many fans are firmly looking forward to his highly anticipated bout against The Phenomenal One, AJ Styles at WWE’s upcoming PLE, Backlash France.
From the current scenario, all signs are pointing towards a polarizing run for Cody Rhodes, much like John Cena’s rise to the top with his fair share of supporters and detractors en route to becoming one of the biggest WWE stars of all time.
Are you still a Cody Rhodes fan now that he is the Undisputed WWE Champion? or are you a part of the Cody haters on social media? Sound off in the comments!