Following WWE WrestleMania XL, Cody Rhodes has become the company’s official face, as he is the Undisputed WWE Champion. However, he had to overcome some obstacles before arriving.
Rhodes won the Men’s Royal Rumble Match in 2023, but was defeated by Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 in a title match for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Fast forward to 2024, and Rhodes once again won the Men’s Royal Rumble Match before defeating Reigns at WrestleMania XL to win the championship.
Rhodes has moved from Raw to SmackDown as the brand’s top star, while Reigns has decided to take a hiatus from wrestling. His exact return date remains unknown. WWE has also hinted at a future match between Rhodes and The Rock, with WrestleMania 41 the most likely venue.
Rhodes will defend his title on television for the first time this Saturday against AJ Styles in the likely main event of Backlash France.
In the most recent edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer stated that while Rhodes plans future feuds with Reigns and Rock, nothing major is planned for the coming months.
Meltzer wrote, “Rhodes has no real big-time direction until Rock and Roman Reigns are back in the picture. The other biggest star on the brand is Randy Orton, but they’re doing nothing to tease anything in that direction.”
