Among the slew of pro wrestling podcasts online, there are only a few that I listen to weekly, with clips from others being thrown into the mix based on the topic. That’s not to say that there’s not other good content, but rather there’s only so much time to devote to specific podcasts. One of the few shows I make appointment viewing is the “Kliq This” Podcast with Sean Oliver and Kevin Nash. Oliver, one of the co-founders of the Kayfabe Commentaries production group, joined the podcast landscape after the same concept more or less eliminated his market for the video company that he had. The same stories that he wanted to land from talent of the golden era to put on DVD or a streaming service for $15 were put online for free through the myriad of pro wrestling podcasts. If a legendary performer told their stories for free on the Stone Cold or Talk is Jericho podcast, there wasn’t a realistic way for Oliver to sell those same stories for Kayfabe Commentaries group An actor in film and voice work, Oliver brought a level of production to shoot interviews that hadn’t been seen before and was one of the revolutionary forces in the direction that wrestling media took in the past decade. Kevin Nash is a smart guy and one of the coolest dudes in the business.
The pair often cover more than wrestling and the show itself sounds more like two friends shooting the breeze at a bar rather than the format of other wrestling podcasts that deep-dive into why Lex Luger didn’t win the WWF title at Summer Slam 1993.
A brief portion of this week’s show discussed where Cody Rhodes fits into the grand scheme of things within the WWE landscape, an organization that had monumental shifts in just the past few months, with the sale to Endeavor and then the return of CM Punk at Survivor Series. Nash suggested that perhaps with the amount of talent ahead of Wrestlemania, Cody should be taken in a different direction at the The Royal next month. Nash’s plan would see Drew McIntyre eliminate Cody from The Rumble to set up their eventual Wrestlemania match, with Randy Orton potentially as one of the challengers for Roman Reigns.
While I completely disagree with the notion that Cody shouldn’t be booked for a rematch against Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania, the discussion on the podcast brought some consideration about how WWE brass will get to the match without the storyline being completely recycled?
As I wrote before, I’m happy that I was wrong about the prospects of Cody being able to maintain his momentum as the top baby face in the company after such a disappointing loss at WM last year. It was such a letdown and appeared to be the only logical conclusion to the angle, and still should be, that I didn’t see how they could keep Cody strong afterwards. As we know, the way to keep Cody in the conversation as a top guy was the memorable series of matches with Brock Lesnar, which saw Brock endorse Rhodes in an unscripted moment following their trilogy bout at Summer Slam in August.
The circumstances that brought CM Punk back to the WWE will allow Phil Brooks and the company to make a lot of money. In a year when management will try to pitch the broadcast rights fee for Raw, the flagship show of the company, to networks to try to get the highest bidder, the shock and hype around Punk’s unexpected return gives the brand a useful level of buzz. CM Punk merchandise is selling very well on WWE Shop so it’s already a win-win scenario for everyone involved. It was well-documented that one of Punk’s career goals was to main event Wrestlemania, and while it’s hypocritical, considering that he mocked the two-night concept when he was on the All Elite roster during the feud with MJF, that same business strategy will allow Punk to main event a WM event, presumably against Seth Rollins, based on the current direction of Raw.
At the same time, Cody Rhodes is being kept busy, which is fine, with a feud with Shinsuke Nakamura. There will probably be a match between the two at The Royal Rumble, but it’s obvious that there are bigger things for Rhodes to accomplish than this storyline against the Japanese star.
While Punk isn’t there to “take Cody’s spot” as the top baby face, and is working with Rollins to avoid that, this might be a situation where Punk’s return could almost naturally take some of the spotlight away from Rhodes, which would make it even more important that the set up for a possible rematch with Reigns is booked in a compelling fashion. I’m not sure what it could be, but if he simply wins The Rumble again, it might be too much of a retread from last year. On the other hand, if Punk wins The Rumble, it could take away more spotlight from Rhodes prior to the build to Wrestlemania. In some ways, it’s a good problem to have because it creates a lot of intrigue for The Rumble and thus more of an eventual focus on Wrestlemania 40.
However, it will also be a delicate balancing act for WWE management in the next few months.
At 45, CM Punk is there more for the immediate business to be done than necessarily building for the future, especially given his extensive history of injuries. Cody Rhodes is younger and outside of the pec tear a few years ago, has less of a toll on his body. Still, there’s mega business to be done with CM Punk, and the publicly-traded company will want to maximize that opportunity for its shareholders.
In my opinion, particularly with the nearly two-year build up by the time Cody would be in the ring for the Roman Reigns rematch, WWE management has to book the fiery baby face to get the wholesome win for the classic celebration as the show goes off the air. Keep in mind, this storyline started the night after Wrestlemania 38 when Cody cut the promo on Raw that he wanted to win the title for Dusty. Roman Reigns was the champion at the time, and the narrative of the championship that Cody had to win to be successful is the one that Reigns has was solidified with their original match last year.
If Cody isn’t the one to challenge Roman for the championship at Wrestlemania 40 in Philadelphia then anything else is a let down or a consolation prize. Furthermore, if Rhodes isn’t the one to finally dethrone Reigns then there’s a risk that the fans would lose faith in Cody as a main event star.
Obviously, the finish of the Cody/Roman match last year proves that anything is possible, and management has even more options this year with Punk on the roster. Taking into account main events with both Cody Rhodes and CM Punk, there’s not really a “B-side” for the two-night concept of Wrestlemania. Fans will be very enthusiastic to see Punk potentially challenge Seth Rollins for the title, mostly because CM Punk celebrating a championship win in the main event of a Wrestlemania show wasn’t considered even possible a few months ago. At the same time, the Cody/Roman match more or less writes itself. Sometimes, the most obvious result is still the correct result. While it’s possible that management goes a different direction to swerve the audience, I still think that Cody Rhodes defeating Roman Reigns for the WWE championship is the right decision to cement Cody as the top guy in the future.
What do you think? Share your thoughts, opinions, feedback, and anything else that was raised on Twitter @PWMania and Facebook.com/PWMania.
Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
E mail [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
