Cody Rhodes Looks Set to Lose and Win at WrestleMania XL – Will Cody Rhodes’ story come to its long-awaited conclusion? The American Nightmare craves the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship that forever eluded his father. Now, he’ll get another shot at the crown, but at WrestleMania XL, the biggest stage in pro wrestling, he’s going to have to pull a double shift.
Staring down his long-time foe, Roman Reigns, Rhodes will have to put his body on the line on Night 1 and Night 2. Getting a win on Night 1 could offer Rhodes a huge boost coming into the main event, but then again, it could just enrage Reigns to the point of completely obliterating the challenger.
So, what’s going to happen at WrestleMania XL for Rhodes – do we have any clues as to how his weekend is set to play out?
Rhodes’ nickname fully earned on run to the top
Cody Rhodes is The American Nightmare, but before 2022, that nickname’s validity could have been in question. According to the records of CageMatch, from 2017 to 2021, his average win percentage had improved to around 70 percent, on average. In 2022, he truly turned into a match-winning superstar.
That year, he won 25 of 26 matches, and last year, from a colossal 113 matches, we came out on top 108 times, hitting a 95.6 win percentage. It’s at this point that he wasn’t any longer the kind of comical nightmare like the kind showcased in horror-comedy movies or the most popular online casino slots featuring multipliers, like Halloween Horrors Megaways.
In these products, there’s a spooky horror and almost comical characters that aren’t exactly nightmare-inducing. Spinners want to connect the iconic Halloween symbols, unleash the wilds, and hit the Megaways. Last year, Rhodes became the real kind of nightmare for pro wrestlers – he was almost unbeatable.
Of course, for all the wins The American Nightmare collected, he fell short of the big one. At WrestleMania 39, Roman Reigns ousted Rhodes to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. This year, Rhodes has won 22 of his 23 matches, which includes the Royal Rumble win. Surely, the time has come to take the crown.
Lose the tag team to take the title
On Night 1 of WrestleMania XL, Rhodes will be teaming up with Seth Rollins in a colossal tag team match against his nemesis, Roman Reigns, and returning superstar The Rock. The next night, he gets a shot at Reigns’ title. Given the line-up, few are anticipating a clean sweep of glory for Rhodes.
The Rock being involved likely doesn’t point to a win for Rhodes. If his brand-building is still in play as it reportedly was when he was involved in the DCEU, The Rock won’t lose. He likely wouldn’t return to such a huge stage just to be knocked off by The American Nightmare. Plus, if he and Reigns win, it increases the intrigue for the main event.
It should still be a close match, and one that drains Rhodes and Reigns, but if both can avoid injury, it should set the stage for Reigns remaining the outright champion, seemingly unbeatable, and Rhodes remaining the fan-favorite underdog.
Then, he’ll meet Reigns, with everything set up to angle the perception that Reigns remains the biggest and best wrestler in the WWE. In theory, it’d make Rhodes’ triumph over Reigns all the better, making it even more well-earned and memorable for long-time fans.
Cody Rhodes might well lose at WrestleMania XL, but The American Nightmare is certainly going the right way about winning the big one.
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Cody Rhodes Looks Set to Lose and Win at WrestleMania XL
