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New York Post
Cody Rhodes may not be able to win this very different Roman Reigns battle in WWE
By Joseph Staszewski,
4 hours ago
The Post’s Joseph Staszewski brings you around the world of professional wrestling in his weekly column, the Post Match Angle.
The sounds were so deafening you could almost hear Cody Rhodes’ days as WWE’s top babyface coming to an end.
There was no denying what we heard on SmackDown in Tulsa for Roman Reigns.
The huge pop when his music hit, the chants of “OTC! OTC!” and roars with every “OOH-AHH” before the cheers for each spear. All of it without Reigns uttering a single word on camera after his days as WWE’s biggest heel ended with a loss to Rhodes at WrestleMania 40 in April.
It’s a credit to the work of Paul Heyman and Solo Sikoa in his absence — and Reigns’ greatness.
Roman Reigns made a dramatic return at SummerSlam. WWE
Fans are dying to thank him and show their appreciation — in ways they couldn’t before — for everything he gave them with The Bloodline story through the COVID-19 pandemic and into this new WWE era.
Rhodes, who has been WWE’s top babyface for more than two years, made it clear after Reigns returned at SummerSlam that the race for who is the face of the company is still raging.
(Look out for Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley now, too.)
“I’m not flinching, not one bit,” Rhodes said at the press conference. “And I think he [Reigns] isn’t either.”
The problem for the “American Nightmare” is unlike the WrestleMania 40 leadup, where his “story” hijacked Reigns’ moment with The Rock, he is likely at a disadvantage this time.
Cody Rhodes points to the WWE championship. WWE
The fans’ biggest reason to be behind Rhodes is gone and — outside a feud with Randy Orton, CM Punk or a match on the John Cena retirement tour — Rhodes could become just a player in Reigns’ quest to restore the true Bloodline.
It’s already happened as Rhodes’ whole story with Sikoa was there to set the table for Reigns’ return. If Rhodes eventually does get a match with The Rock when he comes back, it will likely be just an appetizer to the “Final Boss” and Reigns’ dream clash at WrestleMania 41.
It’s going to be a challenge for Rhodes’ stories — which have been solid at best since WrestleMania — to feel bigger than anything Reigns does as WWE likely gets the band back together from the original Bloodline with Heyman and Jimmy Uso still needing to return.
It may be over if Reigns is willing to have as meaningful an interaction with fans as Rhodes does, an area where the Undisputed WWE champion may be unmatched in the industry.
It should all culminate in Rhodes turning into a mega heel in a year-and-a-half to two years from now — or when his goodwill finally runs out — so when he and Reigns battle for a third time the circumstances will feel fresh.
They should not square off until WWE is truly ready to make the audience choose between them. Don’t waste the rubber match before that because it feels inevitable to end with the Bloodline or Rock interfering and spoiling it.
Roman Reigns Superman punches Solo Sikoa at SummerSlam. WWE Cody Rhodes pins Solo Sikoa in the SummerSlam main event. WWE
Put them on separate shows next year, after Raw moves to Netflix, maybe after WrestleMania. That becomes the A-show and Reigns should be on it and it will allow them to have truly separate storylines.
Rhodes has known for a long time the fight he’s in with Reigns at the top of the company, and the benefit healthy competition can have on a bottom line. He likely also knows the uphill battle on his hands right now.
It just may not be one he is set up to win.
Lovably Logical
You really have to love Kevin Owens being the most logical wrestler in the world, always remembering the past and the unwritten rules of the business. It felt so appropriate for him to try to deflect the idea of him facing Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE championship at Bash in Berlin because of his win-loss record, just 5‐4 in televised singles matches this year.
But the idea of Reigns, who he has a deeply unfavorable history with, getting the match infuriated him so much. Owens still held back enough out of principle from asking for the match for himself because he just said he didn’t deserve it. But he didn’t protest anymore knowing it denied Reigns — in his mind — the opportunity, even if Rhodes and GM Nick Aldis set him up. It was just so well played on screen by Owens.
Driving it home
Has a more long-term story device existed in AEW than Don Callis’ screwdriver, dating back to May 2023? This time it was Kyle Fletcher, who we are starting to see come into his own, refusing to use it versus MJF on Dynamite.
Kyle Fletcher holds a screw driver given to him by Don Calis. Lee South/AEW
It cost him the match and Callis blamed Will Ospreay, who was barricaded in the locker room by someone, for not getting there in time to save Fletcher from a brutal attack. It raises two questions: Who barricaded the door and is the screwdriver coming for Ospreay at All In?
Priest and Ripley came off looking phenomenal in the opening segment of Raw. Ripley had a great double entendre line about Dominik Mysterio not putting the knife in “deep” enough and was able to get a little physical with the guys. Priest looked dominant in a win over Carlito and appeared Undertaker-esque catching Mysterio in midair for a chokeslam while hugging Ripley. The fans ate all of it up.
Starting to feel like Bryan Danielson beats Swerve Strickland, who got a heck of a match out of Tomohiro Ishii on Collision, at All In. Then the American Dragon puts him over at the newly announced WrestleDream from Tacoma, Wash. — Strickland’s hometown — on Oct. 12 in his retirement match. Danielson said he will need surgery before the end of the year.
Wes Lee needed a change of direction, and using his Rascalz brothers to spark his heel turn was brilliant. You almost felt it coming when the group hugged following their loss in their NXT tag team championship match. This feud needs to spill over to TNA programming now.
The live crowd seems to be eating it up watching Toni Storm and Mariah May fight and get pulled apart, but I’d rather not see it again before All In to protect the moment when they finally do touch in the ring.
How much is "The Scapegoat" Jack Perry willing to sacrifice for the #AEW TNT Championship?
Jack Perry continues to knock things out of the park with his promos. The vignette on Collision felt old school and gritty, something you would see at the height of WCW’s run in the late ’90s.
Cesar Duran remains one of the most interesting figures on MLW programming and he’s right back there again ready for a double-cross with his daughter Selina De La Renta having a storyline baby with his top henchman.
The Acclaimed feel headed for a welcome heel turn as they feud with FTR to get to the Young Bucks’ AEW tag team championships. They already seem to be leaning that way with their less colorful outfits and more stoic demeanors. The best way to make it happen is an attack on Billy Gunn.
As much as I like Ivy Nile’s potential as a heel, something felt less than up to snuff with the debut of two new factions on Raw. American Made just makes me think of the Hulk Hogan WCW theme and their music is terribly bland. Also, The Pure Fusion Collective name for Zoey Stark, Shayna Baszler and Sonya Deville might just be up there with The Viking Experience.
For the first time, I’m worried about where Xavier Woods’ heart is after Kofi Kingston continues to unintentionally disrespect him. Are we headed for the breakup of The New Day?
Rest in Peace to the “Taskmaster” Kevin Sullivan, who died last Friday at the age of 74 after a “devastating accident.” His impact on storytelling, characters, and building heat in professional wrestling is in the conversation with the best to ever do it. From the envelope-pushing Face of Fear and Dungeon of Doom factions to helping book WCW through its 83-week streak of beating WWE in the ratings, he left an incredible stamp on the industry.
Wrestlers of the Week
Thunder Rosa and Deonna Purrazzo, AEW
These two women turned in another great chapter in their series of clashes with only the second Bullrope Match in AEW history. It was bloody and hard-hitting as Rosa — who was greatly missed during her long injury hiatus — and Purrazzo have made their outings must-watch. Maybe we get the fifth and deciding match at All In, but what possible stipulation can they add after this one?
Young Bucks vs. The Acclaimed, AEW world tag team championships (Dynamite, Wednesday, 8 p.m., TBS)
This will be the first time since April the AEW tag team championships will be defended on TV and feels like it will bring into focus what will go on with them at All In. Will The Acclaimed be cleared out of the way for another FTR-Young Bucks match or will a triple threat be set up?
DIY vs. The Street Profits, No. 1 contender match for the WWE tag team championships (SmackDown, Friday, 8 p.m., Fox)
Neither one of these teams can afford to go to the back of the line in the tag team division. DIY feels like it has the leg up to win the way they have been booked and not getting their title rematch yet. Hard to see a triple threat materializing with the women’s tag titles doing one on Raw next week.
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