WWE Misses Opportunity As Roman Reigns Stands Tall

We all can agree that Night 1 of Wrestlemania 39 was better than Night 2. Night 2 had some moments, but nothing was more shocking than Roman Reigns pinning Cody Rhodes to retain the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship.

This was supposed to have been Cody’s time. Rhodes entered Wrestlemania 39 looking to complete the story. His father the legendary Dusty Rhodes had never won the WWWF Championship. So it was up to Cody to do something his father never did. Unfortunately, Rhodes was going up against the greatest champion in modern history in Roman Reigns.

You knew it was going to be an uphill climb for Cody Rhodes not only going up against Reigns but the Bloodline itself. Rhodes had been sidelined with a torn pec muscle before returning at the Royal Rumble. Everything was set up for him to win the title. Momentum was on Cody’s side along with the product being the hottest it has been in a long time.

That can be attributed to Roman Reigns and the Bloodline storyline. But everything was set up for Rhodes to win the championship. The crowd was ready for a new champion. Roman had the kind of heat The Rock had at Wrestlemania X8 when he took on Hulk Hogan and at Summerslam 2002 when he took on Brock Lesnar for the title. The crowd wanted something new.

But as Vince McMahon has always said anything can happen in the WWE and that is what we got Sunday night in the main event of Wrestlemania 39.

This was an excellent main event with a great story being told. People were expecting a change. There was a methodical pace to the match. Solo Sikoa at ringside as the enforcer of the Bloodline. He wanted to get revenge after Rhodes pinned him on the go-home episode of Raw. Cody’s back was against the wall, but he had his family there along with Brodie Lee Jr.

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It was an uphill climb for Cody, but he took everything Roman Reigns had and was right in it until the end. The champion showed his frustrations after Cody kicked out of a spear, and a superman punch. Not to mention the interference of Solo and the Usos. Solo got ejected after using Cody’s weight belt to attack Rhodes. However, that did not stop him from coming back to use the Somoan Spike later on.

Rhodes had already hit one CrossRhodes on the night and as he was looking for the trifecta, Paul Heyman distracted the referee to allow Solo to come back and hit Rhodes with the spike. This led to Roman hitting a spear to pick up the victory.

But like with every Roman Reigns match, he needs help to keep his titles. And while understanding WWE booking, there was a missed opportunity. Send the crowd home happy like they did Night 1. It was the beginning of the end of the Bloodline. Jimmy and Jey Uso had lost the titles on Night 1, now it was Roman’s turn.

Cody Rhodes left WWE, helped form AEW, boxed himself into a corner in AEW, left and returned and was catapulted to the top of WWE. This was his time. Like it was Sami Zayn’s time in Montreal. Like it was Drew McIntyre’s time in Cardiff. Let’s be honest Drew and Sami were not winning, but more so with Sami, there was an opportunity.

The company has never been hotter. You can never recreate the magic of this leadup to a Wrestlemania. Even when Roman loses the titles it will not be the same. Wrestlemania 39 was the time.

Now hard times always have fallen on the Rhodes family. Cody has come up short in his first shots for both the AEW World Title and now WWE Undisputed Universal Championship. And eventually, he will finish his story, but it was not going to be at Wrestlemania. And when he does the momentum behind him will be gone because WWE wants Roman to keep the title past 1000 days.

If not Cody, then who will be Roman? That is the story WWE is telling. It will have to take something great to defeat this champion.

Night 2 was not as good as Night 1 of Wrestlemania. The main event delivered, but WWE missed an opportunity to crown a new champion as Cody Rhodes has never been more over than his now.