Cody Rhodes is the primary babyface in WWE, having a primary occasion match on the earlier 4 WrestleManias and profitable the WWE Championship 3 times since his return to the corporate. In 2026, Rhodes has spent his longest spell outdoors of the WWE Championship image for fairly a while, with followers anticipating him to at any level flip his consideration again to the prize and win it again. Nonetheless, this merely can not occur any time quickly. For each the betterment of Rhodes’ WWE profession and the world title scene on Friday Night time SmackDown, WWE should maintain Rhodes nicely away from the title he’s held carefully in recent times.
Cody Rhodes’ WWE Championship Reigns Grew to become Horrible
- Rhodes’ preliminary WWE Championship win was iconic.
- Rhodes’ second and third reigns have been lackluster.
- WWE ran out of concepts for Rhodes as WWE Champion.
Cody Rhodes’ ascension at WrestleMania 40, beating Roman Reigns to turn out to be WWE Champion, was beautiful. He went on to have a reign that featured each good and dangerous; the highlights included a show-stealer with AJ Kinds, a private feud with Kevin Owens, amongst different positives. When Rhodes picked up his second WWE Championship win at SummerSlam 2025, WWE didn’t study from the negatives and errors they’d made, and as a substitute made them extra obvious. Rhodes’ character work went by way of no improvement, his title defenses have been predictable, and his feuds lacked any fascinating animosity. 2025 was a bitter yr for his title reigns, with feuds in opposition to John Cena and Drew McIntyre dragging and missing.
Rhodes received his third WWE Championship at first of 2026, and guess what; it was even worse. The WrestleMania program between Rhodes & Randy Orton is among the many worst within the historical past of the occasion, and it was adopted up by primarily a carbon copy of Rhodes’ feud with Drew McIntyre, this time going through Gunther in a narrative that was centered round screwjobs and frustration with authority from a whining heel. The primary occasion scene on SmackDown was struggling for some time, and though Rhodes may be very gifted and in style, he couldn’t escape some fairly dangerous reserving.
The WWE Championship Scene On SmackDown Has Thrived With out Cody Rhodes
- Sami Zayn’s WWE Title win in 2026 saved the primary occasion scene.
- CM Punk, Kevin Owens, and extra names have gotten an opportunity to thrive in the primary occasion.
- SmackDown has felt contemporary and sizzling with out Rhodes as the main target.
At Night time Of Champions 2026, Sami Zayn shocked the world by changing into the WWE Champion. Immediately, the primary occasion scene on SmackDown was thrust into a brand new lease of life. CM Punk quickly dethroned Zayn, and whereas Rhodes did return for a rematch at SummerSlam 2026, the main target was quickly turned to a sea of names in Kevin Owens, Gunther, Finn Balor, and others for the following a number of months – and it has been nice. Zayn specifically has thrived as the main target of SmackDown’s primary occasion because the primary heel, making the WWE Championship really feel particular and imply one thing.
Zayn’s second reign has been even higher, elevating stars similar to Je’Von Evans and Trick Williams in TV title matches, placing in a implausible displaying in opposition to Roman Reigns, and making certain that the title scene is consistently evolving, feeling contemporary, and together with totally different dynamics. Rhodes has been busy elsewhere, and he’s carried the identical boring storytelling with him in his program with Orton. The truth that Rhodes vs. Orton has continued to lack curiosity, it makes the prospect of Rhodes turning his attentions again to the WWE Championship or to Zayn a really undesirable state of affairs.
Cody Rhodes Wants To Have Extra Non-Title Feuds
- Rhodes’ feud with Randy Orton was a let down.
- Rhodes can inform sturdy tales when given the possibility, and he can elevate the roster.
- Different names on SmackDown will profit from feuds with Rhodes.
Rhodes vs. Orton might need been dangerous, however that is much more of a motive to maintain Rhodes away from the WWE Championship image. He wants extra non-title feuds to search out himself, have interaction in some high quality storytelling with no titles round, and construct some actual momentum to make him earn the WWE Championship. When wanting throughout the Friday Night time SmackDown roster alone, Rhodes may combine it up with established names in Gunther, Finn Balor, CM Punk, Johnny Gargano, Damian Priest and others in non-title feuds, to not point out up-and-coming names in Trick Williams, Ricky Saints, and others. Plus, there’s a entire roster on Monday Night time RAW who Rhodes may begin a feud with too.
Rhodes being again on the earth title scene is an inevitability, however it could be good for WWE to at the very least wait till after WrestleMania 43 season so as to give another person a shot within the highlight, particularly for the reason that likes of Zayn have proved themselves worthy of these main spots.
