Cody Rhodes, The Chaser
Cody Rhodes has been in pursuit of main event status in pro wrestling. The hunt has been going on since his father (and brother) were never able to become WWE/F world heavyweight champion. His venture into WWE after leaving AEW has had him on a continuous run. He had a name for that pursuit: "Finishing the story." This mindset had him on a quest to be the best version of himself. There were roadblocks in this way. Seth Rollins, a long-term main eventer in WWE, was his first quest to conquer. He conquered him three time in a row. This was unheard of because no main eventer in many years has lost that many times in a row.
The next quest was to win the Royal Rumble 2023. He did that by last eliminating Gunther, the Ring General, who was WWE Intercontinental Champion at the time. This was not easy to do, but it prepared him to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 for the Undisputed WWE World Heavyweight Championship. That match resulted in a loss because of the interference of Solo Sikoa. This led to the rivalry with Brock Lesnar as they traded wins. That was the feud that opened up the path to winning the Royal Rumble 2024 and challenging for the Undisputed WWE World Heavyweight Championship. This was the time that he finally "Finished The Story", and the story continued.
Cody Rhodes in need of purpose
This year's WWE WrestleMania 41 Night Two main event saw Cody Rhodes defending his renamed WWE Undisputed Championship against the WWE Elimination Chamber 2025 winner, John Cena. John Cena turned evil after winning the WWE Elimination Chamber by attacking his WrestleMania opponent with the help of The Rock and Travis Scott. It was Cody Rhodes' idol turned against him. John Cena won the match with a low blow and a title belt to Cody Rhodes' head. Cody had to win the King of The Ring 2025 to earn another rematch. The rematch was better, and it took place at WWE Summer Slam 2025 after John Cena turned good in a Street Fight.
Now, the problem is that the fans want LA Knight, Sami Zayn and Jacob Fatu to rise above Cody Rhodes as the next face of WWE. Cody Rhodes is a good guy, and he doesn't face other good guys of his calibre. There should be a point where his rivalries do not look predictable or one-sided. This is why I say: it is time for Cody Rhodes to lose the title to the future of WWE instead of fighting everyone who is never going to beat him without a proper build. Randy Orton has not won a world title in years, and it does not affect his status in the slightest. Cody Rhodes is a main eventer, a top draw and the current WWE Undisputed Champion, but it may be time for this year's WrestleMania to produce someone who can beat him cleanly to rise to the next level of their career.