It is time to move Cody Rhodes past The Bloodline

Cody Rhodes is 156 days and counting into his run as WWE Undisputed Champion. He finally “Finished his story” by defeating Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. The big moment came. Tears were shed. Legacies cemented. Since then, the discourse about Rhodes’s effectiveness as champion waivers as some find his run with the title successful, while others call it underwhelming. With such a stacked roster on SmackDown, one thing is clear, it’s time to get Rhodes away from The Bloodline.

The Bloodline angle is nearly four years into its arc. Along the way, Roman Reigns and company have seen their series of ups and downs. There were moments when this story was the best in wrestling and others when it felt mediocre at best. Reigns is now without the champion and he’s on the other side of the table, facing off against Solo Sikoa and his iteration of the group. It makes sense that this is where the angle has turned, especially with The Rock’s shadow looming over it. But this story doesn’t need to involve Cody Rhodes any longer.

The best moments during Rhodes’s run with the title do not involve The Bloodline. His two matches against AJ Styles and the match against Kevin Owens are excellent examples of what can happen if Cody is given the opportunity to work with other performers. They each had stories to tell that translated into exceptional professional wrestling matches. This wasn’t the case when The Bloodline came into play. It seems like almost anything involving this group is just a holding pattern until WWE gets to The Rock versus Roman Reigns. Anything else is seen as an afterthought and the fans watching recognize that point.

Think of what Rhodes could be doing if he were given the time to do more work with others on the SmackDown roster. Cody Rhodes versus the likes of Andrade, Carmelo Hayes, Santos Escobar and even someone like Tommaso Ciampa all have the potential to be more impactful angles. Then there’s Rhodes's own “Final Boss” in Randy Orton. Finally pitting those two against each other would be the story that could carry Rhodes’s title reigns for months on end. Even creating the space for Orton to gain another championship run as his time in the industry winds down. There’s so much for Rhodes to do and all the best forms of it come without The Bloodline.

At some point, Cody Rhodes will get past Roman Reigns and The Bloodline. Will that moment be at WrestleMania 41 or even later? The timeline isn’t clear, but one thing is for sure. It’s time to get him as far away from everything to do with the Anoa’i family.