Heading into his rematch with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania XL, Cody Rhodes finds himself under immense pressure to secure a victory. After suffering defeat in their initial encounter at last year’s Show of Shows, the upcoming Night Two main event appears to be a pivotal moment for the American Nightmare.
While some speculate that Rhodes’ momentum could be derailed with another loss, WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi offers a contrasting viewpoint.
As a real-life member of The Bloodline, Rikishi has thrown his support behind The Tribal Chief to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
He envisions the feud between Reigns, Rhodes, and Seth Rollins extending beyond WrestleMania XL, suggesting that prolonging the storyline could heighten interest and anticipation among fans. Rikishi elaborated on his podcast, “Rikishi Fatu Off The Top,” highlighting the potential for multiple narrative avenues post-WrestleMania.
Where do we go if we finish the story with Cody and Roman? Okay, the fans are happy, everybody’s happy, but where do we go after that? If, in case, we do go into the second night with the Bloodline story, there are so many ways you can go coming off of that angle. So many other branches you can take. It can be, down the line, Rock-Cody, and Roman-Seth, come back into a cage match. There’s probably a whole year this one angle can go on and one which generates revenue for TKO, generates revenue for WWE,” said Rikishi. [9:57 – 10:58]
He envisions Reigns and Rollins continuing their rivalry, with Rhodes possibly transitioning into a feud with The Rock following his showdown with The Tribal Chief. Rikishi emphasizes the revenue-generating potential of prolonging the storyline, advocating for WWE to maintain continuity and capitalize on the established momentum.
Furthermore, Rikishi underscores the importance of featuring key players like Reigns, Rollins, The Rock, and Rhodes in high-profile stadium shows exclusively.
This strategic approach aims to maximize audience engagement and revenue generation while ensuring the longevity of compelling storylines.
Looking beyond WrestleMania XL, the possibility of a Reigns vs. Rollins feud looms large, contingent upon Rollins relinquishing the World Heavyweight Championship. This scenario could pave the way for Drew McIntyre to stake his claim for the title at the grand event.
Notably, Rollins remains the only competitor to have defeated Reigns in a title match since 2020, albeit via disqualification. The prospect of a rematch between the two has lingered since the 2022 Royal Rumble, raising questions about the timing and trajectory of their potential showdown.
As speculation swirls about the future direction of these rivalries, the question of whether Rollins could “finish his story” before Rhodes at WrestleMania XL adds an intriguing layer to the unfolding narrative.
