Cody Rhodes Retains Title

An American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes is one of the most interesting stars in WWE today. His recent title retention is another defining moment, especially in his career growth as well as the growth of his character in WWE’s top bracket. Since coming back to WWE in 2022 after his time with AEW (All Elite Wrestling), Rhodes is determined to continue his family’s legacy and establish himself as one of the best superstars. His recent championship victory and his retention of the title that he won make him a main event player in waiting for even higher fateful heights.

This article explores how Cody Rhodes prepared for the WWE Championship, why it was important for him to retain the belt, how he is set to become the next big star for WWE, and what this means for the promotion’s future.

Cody Rhodes: The Story of an Underdog Rising to Be a Champion

A wrestling legacy that you’ve never seen before

The career of Cody Rhodes in WWE is very much bound with his family background. Cody hails from wrestling royalty as the son of the ‘American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes. Dusty Rhodes is one of the most popular wrestlers of American professional wrestling, who had a working-class image, incredible charm, and who could touch people’s hearts. Cody has always seen his father become successful, and this was a motivating factor towards the achievement of success.

Cody’s early WWE career was a little up and down during this time. He stepped into the WWE in mid-2007 as a young and handsome babyface, and although he had the ability, this was the time he was having a very hard time making his mark on the company and moving out from behind the shadow of his father. After having been a member of several tag teams and stables in the company, including Legacy, and partnering with his real-life brother Dustin Runnels, aka Goldust, Cody started a transformation process. He started the ‘Dashing ‘Cody Rhodes that was arrogant and narcissistic; this showed that he was flexible and could come up with good angles.

Although it was not until Cody left the WWE in 2016 that he was able to start finding himself. For several years, Cody got disappointed with his creative freedom in WWE; he decided to go through the independent circuit. He competed at ROH, NJPW, and finally co-founded AEW, in which he also carved out a main eventer’s career for himself. It was during this time that Cody began using the gimmick of “American Nightmare,”  a parody of his father’s “American Dream” character but more modern and darker sounding.

The Return to WWE: Pursuit of Your Family’s Dream

A huge moment was the return of Cody Rhodes to the WWE roster at WrestleMania 38 in the year 2022. His arrival received a massive reception as he arrived into the ring to loud cheers, signifying that WWE fans had not forgotten him. Rhodes’ return was not just to the WWE but more of the fact that it was his destiny to be the son of a legend in WWE and to finally achieve what Dusty never did, the WWE Championship.

From the moment of his return, it was clear that Cody had one goal in mind: to win the WWE Championship and make his father proud. His first major program when he returned was against Seth Rollins, who is one of WWE’s greatest talents. Their animosity saw them fight in several more personal contests leading to Hell in a Cell, where Cody wrestled with a torn pectoral muscle, thus receiving a lot of praise for his determination and hard work.

Cody Rhodes Becomes WWE Champion: Living A Dream

Everyone had long predicted that Cody Rhodes would, and in 2024 he did finally become a WWE Champion. This was not only the pinnacle of the man’s career but also a major stepping stone for the sport of professional wrestling. Rhodes, after years of climbing the ladder to the top, was now the face at the very top of the mountain with the most sought-after accolade in the business.

He could only struggle to make his way to the championship through hard work, determination, and the kind of passion that can only be understood by the fans. The theme of revenge and the desire for glory was also added to Cody’s story and became not only his story but the story of his father. Probably one of the most popular legends of wrestling, Dusty Rhodes never captured the WWE Championship in his entire career. In many ways, Cody’s championship win was symbolic of the entire Rhodes family and an indication of the wholesome impact they have continued to bring to the wrestling industry.

Why Cody Rhodes Had to Keep the Title

It’s not just about capturing the WWE Championship belt, but it’s also key to keep it. To Cody Rhodes, his first title defense was a defining moment that got him the nod to represent WWE on the international stage.

Establishing Legitimacy as Champion

Keeping the title establishes Cody as the WWE superstar to beat, thus maintaining the title’s importance. Throughout WWE history, many champions had very short runs with the belt, but Cody was able to successfully defend it, which proves that the WWE has all the confidence in Cody to steer the company into the future. This wasn’t just about the belt; it was about the fact that he needs to be at the top of the card, that he needs to be WWE’s flagship championship, and that he is more than just the face of the company.

The last component of any great champion is the ability to bounce back, and Cody has done that to the T. He has not escaped a great number of failures in his career, both personal and professional, such as injuries, and each time he has emerged a winner. His title retention, whether against other wrestlers such as Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, or Finn Balor, confirms him as a fighting champion who can fight WWE’s best wrestlers.

The Change of Emotion with the Fans

One of the reasons for rooting for Cody Rhodes to be a champion is due to the fact that he feels the emotion of the WWE Universe. It is for this reason that fans have been with Cody from his days in WWE to his stint in the independent circuit, and they have seen the transformation firsthand. With Cody, fans are brought more closer to his life and emotions, which goes to the strength of the performer and the narrator.

His recent title defense, however, was no different. As the champion, Cody puts more passion and emotion into each and every match, which makes fans remember why they have been supporting him. It’s the same way that Cody has connected with the viewers—he is an ordinary man’s champion, just like his father was an ordinary man’s hero.

Elevating the WWE Championship

Cody’s title reign is also important as to how it helped strengthen the WWE Championship as a brand. Over the past several years, the WWE Championship has been less prominent as compared to other championships, such as the Universal Championship, especially during Reigns’ reign. Cody winning and keeping the title has now revived interest in the championship, bringing people’s focus on the accolade and its background.

Cody is a wrestling student, and he knows the importance of the WWE Championship belt, and that is why he respects it as it should be. His bouts are conducted with the understanding that he is a continuation of the lineage of such figures as Bruno Sammartino, Ric Flair, and his own father’s generation. Through victories in these important bouts, Cody is using his influence to bring back the prestige of the WWE Championship.

WWE Raw: What’s Next for Cody Rhodes?

With Cody Rhodes retaining the WWE Championship, the question now becomes: what is coming next to the “American Nightmare”?

Potential Challengers

Cody will be a target as a WWE Champion and everyone who can get their hands on him will be trying to take his title away from him and the list of the contenders is endless. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Drew Mcintyre and Gunther are some of the possible opponents that Cody may face in the future. All these competitors pose different kinds of threat, any of whom can come up with interesting narratives with Cody.

Perhaps the most interesting option is the second bout between Roman Reigns. Reigns and Rhodes have clashed before but to see them go at it for a World title would definitely be worthy of a main event at WrestleMania. Reigns is one of the most dominant champions in the recent WWE history; therefore, a fight against him would be the best challenge for Cody’s reign.

Another tantalising possible rivalry could be with Seth Rollins, a superstar that Cody has a particularly bitter history with. They have had memorable prior bouts, but with Cody now possessing the trophy, desire for a rematch that would have Rollins seeking to dethrone his former adversary is rife. If there’s any one-two punch that has the necessary respect and chemistry for each other, this program could get WWE through the big PPV shows.

Establishing a Legacy

After gaining the WWE Championship title, the next thing that Cody will need to do is to try and carve a legacy that will be as great as some of the other WWE champions. Duration is important, as many epic reigns are not just described by how the champion won the title but how long he or she retained the title. Cody’s issue will be to keep the momentum and believability of the fighting champion while still developing his character as well as the plots.

WWE has a chance to create one of the modern generation best ever Cody character to be on par with John Cena, Triple H, Bret Hart. It is for this reason that Cody is a good fit for the show, given that he cares a lot about storytelling and interacting with his audience. How long he is going to rule? Months or perhaps years? It will be the period when he will be able to enrich not only himself, but also his competitors and the championship.

WWE moving forward with Cody Rhodes as Champion

In this case, the victory of Cody Rhodes as the WWE Champion is an indication of the new direction that WWE is bound to take. His rise also speaks volume about WWE’s policy of taking in talents who have been with other companies and then come back to WWE with more vigor. Thus, the story of Cody, as well as the story of other wrestlers, demonstrates the possibilities of WWE, which is gradually opening up to the recognition of its sins and giving athletes a chance for a second life.

The fact that WWE thought it wise to place the strap on Cody and the ensuing angle where he has held on to the belt shows that the company believes in him to be the future face of the company. As WWE goes on to adapt to a new phase in business after the controversies surrounding Vince McMahon, Cody embodies the new age wrestler that can cut promos like the best and perform physicality at the same time making the scripted and the real indistinguishable.

Conclusion: Cody Rhodes’ Championship Retention is Only the First Step

That is why Cody Rhodes retaining the WWE Championship symbolizes the beginning of a new era for both the wrestler and WWE company. His evolution from a disillusioned performer who could barely scrape up the mid-card to an upper-echelon champion is proof of the man’s work ethic, determination, and ability to resonate with the fans of the WWE. This is because as the champion, Cody shoulders his family’s responsibilities of continuing the tradition while at the same time making his own destiny.

His title retention not only guarantees him of the championship belt but also lays the foundation for what can be a record-breaking reign. However, potential threats are lurking in the shadow with the likes of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and other top talents; Cody’s quest is not over yet. In this regard, his retention of the title is just the beginning of a new era for the ‘American Nightmare’ and WWE.

As Cody Rhodes continues to build his legacy, one thing is clear, WWE has a titleholder who represents the legacy, the now and the future of wrestling.