After watching Paul “Triple H” Levesque take the ring to welcome fans to Friday Night SmackDown, its first show back on network television after spending a few years on Fox, fans got down to their main event, which actually went on first: Cody Rhodes versus Solo Sikoa for the WWE Championship inside a steel cage.
Now on paper, this seemed like an odd match, as the WWE Championship is very rarely defended on television, especially as the opening match of a show, and one would think a match between Rhodes and the current “Tribal Chief” would be worthy of a bit more prestige, as they did just headline the second-biggest show of the year at SummerSlam.
Well, as it turns out, the match was actually more than just a one-on-one battle to finish off a feud but instead a key chapter in a much larger story, as after throwing down for the first quarter of the show, with the match featuring a few highlights but nothing major, The Bloodline emerged from the back after Rhodes successfully defended his belt, closing in on him as fans watched on in horror.
Fortunately, before Rhodes could suffer any real damage, Roman Reigns' music hit, and the “OTC” made his way to the ring, dispatching one Guerilla of Destiny after another on his way to the “Street Champ.” As the crowd went wild, the duo duked it out but only for a moment, with Reigns hitting his cousin with a particularly brutal Superman Punch, but that moment was short-lived, as when the match came to a close, GOD beat down on Reigns before getting the assist from Rhodes, who finished off the segment looking into his WrestleMania 40 foe's eyes once more.
Whoa, interesting stuff, right? But in what way? Is this building towards another match between Rhodes and Reigns, or are they instead going to join forces and become a tag team the likes of which WWE fans haven't seen since what, John Cena and Dave Bautista? Well, considering Rhodes later declared that he was “done” with The Bloodline to Nick Aldis, it would appear any pairing between the two men would be somewhat forced instead of eagerly rushed into, but that's a storyline as old as time in professional wrestling, especially in WWE.
… or maybe they aren't. Maybe Rhodes truly won't come to help Reigns; maybe the “Original Tribal Chief” will take a brutal beatdown at the hands of the current one, and it will be Jimmy Uso who comes to his defense, setting up a trios match at Bad Blood between some combination of the Guerillas of Destiny, Jacob Fatu, and Solo Sikoa?
Ultimately, the idea of Reigns and Rhodes forming a make-shift tag team for a few months is probably the play here, as it would allow the two sides to remain in the main event spotlight, get fans engaged in their story, and, in the end, set things up for an even bigger match at WrestleMania 40 between the duo, should WWE decide to take things in that direction.
And even if they don't, even if The Rock and Sikoa want Rhodes and Reigns at the “Showcase of the Immortals,” a make-shift tag team has no down-side, making the pairing a perfect time spender.
Cody Rhodes doesn't want to give Roman Reigns back his spot
Speaking of the return of Reigns, Rhodes actually commented publically on that very topic at the Bash in Berlin post-show, letting fans know that while he doesn't have an issue with not main eventing a show – as he did that night – he isn't looking to give up his spot at the top of the card any time soon, as he's simply worked too hard to get where he wants to be to hand it over, again.
“If I’m speaking honestly, they are not insecurities and not concerns, but I would be naive to not acknowledge, no pun intended, the challenge. I love this. I had a lifetime of experience to get ready for this. That’s the biggest challenge in front of me in terms of ‘what’s the new task?’ The idea of being the poster boy at all, my gosh, that’s an amazing feeling. That’s special. It will end at some point, but I will certainly put up every bit of a fight,” Rhodes declared via Fightful.
“It’s not just the OTC Roman Reigns. It’s John Cena’s farewell run. I’m up there in very rare air with special characters. People like CM Punk. It’s a great problem to have for WWE. Strictly speaking, (Roman Reigns) and myself, we like that. We have pitted ourselves against each other, not just at WrestleMania in the main event, but in every aspect behind the scenes too. Not in a dishonest way. In an honest way. The better man is going to win. That’s a good problem to have.”
Now, as you almost certainly know, as WWE has practically banged it over the heads of fans at this point, Rhodes almost lost his spot at WrestleMania 40 only for a series of backdoor dealings, public promos, and the support of the audience, to turn the tides back to his direction. If Rhodes does get back into the ring with Reigns, either as friend or foe, you'd better believe that his main goal in the match won't be to secure the win, but to leave no doubt as to who is the face of the promotion heading into the future.
Follow Us
Subscribe
