After spending the last year building toward a rematch against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40, winning the Royal Rumble for a second year in a row to earn a guaranteed main event spot at the “Showcase of the Immortals,” Cody Rhodes was afforded the main event spot on SmackDown to discuss which champion he'll be challenging for in South Philadelphia, be it the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship owned by the “Tribal Chief” for over 1,250 days or the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, a belt Seth Rollins is trying to model after the Ten Pounds of Gold of NWA fame.
Would Rhodes look to finish the story begun by his father decades ago? Or would he look instead to establish his own legacy, building the hottest new strap in the WWE Universe into something unlikely anything else fans have seen in decades?
Standing in the back as the crowd cheered his name, Rhodes watched as The Bloodline took the ring first and Roman Reigns addressed the fans for the first time since his Royal Rumble victory.
“Oh, we'll get to (Cody). Birmingham, Alabama, acknowledge me! Now, the ‘Wise Man' will tell ya, I don't like to recap; I would prefer to move forward. But there were some things said on Monday we just can't let slide. My little brother Seth Rollins – exactly, no pop – he said he's got the title. The title. And so I had to think about it: didn't I beat everybody competing for that title? Doesn't that make all of them my number twos? Shouldn't we call that the loser bracket title? And then he had the audacity to say that he was the guy. Hahaha, you can't be running around here for two years in your wife's clothes and say you're the guy! And then he wants to say he's a workhorse, but three months in, he broke his back trying to carry that show. Let me ask you a question: do workhorses walk like this?” Roman Reigns asked as he mockingly hobbled around the ring
“H*ll no! And then he wants to attack my schedule? It's simple, I work less than you, yes, that's true. I actually work like ten times less than you, and yet I still make ten times more than you. So I'll ask y'all, do you want Seth Rollins money? Or do you want “Tribal Chief” money? But see Cody, he's an idiot, he's got values and all of that crap; he doesn't really care about money, I don't think. So I'm gonna break this down to him very simple, this is simple math right here: Cody, I'm not gonna beg you like the other guy. You can either be the very best number two in this industry, or you can take a crack at number one again: it's your choice. ”
Intriguing? You bet, but fans didn't have to wait long for an answer, as after some pomp and circumstance and a commercial break, Rhodes addressed the crowd and gave Reigns his answer… kind of.
Cody Rhodes still wants Roman Reigns, just not at WrestleMania 40.
Making his way into the ring for a four-on-one showdown with The Bloodline, Cody Rhdoes took a microphone from Paul Heyman and proceeded to make one of the most important promos of the year so far.
“So Birmingham, Alabama, Roman Reigns, what do we want to talk about?” Cody Rhodes asked before requesting to have a one-on-one in the ring with Reigns, to which The Bloodline obliged. “So I took a great deal of counsel this week; I walked to friends, family, legends. You know, you cheated me, I had you more than anybody that you've been in the ring with, I had you and I think you know it. Seth Rollins, he's made a lot of amazing points this week, but one of them I disagree with: he called that the ‘Hollywood' title. You can call it whatever you want, that's still the title that Bruno Samartino held; that's still the title that was put into my father's hands at Maddison Square Garden and then swiftly taken away. Again, call it whatever you want; I still want that title.
“Let me ask you, what is finishing the story, because I've heard you say all of this is yours; this ring, the canvas, the ropes, that camera, the announce desk, all of these people. You all belong to Roman Reigns, apparently! So, is finishing the story taking that championship from you? Or is finishing the story taking everything from you? Let me make it abundantly clear: I want that title. As a matter of fact, I'm moving my own goalposts. I want that title, and I want everything from you, and I'm coming; I'm coming for you, Roman Reigns, but not at WrestleMania. I mentioned taking counsel. Roman, one of the individuals I talked to, knows you very well.”
Enter The Rock, who had a few private words with Rhodes off-mic before the latter walked out of the ring, and the former stared down his cousin as the crown in Alabama lost their proverbial stuff.
So what does this mean? Is Cody Rhodes going after Seth Rollins' belt after all? Is he going to shoot his shot at a different show entirely, with a match scheduled against the winner of the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match at WrestleMania 40 in some sort of a handshake deal? And what does this mean for Rhodes, who looked downright defeated on what was supposed to be his big announcement and shining moment? Needless to say, this segment left far more questions than answers and will have fans buzzing all weekend long.