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Come the end of Wrestlemania 39, there will be a new WWE Universal champion in Cody Rhodes, the man earmarked to defeat Roman Reigns on Sunday night in Hollywood
Over two nights this weekend, the 39th edition of Wrestlemania will take place at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
While the card is already public knowledge at this time, the exact order of matches is still to be determined; what we do know is that the meeting between reigning WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes will headline the second night of the ‘Showcase of the Immortals’.
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10:15 - 31.03.2023
WWE 2023 WrestleMania 39 Preview: All you need to know (Date, Location, Match Cards)
WrestleMania 39 will take place on two nights this weekend, with Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes headlining the biggest pay-per-view of the year.
This clash is heavily anticipated for a few reasons. Reigns has held the WWE Universal title for 942 days and counting, the sixth-longest WWE men’s title reign in the history of the company, and has defeated the likes of the Undertaker, Triple H, Edge, Bryan Danielson and Drew McIntyre on professional wrestling’s biggest stage. On the other hand, Rhodes, who returned to WWE about a year ago, is in the middle of a huge push, and won the Royal Rumble in January to earn a shot at the titles.
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While WWE have been known to swerve fan expectation from time to time, this time the writing on the wall is clear: the stage has been set for Reigns to lose his title, and for Rhodes to go over as the new Universal champion. Come the night of April 2, Dusty Rhodes’ son will achieve what his legendary father never did and hold WWE’s most prized belt.
Who is Cody Rhodes?
Cody Rhodes, also known as Cody Runnels, is a professional wrestler from the United States who has been competing in the ring for over a decade. Born on June 30, 1985, in Marietta, Georgia, Cody is the son of former professional wrestler Dusty and the half-brother of former WWE and current AEW wrestler Goldust.
Growing up, Cody was surrounded by the world of professional wrestling and had a keen interest in following in his father's footsteps. He made his professional wrestling debut in 2006 under the ring name Cody Runnels and began competing in various independent promotions across the United States.
In 2007, Cody signed a developmental contract with WWE and was assigned to their developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). He quickly made a name for himself in OVW, winning the OVW Television Championship in 2007 and the OVW Heavyweight Championship in 2008.
Cody made his WWE television debut in 2007 under the ring name "Cody Rhodes," teaming up with Hardcore Holly as "The Holly Cousins." He quickly found success in WWE, winning his first championship, the WWE Tag Team Championship, in 2008 alongside Ted DiBiase Jr. as part of the faction "The Legacy," led by Randy Orton.
Over the next few years, Cody continued to compete in WWE, winning numerous championships, including the Intercontinental Championship, the WWE Tag Team Championship, and the World Tag Team Championship. He also formed several notable tag teams, including "The Brotherhood" with his real-life half-brother Goldust and "Team Rhodes Scholars" with Damien Sandow.
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Despite his success in WWE, Cody eventually decided to leave the company in 2016 to pursue other opportunities in the wrestling world. He competed in various independent promotions, including Ring of Honor (ROH), where he won the ROH World Championship, and Impact Wrestling, where he won the Impact Grand Championship.
In 2018, Cody co-founded All Elite Wrestling (AEW) with fellow wrestlers Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. AEW quickly became one of the most popular wrestling promotions in the world, featuring a mix of established stars and up-and-coming talent. Cody has played a major role in the success of AEW, both as a performer and as an executive vice president of the company.
In addition to his wrestling career, Cody has also dabbled in acting and has appeared in several films and television shows, including "Arrow" and "Supernatural."
Why will Cody Rhodes win?
The Bloodline storyline has been the most interesting thing on wrestling television over the past year, with Sami Zayn first ingratiating himself into and then exposing a fissure within Reigns’ inner circle. Following Zayn turning on the company’s leading faction, he re-teamed with long-time friend and collaborator Kevin Owens to begin a feud with the reigning WWE tag team champions the Usos.
The obvious culmination of this angle is for Reigns and his entire family to lose the belts, further widening the rift in the Bloodline. Rhodes, who is unbeaten since returning to WWE with great fanfare, is furthering a storyline in which he goes one better than his father managed in the company.
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Dusty, who was a main event superstar in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) for much of his career, enjoyed only a brief spell in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). During that spell, 'The American Dream' never won the WWF title, and both his gimmick and his booking were heavily criticised: his grounded, well-worn everyman character was undermined by a polka-dotted outfit and a more outlandish presentation.
Cody, therefore, is on a mission to redeem his family honour. Like the best wrestling angles, it incorporates shoot (real life) elements into the worked angle in order to blur the lines between truth and fiction. Going over Reigns is the obvious direction for the story the WWE has been telling for the past year, and would end Wrestlemania on a feel-good note befitting this year’s location in Hollywood.
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10:04 - 06.06.2024
Galina Becker: Who is Roman Reigns wife? Everything you need to know
Pulse Sports uncovers all the details including untold truths about Roman Reigns' wife, Galina Becker.
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