Cody Rhodes started his second WWE Championship reign by defeating John Cena at SummerSlam 2025. Since returning, he rapidly climbed to the top and became WWE’s new leading superstar, achieving considerable success with two Royal Rumble victories, three consecutive WrestleMania main event wins, two WWE titles, and a King of the Ring crown. However, the latter half of 2025 has seen his momentum dwindle despite holding the WWE Championship. Many argue his reign has been mishandled due to poor booking, lackluster storylines, and a general absence of excitement.
The long-running feud between Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre has been a major disappointment. Despite months of buildup, their matches at Wrestlepalooza and Saturday Night’s Main Event failed to impress, hampered by questionable creative decisions from WWE. Fans were initially thrilled when Rhodes ended John Cena’s unpopular heel run and reclaimed the WWE Championship at SummerSlam 2025, but expectations for a strong title run were not met. Unlike intense rivalries such as Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk or Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens, this feud felt flat, uninspired, and poorly executed.
Throughout the feud, both Rhodes and McIntyre took extended breaks from WWE programming, leading to disrupted story flow. Matches ended awkwardly, with a referee preventing McIntyre from attacking Rhodes in a sanctioned bout and Rhodes resorting to underhanded tactics to retain his title. The rivalry lacked clarity and excitement, failing to convince fans that McIntyre was a credible threat or that Rhodes was a commanding champion. This also happened to be Rhodes’ only major feud during his championship reign.
Once the hottest name in WWE, Cody Rhodes now seems less like the top babyface in the company. The main event scene on RAW, especially around the World Heavyweight Championship, has overshadowed Rhodes and SmackDown, which feels more like WWE’s secondary show. Consequently, Rhodes and the WWE Championship haven’t held the same level of prestige compared to stars like CM Punk, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Gunther.
Since reclaiming the WWE Title, Rhodes has rarely defended it, frequently missed shows due to outside commitments, and lost some of the aura that made him “the guy.” While he still main events and draws strong reactions, something crucial is missing in his presentation, diminishing the impact of his championship run.
The shortcomings of Rhodes’ current WWE Championship reign fall squarely on WWE’s creative team, not on Rhodes himself. WWE overlooked the opportunity to build a more compelling feud between Rhodes and Randy Orton, resulting in an underwhelming match at the King of the Ring Finals earlier this year. Other feuds with wrestlers like Aleister Black, Damian Priest, Carmelo Hayes, and Sami Zayn were also deemed insufficiently fresh or impactful for Rhodes to face.
Recent reports suggest WWE plans to book another WrestleMania main event featuring Cody Rhodes against Roman Reigns, continuing a trend of high-profile but repetitive matchups. This likely indicates Rhodes’ current reign will end with a loss to Reigns or another top part-time star.
Fan Take: This situation matters to WWE fans because it highlights the gap between Cody Rhodes’ undeniable talent and the missed creative opportunities that fail to elevate his championship reign. How WWE handles Rhodes going forward could significantly impact the company’s ability to build fresh, exciting storylines and retain fan interest in the long term.
