Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes is proving to be a champion of the people after agreeing to meet a young fan celebrating their birthday. 

On Twitter, a user by the name of Nicole shared a video of a young fan named Brentley who was ecstatic to receive tickets to an upcoming WWE event for his birthday. When Nicole said she and Brentley would love to meet Rhodes, the American Nightmare was confident something could be arranged and wished Brentley a happy birthday. 

I think we can arrange that

Somebody from @WWE will reach out

Can’t wait to meet you – Happy Birthday! ? ?? https://t.co/VWofeGQ5pq

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) April 14, 2024

Cody Rhodes & The Fans

This is hardly the first time Rhodes has gone the extra mile to make a show special for a fan. Recently, Rhodes got up close and personal with a visually impaired fan at a WWE event who held a sign saying they were trying to see him. This heartwarming interaction came about mere weeks after Rhodes agreed to be the Best Man at a fan’s wedding.

Last year, Rhodes began gifting pieces of tables used in Extreme Rules matches to fans at WWE live events. For the final live Raw of 2023, Rhodes went even further and gifted a Christmas Tree to a fan.

Speaking of the Holidays, Rhodes made one young fan’s season extra special by sending a signed Cody Rhodes authentic weight belt. Rhodes’ gifts to fans have even gone into bizarre territory as the American Nightmare gifted a fan Rhea Ripley’s gum earlier this year. 

In January 2024, Rhodes agreed to be the best man at a fan’s upcoming wedding. He also gifted tickets to WrestleMania 40 the popular ‘Wrestling Club’ of KIPP AMP Middle School In Brooklyn, New York so they could see him finish the story in person. 

Cody’s generosity seemingly knows no bounds and he has shown once again why he can be the face of WWE. Fans can expect much more from Cody Rhodes in this new era, both in and out of the ring. 

Cody Rhodes wasn’t made fully aware of all the perks of being the top champion in WWE and he actually got surprised by his pyro during the dark match entrance after SmackDown went off air.

The American Nightmare opened tonight’s show. He first talked about his Universal Championship win and then confirmed that he will be defending the title at the upcoming Backlash: France event.

The new champion came out once again for a dark match after the show went off air. He successfully defended his title against ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio and cut a promo for the crowd after the match was over:

What Happened On SmackDown

Elsewhere in the show we also saw a huge change in the order of the Bloodline. While Roman Reigns wasn’t present for the episode, Paul Heyman alongside Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso were involved in a segment.

Heyman first claimed that they take accountability for the WrestleMania loss. Before he could finish his promo, however, Sikoa took the mic and declared that losing has consequences. This was in reference to Jimmy losing his WrestleMania 40 match against brother Jey Uso.

A hooded figure then appeared out of nowhere and beat down Jimmy Uso, essentially kicking him out of the faction. The figure revealed himself as the newest member of The Bloodline – Tama Tonga.

Solo and Tonga delivered a brutal beatdown to Jimmy and the segment ended with Heyman joining them while they returned to the back.

Elsewhere in the show, we also saw Bron Breakker winning his first singles match after saying goodbye to NXT and Jade Cargill teaming up with Bianca Belair for a victory over Chelsea Green and Piper Niven.

Tonight’s 4/12 WWE SmackDown takes place from Detroit, Michigan at the sold-out Little Caesars Arena. Over 13,000 wrestling fans will be on hand to witness the fallout from WrestleMania 40 and the start of a new era on Friday nights.

Here’s what WWE is advertising for the show: 

• Cody Rhodes will appear
• Bayley will celebrate her championship win at WrestleMania

Plus, a mini-tournament will also kick off tonight to determine the #1 contender to Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. We’ll see two triple-threat matches, with the winners squaring off next week to determine the next challenger:

• Kevin Owens vs. Rey Mysterio vs. AJ Styles
• Santos Escobar vs. LA Knight vs. Bobby Lashley

This is expected to be an eventful show. WWE always shakes things up after WrestleMania with new storylines and feuds. The Bloodline is in utter turmoil following WrestleMania 40. Roman Reigns has been conquered, The Rock is leaving again and Paul Heyman needs to figure out what to do with himself with the Tribal Chief cast into exiled. Could we see a New Bloodline emerge?

Looking Ahead

WWE DRAFT: During the RAW after WrestleMania, it was confirmed that the next WWE Draft is going down this month. The WWE Draft will be taking place on April 26th for SmackDown and April 29th for RAW. So, we only have a limited time left with these current rosters.

BACKLASH: WWE Backlash: France takes place Saturday, May 4 from Lyon, France. Jey Uso won a #1 contender’s match on Raw to become  the next challenger to new World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest. While not confirmed, this clash is expected for Backlash.

Welcome the Daily Drop, your daily roundup of wrestling news and rumors for Wednesday, April 10. Last night’s NXT carried on after Stand & Deliver, and we saw what was possibly Bron Breakker’s final farewell on the brand.

After Bron Breakker and Baron Corbin lost the NXT Tag Team Titles this week, Breakker addressed the NXT fans with a goodbye speech.

EXCLUSIVE: @bronbreakkerwwe reflects on his time in NXT and thanks the NXT Universe one last time.#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/nDWitOozm4

— WWE (@WWE) April 10, 2024

Let’s get into today’s edition of the Daily Drop!

WWE:

– The Final Boss Gets Stock: TKO awarded The Rock with $9.4 million in company stock after WrestleMania 40. In total, he was given 96,558 additional shares, adding to around 400,000 shares of TKO stock is already had currently valued at approximately $39 million.

– Cody Rhodes Merch Sales: Cody had an incredible WrestleMania 40 weekend, and in the end, WWE sold over $1 million in his merch.

– Damian Priest Contract Status: Priest confirmed after his WWE World Heavyweight Championship win that he inked a new contract with the company.

– Cody Rhodes Made History: The American Nightmare made history at WrestleMania by racking up a triple crown title win. Rhodes became the fourth wrestler in history to hold the WWE World Championship and the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion.

– The Nightmare’s New Fur Baby: Rhea Ripley celebrated her big WrestleMania 40 win by getting a new dog. Via her Instagram stories, she introduced fans to Bella.

– Seth Rollins’ Injury Hiatus: Rollins lost the WWE World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania, and he’s taking some time off. A recent report stated that Rollins won’t be out of action for long, as he just needs to rest up his knee injury.

– Cody Tops The Rock: Cody Rhodes actually beat The Rock in Google search volume on April 8, the day after his big WrestleMania 40 win over Roman Reigns.

AEW:

– Tony Khan Talks Footage: Khan has doubled-down that they are not bait and switching fans with the CM Punk footage.

– Limited Edition Merch: AEW has a new “Swerve When I Drive” t-shirt featuring Prince NaNa. This will be a limited edition offering, and you can check it out below.

This limited edition @princekingnana “Swerve When I Drive” shirt is only available until 1pm ET TOMORROW at https://t.co/9hHlXpcSbp! Order yours today, so you don’t miss out!#shopaew #aew #aewdynamite #aewrampage #aewcollision pic.twitter.com/t6MvXLeXaP

— ShopAEW.com (@ShopAEW) April 8, 2024

– AEW Collision Rating: The April 6th AEW Collision show had about 463,000 people watching on average overnight, and it scored 0.15 for viewers aged 18 to 49. This is a bit higher than the last show, which had 458,000 viewers and a 0.11 score in the same age group.

AEW Dynamite Card This Week (4/10):

• TNT Championship: Adam Copeland (c) vs. Penta El Zero Miedo
• AEW World Championship Eliminator Match: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Dustin Rhodes
• Mariah May vs. Anna Jay
• Chris Jericho, HOOK, & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shane Taylor Promotions (Anthony Ogogo, Shane Taylor, & Lee Moriarty)
• Matthew & Nicholas Jackson will reveal backstage footage from AEW All In at Wembley Stadium
• Toni Storm to toast Thunder Rosa

Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Pay-Per-View Events:

• AEW is coming to St. Louis, MO with AEW: Dynasty LIVE on PPV on Sunday, April 21st at Chaifetz Arena
• Backlash France is scheduled for May 4th at LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, France.
• WWE NXT Battleground is booked for May 26th at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, exclusively available on the WWE Network and Peacock.
• WWE Money in the Bank will be held on July 6th at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, followed by WWE NXT Heatwave on July 7th at the same venue.
• WWE Bash In Berlin is marked for August 31st at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany.

Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Universal Championship win at WrestleMania 40 continues to make history as the new champion has joined a very exclusive club.

Rhodes ended the 1,316-day reign of Roman Reigns in an emotional main event to WrestleMania 40: Sunday on April 7. With this win, Rhodes becomes the fourth wrestler in history to have held the WWE World Championship and the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion. He joins an elite club of talent that includes the inaugural WWE Champion Buddy Rogers, 16-time World Champion Ric Flair, and the Phenomenal AJ Styles. 

This fact was pointed out on social media by Brian R. Solomon, an author of several wrestling books. In 2022, his book ‘Blood and Fire: The Unbelievable Real-Life Story of Wrestling’s Original Sheik’ won the Wrestling Observer’s ‘Best Book’ award for the year. His next book, Irresistible Force: The Life and Times of Gorilla Monsoon, is scheduled to be released in 2024. 

Triple Crown History

Rhodes didn’t just join the exclusive club of WWE/NWA World Champions, but he also made history by becoming the first person in his own unique club. With his win, Rhodes became the first man to have held the WWE, NWA, and Ring of Honor World Championships. Rhodes won the NWA title from Nick Aldis at 2018’s All In show. His Ring of Honor World Championship win would come the year prior with a victory over Christopher Daniels at Best in the World 2017.

The American Nightmare is certainly riding high with his victory at WrestleMania 40: Sunday. The fans are clearly behind Rhodes who also achieved a new personal record over WrestleMania week. 

Cody Rhodes finally finished his Story at WrestleMania 40 by defeating Roman Reigns to bring the WWE Championship home to his family. Cody’s win was celebrated around the world by his legion of fans who are proud to show their support for the American Nightmare.

WrestleMania 40 was monumentally successful in many ways and we’ve just learned a new one. Fightful Select reports that WWE sent an internal company memo touting that Cody Rhodes merchandise grossed over $1 million during WrestleMania weekend.

The amount of Cody Rhodes merchandise in the crowd at WWE events is a sure sign that they have the right Superstar on top.

WWE released a commemorative t-shirt immediately following Cody’s win with the phrase, “The Story Continues.”

Cody Rhodes also out-performed The Rock in terms of Google searches on Monday, April 8, after he won the Undisputed Universal Title. Cody obviously has the WWE Universe’s attention right now, and for good reason.

WrestleMania 40 took place in Philadelphia on April 6 and 7 in Lincoln Financial Field. WWE SmackDown (4/5) and the RAW After WrestleMania (4/8) were both held in the Wells Fargo Center.

Cody Rhodes’ WWE Contract Situation

Rhodes previously stated that it was his goal to retire from in-ring competition before he turned 40. Cody Rhodes recently signed a new multi-year contract with WWE. The 38-year-old second-generation Superstar revealed this fact in a recent interview.

While speaking with Justin Walker, Cody confirmed that “40 is out of the question just because, not to give you scoop, it was widely reported, but I did sign a new contract with WWE. It extends beyond my 40th birthday.”

He does not have an immediate challenger for the Undisputed Universal Championship yet, but The Rock made it clear that he is coming back to WWE for a match against the American Nightmare.

WrestleMania XL is in the books and the show was a blockbuster success by every conceivable metric. WWE’s latest press release touts too many broken records to list here.

Business was booming last year, but 2023’s numbers seem tame compared to what Triple H and company delivered this past weekend. The live gate for WrestleMania XL was up a staggering 78% from last year’s record, while viewership surged 41%. 

Looking at Google search volume, The Rock won the weekend. However, Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns received more Google searches than the Final Boss in the day following their legendary clash, an incredible feat when you see the chart below. 

Google Trends for WrestleMania XL

Google Trends is a very useful tool that allows you to view the Google search volume for any phrase during a period of time across various regions and formats. The data we’re using here is for Worldwide searches.

Dwayne Johnson is one of the most famous people in the world, so it’s no surprise that his usual search volume resembles a megastar like Beyonce than anybody in WWE.  (The Rock had higher search volume over the past 90 days, but Beyonce had the 3 highest spikes during that period – More)

Despite this built-in advantage, Rhodes still prevailed. Over the past 12 months, The Rock averaged 13x greater search volume than the new champion, which makes this feat even more impressive. The Rock says he returned to elevate WWE and this metric of fan interest shows he did just that:

The Rock and Cody Rhodes shared a ring for the third consecutive night on Monday’s WWE Raw. The 45-minute segment featured some memorable moments, including a “this is awkward” chant, The Rock delivering a comeback to the crowd that longtime fans may have recognized and a mysterious cliffhanger fans are trying to figure out.

The Rock told Cody Rhodes and the WWE Universe that he needs to leave again, but he’ll be back. When he returns, he plans to face the face of this new era, whether he’s still champion by then or not. Cody Rhodes vs. The Rock sure sounds like a WrestleMania main event.

John Cena stated on Monday at WWE World that his Hollywood schedule will keep him busy through the end of the year, so he’s taking time off as well. From there, Cena plans to go on one final run before calling it a career.

Hopefully we won’t have to wait until 2025 to see them again, but Cena and Rock are making it known they’re not retired.

However you feel about The Rock’s on-screen character, his latest WWE run was a resounding success. This is supported by WrestleMania breaking so many records, as well as the interest surrounding Cody Rhodes as the Rock rides off into the sunset. 

Welcome the Daily Drop, your daily roundup of wrestling news and rumors for Tuesday, April 9. Last night was the RAW after WrestleMania 40, and Jey Uso is the new #1 contender for Damian Priest’s World Heavyweight Title.

Before we get going, there was a very ominous glitch during the RAW after WrestleMania. The live crowd also heard a strange clip from a song that they didn’t know, as the lights were cut out for a bit. Something is certainly brewing, and you can get all the info we have so far in our report.

You can find what happened after RAW this week here, as the company wrapped up WrestleMania week. Check out our complete WrestleMania 40 Saturday coverage by visiting our WrestleMania 40 hub.

Now, let’s get into today’s Daily Drop!

WWE:

– Damien Priest’s Cash-In: I asked around about Priest’s cash-in at WrestleMania 40. This was not a last-minute booking, because the company has been planning this for six months. 

I can confirm that Priest’s cash-in was not a last minute booking. WWE planned Damian Priest’s MITB cash-in at Mania for six months.

— Aaron (@AaronVarble) April 9, 2024

– Time Off: Seth Rollins is expected to take some time off. His knee needs to heal up a bit.

– WWE Draft Confirmed: During the RAW after WrestleMania, it was confirmed that the next WWE Draft is going down this month. The WWE Draft will be taking place on April 26th for SmackDown and April 29th for RAW.

–Cody and Bray Connection: It turns out that the mask Cody Rhodes wore at WrestleMania 40 has a connection to Bray Wyatt, because he used the same man, Jason Baker, to construct his mask.

–Mick Foley Cancels: Foley has officially called off his last match, so he will never wrestle again at this point.

–Samantha Irvin: WWE ring announcer Samantha Irvin received some huge props from legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer after her WrestleMania performance.

– John Cena Returns: Cena returned for a spot during the RAW after WrestleMania 40. He helped Awesome Truth beat Judgment Day, but Cena isn’t expected to be back for any longer run at this time. He did express a desire for Hollywood to “pump the brakes” so he can make a WWE return for one more run.

– TKO Buying Vince’s Shares: TKO is buying a ton of stock from Vince McMahon. He will still have millions in the company, but his ownership percentage is down to under 5% now.

WWE NXT Card (4/9):

• NXT Tag Team Championship Match: The Wolfdogs vs. Nathan Frazer & Axiom
• Appearance by Je’Von Evans
• Appearance by Natalya

AEW:

– MJF Gets Flowers: Cody Rhodes said he’s proud of MJF, as he praised him in a big way.

– Mark Henry Controversy: The World’s Strongest Man caused a bit of controversy when he said that Kairi Sane showed disrespect for the business at WrestleMania 40.

AEW Dynamite Card This Week (4/10):

• TNT Championship: Adam Copeland (c) vs. Penta El Zero Miedo
• AEW World Championship Eliminator Match: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Dustin Rhodes
• Mariah May vs. Anna Jay
• Chris Jericho, HOOK, & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shane Taylor Promotions (Anthony Ogogo, Shane Taylor, & Lee Moriarty)
• Matthew & Nicholas Jackson will reveal backstage footage from AEW All In at Wembley Stadium
• Toni Storm to toast Thunder Rosa

Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Pay-Per-View Events:

• AEW is coming to St. Louis, MO with AEW: Dynasty LIVE on PPV on Sunday, April 21st at Chaifetz Arena
• Backlash France is scheduled for May 4th at LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, France.
• WWE NXT Battleground is booked for May 26th at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, exclusively available on the WWE Network and Peacock.
• WWE Money in the Bank will be held on July 6th at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, followed by WWE NXT Heatwave on July 7th at the same venue.
• WWE Bash In Berlin is marked for August 31st at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany.

Fans were expecting to see The WWE Avengers assembling for Cody Rhodes’ WrestleMania 40 battle against The Bloodline and they were not disappointed.

Not only people such as Jey Uso and Seth Rollins came out to help even the odds but fans were greeted with the welcome surprise of John Cena and Undertaker making an appearance to help The American Nightmare finally finish the story.

The new Undisputed WWE Champion was asked about these cameos during his appearance on the Pat McAfee Show after the PLE. He first noted how everyone who came down to the ring brought a unique characteristic with them:

“I think one of the most exciting parts about this moment where individuals start showing up is everybody brings something uniquely different.

I had not forgot in a negative way. It just had been some time since I had felt what it’s like when John Cena runs down to that ring. The level of just energy and effect and his commitment to hearing the people and giving the people what they want. That was something special to see.

The Undertaker, the only real thread with me and The Undertaker is simply that I’m up against one of his opponents. But when I saw the Undertaker, that to me, it just felt like here’s the old sheriff. Here’s the guard. Here’s the judge. Here was 40 years of WrestleMania and I was really impressed and blown away and touched at The Undertaker being part of that.”

The Best Era Ever: Cody Rhodes

Despite the inclusion of some of wrestling’s biggest legends, the final chapter of this theatrical played out between Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins. The Architect fulfilled his promise to be Cody’s Shield. The obsession with his former partner’s betrayal is what ultimately caused The Tribal Chief his title.

Speaking about the ending of the match, Rhodes mentioned that he loves the past eras of wrestling but this proves that the current era is the best ever:

“You gotta wonder how does it feel when you have The Undertaker, when you have ‘The Final Boss’ The Rock. When you have these luminary figures and the last thing you’re seeing is myself, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.

That is a testament to what I have been saying before even AEW. I love the Attitude Era with all my heart. I love the golden age of the 1980s, but we are in the best era ever.”

You can check out Cody Rhodes’ full interview below:

If you use any quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Cody Rhodes is excited to see what’s to come in the future for MJF and the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion sees big things ahead for the ‘Scumbag.’

Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Rhodes’ interview was interrupted by a crowd chant for MJF. Acknowledging the moment, Rhodes put over the former AEW World Champion. 

“His ex-girlfriend painted that picture of me getting busted open by The Rock. Yeah, and The Rock bought it.

“You got to stand by your guy, though. You know what I’m saying? You stand by your boy. MJF is my boy. Shout out to MJF. Wonderful kid. Huge, huge, huge future.”

Rhodes and MJF are no strangers. In AEW, MJF acted as a protege of Rhodes before betraying the American Nightmare during Cody’s sole AEW World Championship opportunity. The pair would later feud with MJF coming out on top at AEW Revolution 2020. 

What’s to Come? 

On the post-WrestleMania Raw, Rhodes basked in his victory at the Premium Live Event before being interrupted by The Rock. The Final Boss admitted that he’s going away for a while but will be coming for Rhodes when he returns. He also handed Rhodes something and warned him not to break his heart again. 

As for MJF, he continues to be out of action and was last seen in the ring at AEW Worlds End in December 2023. While MJF was recently seen backstage at AEW Dynamite, there’s still no confirmation as to when fans can see him. Whenever he appears next, it’ll be for AEW as it was reported last year that MJF had signed a new contract with AEW despite teasing leaving for WWE.

Cody Rhodes’ entrance at WrestleMania 40 saw the involvement of a legend of the masks and effects industry to make his time in Philadelphia extra special. 

Ahead of his emotional Undisputed WWE Universal Championship victory over Roman Reigns, Rhodes entered Lincoln Financial Field with his wife Brandi. Rhodes also bore a skull mask that was designed around his ‘American Nightmare’ insignia. 

On social media, it was revealed that Jason Baker was the one behind Rhodes’ WrestleMania 40: Sunday mask. Rhodes shared a backstage selfie wearing the mask as a test and made sure to tag Baker in the picture. 

Who is Jason Baker? 

Baker, a protege of horror movie effects legend Tom Savini, is no stranger to working with WWE. He previously created the Fiend mask for Bray Wyatt and also was heavily involved in Wyatt’s presentation upon returning to WWE in late 2022. He was also close friends with Wyatt.

In 2021, it was reported that Baker and Wyatt were working on a film together, which was set to be produced in-house by Baker’s Calloseum Studios. Unfortunately, that film will not come out now given Wyatt’s passing in August 2023. 

While best known for his work with Wyatt, Baker has also created masks for other Superstars including Asuka and Finn Balor. He was also responsible for Triple H’s ‘Skull King’ mask that the Game wore at WWE WrestleMania 30 in 2014. The Game would arrive with masked women (Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss) and opened the show with a loss to Daniel Bryan.  

WrestleMania 40 saw Cody Rhodes finish his story, but this is just the beginning. The RAW after WrestleMania included a very interesting segment indeed.

Cody Rhodes started off WWE RAW this week as Triple H introduced him in the ring. They played a video package for Cody, and then he was left in the ring to start his first promo as champion.

The Rock interrupted Cody Rhodes’ speech, and he received a total heel reaction. He got in the ring, and he didn’t even get to say a word before the Philly crowd chanted, “shut the f*ck up” at him over and over again. They even had to bleep it on television.

Another HUGE record broken, as announced by @TheRock!#RawAfterMania pic.twitter.com/XcP7mFFKQV

— WWE (@WWE) April 9, 2024

Finally, The Rock said that he was out there to give Cody Rhodes his flowers. He also said that Philly broke another record for the biggest gathering of trailer park trash.

Fans were on fire for the segment, as they didn’t give The Rock any love as he raised his People’s Championship. They obviously didn’t want to show respect to The Great One.

The Rock then said that fans can chant whatever they want, because this was between himself and Cody. After reminding Cody everything that he went through on the road to WrestleMania, Dwayne Johnson then said that Dusty Rhodes had a big smile on his face during Mania.

After saying that Dusty was his hero, The Rock said Cody’s new belt looks beautiful with his American Nightmare name plate. Then he asked if there’s any way that The Rock can hold the title.

Cody agreed to The Rock’s request to hold his title for a moment, if they can switch titles. Then Cody took the People’s Championship from The Rock as Johnson took a closer look at Cody’s championship.

Can @TheRock hold the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship?#RawAfterMania pic.twitter.com/l4zrMtxvz0

— WWE (@WWE) April 9, 2024

Fans chanted “this is awkward,” as The Rock said it “feels right” to hold the Cody’s title. They switched titles again, and The Rock said he has to go away for a while. This made the fans very happy to hear.

The Rock said that he’s coming back to Cody Rhodes, whether he’s champion or not. Cody said he’s looking forward to it, and then Rock reminded him that he pinned Cody at WrestleMania Saturday.

"Our story has just begun."#RawAfterMania pic.twitter.com/rowZXf6ayq

— WWE (@WWE) April 9, 2024

The People’s Champion said that Cody ended his story with Roman Reigns, “but our story has just begun.” That received a rousing “Cody” chant from the crowd.

"You ARE my champion."#RawAfterMania pic.twitter.com/JMTBjXda0x

— WWE (@WWE) April 9, 2024

Before the segment ended, Cody reminded The Rock that he may be the boss, because he’s on the TKO board of directors, but The American Nightmare is still champion. Then The Rock gave Cody something, but we didn’t see what he gave him. Rock simply said that Cody doesn’t even need to look at what it is, and “don’t you ever break my heart again.”

The Rock hands Cody Rhodes something. He says that Cody Rhodes doesn't even have to open his hand to know what it is, and tells Cody to never break his heart again pic.twitter.com/LXSURadVcS

— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) April 9, 2024

WWE’s Original WrestleMania 40 Plan

The Rock’s return on the road to WrestleMania 40 did not start out with the destination we ended up in. Rock wanted a match against Roman Reigns, but fan reaction played a huge part in changing that booking.

Cody Rhodes was initially supposed to go out of action with a kayfabed injury to take him out of the match, with him getting his match against Roman Reigns down the line. After The Rock conceded that Cody should face Roman Reigns instead, WWE changed up their booking plan for the show of shows. 

Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes will never forget that it was the fans who helped make his historic victory at WrestleMania 40: Sunday a reality. 

At the April 7, event, Rhodes ended the 1,316-day reign of Roman Reigns to become the new champion. Rhodes’ desire to ‘finish the story’ and capture a WWE World Championship (a feat his father never reached) has been pivotal to his career since returning to WWE in 2022. 

Speaking on The Today Show, Rhodes reflected on his historic victory inside Lincoln Financial Field. 

“Oh, it feels just so sweet. And it’s validating, because this main event yesterday, WrestleMania 40, it was totally willed into existence by the fans. We were going to go one way, we were thinking Rock Vs. Roman Reigns. They made it clear they wanted something else and we got to the finish line.”

At #WrestleMania 40, @CodyRhodes #CodyRhodes defeated Roman Reigns making him the @WWE undisputed universal champion.

He joins TODAY to talk about earning the belt and what his father, the late wrester Dusty Rhodes, would think about the achievement. #FinishTheStory pic.twitter.com/0SivtGch9b

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 8, 2024

We Want Cody

Rhodes’ win may have never happened if not for the WWE Universe. Despite Cody’s victory in the 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble match, WWE teased a match between Reigns & The Rock during the following SmackDown. 

Outraged at the prospect of the Hollywood star taking the opportunity from Rhodes, the WWE Universe responded in droves both at events and on social media. Chants of ‘Rocky Sucks’ would fill WWE events, a stark contrast to the usual reaction to the ‘People’s Champion.’ 

Realizing a change was needed, WWE had The Rock turn heel and Rhodes was thrust back into the Universal title picture. According to The Rock though, the plan was always for Rhodes Vs. Reigns, despite what was teased on-screen. 

Cody Rhodes officially finished his story at WrestleMania 40, but an important question remains – what’s next?

Following Rhodes’ victory over Roman Reigns in the night two main event of WrestleMania 40, WWE Superstars Charlotte Flair and CM Punk shared their thoughts (via ESPN) on what may lay ahead for the brand new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. According to Flair, Rhodes’ win over Reigns could simply be a marker for the start of his story. 

“I really think his story is just beginning,” Flair said. “He’s exactly where he should be, but the biggest takeaway is Cody was here. He went away, he came back. Kind of like Paul Heyman’s speech at the Hall of Fame, people kept telling him ‘No, No, No’ or things kept failing and that never wavered either person’s confidence. Cody is a testament to knowing your worth and I think that’s what we need to take away from tonight is he believed in himself and he knew that he deserved more. That’s why he walked out WrestleMania 40 as champion.”

CM Punk Issues A Stark Reminder

With his WrestleMania win, Cody Rhodes becomes the first member of the Rhodes family to win the WWE Championship. This also marks the first world championship reign of Cody’s individual career. 

While there is a natural excitement surrounding Cody’s triumph, five-time world champion CM Punk has issued a stark reminder that just because one has reached the proverbial mountaintop, doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll stay there for long.

 “Now listen, a black belt is a white belt that didn’t quit. He just earned his black belt. and unlike his finishing maneuver. we are no longer at a crossroads. I think the path is clear, possibly the Cody Rhodes era,” Punk said. “But I will warn him it is much harder to stay on top than it is to get there and we all saw how hard it was for him to get there. There’s a lot of people gunning for him.” 

As one story ends, another typically begins. With that in mind, it seems as though Cody Rhodes has now teased the possibility of introducing a new title design as well.

Cody Rhodes finished his story at WrestleMania 40, and that could come with a change for the title he will carry. It’s a new era in WWE, and The American Nightmare just teased another change.

Rhodes beat Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 40 in a very emotional match. John Cena and The Undertaker were on hand to help Cody finish his story, and the celebration was a happy one after the Tribal Chief was defeated.

On the morning after WrestleMania 40, Cody Rhodes dropped a very interesting post on Twitter/X. Along with WWE’s current Undisputed Universal Championship, he also had another belt by its side, a throwback design. The caption that Cody picked leads us to believe he may be contemplating carrying that championship instead.

When one good story ends, an even better one begins.

– When one good story ends, an even better one begins – @WWE pic.twitter.com/31S00M6Slm

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) April 8, 2024

Cody Rhodes tagged WWE’s official shop in his post. He also tagged Prime, Logan Paul’s hydration company, because the American Nightmare signed a deal to endorse them.

Cody Rhodes tagged WWE’s official shop in his post. He also tagged Prime, Logan Paul’s hydration company, because the American Nightmare signed a deal to endorse them.

Check out our complete WrestleMania 40 Saturday coverage by visiting our WrestleMania 40 hub.

During the Pat McAfee show at WWE World on April 8, Cody Rhodes said it would be special to see a particular championship. Fans chanted for the winged eagle title. Cody said, “You guys are damn right, the wingled eagle. If it doesn’t happen, don’t get mad at me. I’ll do what I did last time (with the IC Title), I’ll try my best.”

Cody Rhodes Wants To Carry The Winged Eagle Title

Some might think that Cody Rhodes is just teasing another title belt for the sake of it, but he has altered his title belts in the past. Rhodes is the one who pulled for WWE to bring back the white Intercontinental Title belt during his last reign as champion, a design that they kept around for a while until Vince McMahon changed it back after Cody bet on himself and left the company.

Cody Rhodes has also made it clear in the past that he would like to bring back the Winged Eagle Championship. He said in the past that, “Through my youth, the WWE I was watching, was really synonymous with the Winged Eagle. I think there’s a lot of people who love the Winged Eagle design, some people like the Big Eagle, but the Winged Eagle was the one for me. Today’s design with the giant W is also incredibly special because it’s this walking billboard for the promotion.”

Although Cody previously stated that it is a “pipe dream” to carry the Winged Eagle Championship, you never know what can happen in the Paul Levesque Era of WWE. 

Welcome the Daily Drop, your daily roundup of wrestling news and rumors for Monday, April 8. Last night was WrestleMania Sunday, and Cody Rhodes finished his story. 

After WrestleMania 40’s Sunday event was over, the celebrations and stories kept going. You can check out video footage of what happened here.

Check out our complete WrestleMania 40 Saturday coverage by visiting our WrestleMania 40 hub.

There is a lot to get to, so let’s get started! 

WWE:

– WrestleMania Attire: This was quite a WrestleMania when it comes to entrance attire. You may check out our comprehensive article here.

– 2024 Slammys: WWE presented their Slammy Awards before WrestleMania 40. They had a lot of winners, and we provided live coverage of the event.

– Samantha Irvine’s Big Announcement: After Cody Rhodes’ title win at WrestleMania, Samantha Irvine was in tears, and it was quite a video.

– WWE Changes: Triple H made it clear after WrestleMania 40 that there are a lot of changes to come. 

– Cena Interview: John Cena will be on the Pat McAfee Show on Monday, April 8. We will have notable highlights from that interview.

– Triple H’s Gift: Cody Rhodes received an incredibly emotional gift from Triple H after his big Mania win. It was quite a story, and we invite you to check it out.

– Bloodline May Be Growing: Jacob Fatu was spotted in Philly before WrestleMania 40. We will have to see if he makes his presence felt soon. 

– Paul Heyman’s Induction: We ran an exclusive article about the backstage reaction to Paul’s unfiltered WWE Hall of Fame speech.

AEW:

– Matt Hardy Gone: It was reported after WrestleMania 40 that Matt Hardy is now a free agent. His AEW contract has expired at this point.

– CM Punk Footage: Don’t forget that Tony Khan promised to air the footage of Punk and Jack Perry’s All In brawl during Dynamite this week. That video could break the internet. 

Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Pay-Per-View Events:

• AEW is coming to St. Louis, MO with AEW: Dynasty LIVE on PPV on Sunday, April 21st at Chaifetz Arena
• Backlash France is scheduled for May 4th at LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, France.
• WWE NXT Battleground is booked for May 26th at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, Georgia, exclusively available on the WWE Network and Peacock.
• WWE Money in the Bank will be held on July 6th at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, followed by WWE NXT Heatwave on July 7th at the same venue.
• WWE Bash In Berlin is marked for August 31st at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany.

WrestleMania 40 was an emotional night for many and Samantha Irvin couldn’t help but get choked up in the closing moments of the show’s second night. 

At WWE WrestleMania 40: Sunday, Rhodes finished the story by capturing the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship from Roman Reigns. Rhodes’ desire to become a WWE World Champion (an accolade his father never achieved) has been the vocal point of his career since returning to WWE in 2022. 

Fans watching WWE WrestleMania 40: Sunday may have noticed that Irvin struggled to make the official announcement that Rhodes had become the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. In footage shared online, the Raw announcer can be seen being overcome with emotion seeing her friend finally win ‘the big one.’

We love @SamanthaTheBomb so much. pic.twitter.com/xG1PkS2wHM

— Meelz ?? (@MeelzTV) April 8, 2024

This wasn’t Irvin’s only case of feeling emotional at WWE WrestleMania 40. During the Saturday broadcast, Irvin sounded like she was struggling after Sami Zayn dethroned GUNTHER to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship. 

Samantha Irvin in WWE

Irvin’s passionate announcing has earned her praise from several notable names. Former WWE announcer Lillian Garcia has praised the passion of Irvin and has said she is doing an “amazing job” in the role. Legendary sports announcer Michael Buffer of “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble” fame described Irvin as “awesome” and said in May 2023 that believes she should be front and center when making announcements. 

Yes! She’s been awesome this past weekend on SMACKDOWN, BACKLASH & RAW!
She should be featured in ring center for the main events!

— Michael Buffer (@Michael_Buffer) May 9, 2023

Kayla Braxton said during an edition of the Insight podcast that Irvin is going to be “historical for this company.” In the interview, she added that Irvin has a very hard job but that she’s knocked it out of the park. 

The wrestling world has come out in force to congratulate Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes following his victory at WrestleMania 40. 

In the main event of WWE WrestleMania 40: Sunday, Rhodes ended the 1,316-day reign of Roman Reigns in an emotional ending to the show. After the match, Rhodes celebrated with his fellow Superstars and spoke about being grateful to those who have supported him. 

Wrestling World Reacts

WWE Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque shared a photo with Rhodes and spoke about Cody’s story being history in the making. 

His story has made history. #AndNew @CodyRhodes #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/RJnvDBWutb

— Triple H (@TripleH) April 8, 2024

Rhodes’ wife Brandi borrowed a few lyrics from ‘The Greatest Show’ to express her support for her husband after his victory. 

It's everything you ever want…it's everything you ever need, and it's here right in front of you. This is where you want to be ?? pic.twitter.com/sLdFPnKQo6

— Brandi Rhodes (@TheBrandiRhodes) April 8, 2024

Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair praised the efforts of Rhodes as well as the work of Roman Reigns. The Nature Boy said the match was one of the most athletic and believable main events he’s seen in a long time and that he respects both the former and new champion. 

Congrats @CodyRhodes & @WWERomanReigns For Providing One Of The Most Athletic And Believable Main Events That I’ve Seen In A Long Time. I Hate The Interference, But It All Played Out In Your Favor And It Made The Show More Enjoyable To Watch. I Respect You Both. Thankful To Know… pic.twitter.com/wkYrYQWPfm

— Ric Flair® (@RicFlairNatrBoy) April 8, 2024

John Cena, who aided Rhodes during the match, also congratulated the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. Cena was also grateful that he had the chance to be part of WrestleMania and pointed out that the WWE story never ends.

Grateful to spend time with the #WWE Universe & be a part of #WrestleMania! Congratulations to @CodyRhodes on a history making achievement!

And the best part of it all… the @WWE story NEVER ENDS!!!!

— John Cena (@JohnCena) April 8, 2024

Tommy Dreamer, who had been skeptical as to whether Cody would finish his story, could not have been happier to have been proven wrong. 

I couldn’t be happier to be wrong@CodyRhodes
FINISHED THE FN STORY
Amazing #WrestleMania show
Can’t wait to talk about it tomorrow @BustedOpenRadio pic.twitter.com/ftsOTdiiXG

— Tommy Dreamer (@THETOMMYDREAMER) April 8, 2024

AEW’s Amanda Huber, the wife of Jon ‘Brodie Lee’ Huber, echoed Cody’s sentiments that he gave during the press conference about why the ‘story’ means so much to fans. 

It resonates because it’s real.

?????

— Amanda (@MandaLHuber) April 8, 2024

WWE Raw Commentator Pat McAfee was pleased to see Cody’s win, as he made clear in multiple tweets. 

GOOD FOR YOU CODY RHODES ?#WrestleMania https://t.co/BxgvuXCNpd pic.twitter.com/hXEJMjcsa9

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 8, 2024

The WWE on FOX account also gave credit to the brand-new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. 

STORY FINISHED. ?@CodyRhodes is your NEW Undisputed WWE Universal Champion!#WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/FTeNvUjMcY

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) April 8, 2024

Cody Rhodes received a very meaningful gift from the WWE leadership after his big win against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40.

The American Nightmare took part in the media scrum after finally finishing the story. He was asked why he thinks people resonated with his journey so much.

Rhodes mentioned how it was a father-son story that a lot of people can connect to. Beyond that, however, it was also a tale of someone who wasn’t considered a franchise player and proved himself to be main event worthy:

“I think sometimes it feels like it’s a father-son story, which is something that father-daughter, father-son that a lot of people can see and relate to. But then if I’m truly being honest, I think it’s a story of as much as I had the legacy and I had the last name I didn’t…[I] wasn’t born with all the tools.

My brother’s six-four. Do you know how pissed off I was when I stopped growing? [laughs] My dad and my sister just had all this charisma. I think people resonate that, that works for them. You can make it to the main event. You can make it to being THE main event. I always wanted to be a winning franchise if that makes any sense. At my age and where I’m at in my career, I know that’s not been the story. But I’m very proud of, of what the story has become.

You asked, why it resonates? It’s the only answer I really know – because it’s real. I wanted to be this because at first, he wasn’t and I thought he should have been. Then when he passed away, I failed. I didn’t hand it to him. But it became about, I said this earlier, it was in the hype packages and stuff that was playing – the story was beyond me at that point. I still felt the need to finish it. I’ve been saying all week. I think I said it on First Take too that even if I didn’t believe people believed so I had to do it.”

Cody Rhodes Received A Meaningful Gift

Cody Rhodes also revealed a very special gift he received from WWE officials once he returned backstage after winning the Undisputed Championship:

“I know this isn’t what you asked at all, but something that I wanted to share. I came to the back and Bruce Prichard and Triple H and Nick Khan handed me this [watch] which is the same watch that my dad had that he pawned so that I could go to acting school. So the level of investment and responsibility that the company just put in my hands. I hope I can pay it back. Pay it forward, 100 times over.”

Cody had originally written about the watch in his eulogy for Dusty Rhodes back in 2015: 

“My beautiful Sister Teil will tell you all about “angel money”. And that beautiful gold Rolex…he told me if I ever won the World Title, that I could have it. Just the other night I inquired about that watch, come to find out he had sold it so that I could drive to Los Angeles to chase a dream.” 

https://twitter.com/codyrhodes/status/611332890568327168

You can watch the full media scrum below:

If you use the quotes from the article please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

Ric Flair may be an old rival of Dusty Rhodes, but ‘The Nature Boy’ believes in Cody Rhodes.

‘The American Nightmare’ became the WWE Undisputed Universal Champion by defeating Roman Reigns in the main event of night two of WrestleMania 40, but it was not without its bells and whistles. “The Bloodline Rules” bout between Reigns and Rhodes started off as a single affair until Jimmy Uso got the ball rolling with run-ins that featured the likes of Seth Rollins, Solo Sikoa, John Cena, The Rock and The Undertaker. However, it was Cody who delivered the final blow to ‘The Tribal Chief’ with three Cross Rhodes to become the new champ.

Flair was watching it all unfold somewhere else in Philly and was sure to congratulate ‘The Grandson Of A Plumber’ on a well-deserved win, despite ‘The Dirtiest Player In The Game’ not fully endorsing how he fully finished his story.

“Congrats To Cody Rhodes & Roman Reigns For Providing One Of The Most Athletic And Believable Main Events That I’ve Seen In A Long Time. I Hate The Interference, But It All Played Out In Your Favor And It Made The Show More Enjoyable To Watch. I Respect You Both. Thankful To Know You! Cody, You Finally Lived Your Dad’s Dream! Love You All! WOOOOO! -Naitch”

Congrats @CodyRhodes & @WWERomanReigns For Providing One Of The Most Athletic And Believable Main Events That I’ve Seen In A Long Time. I Hate The Interference, But It All Played Out In Your Favor And It Made The Show More Enjoyable To Watch. I Respect You Both. Thankful To Know… pic.twitter.com/wkYrYQWPfm

— Ric Flair® (@RicFlairNatrBoy) April 8, 2024

While Rhodes had two full nights of WrestleMania, Flair also had a weekend full of signings at WrestleCon this year in downtown Philadelphia. Flair’s daughter Charlotte also made an appearance at the WWE Hall of Fame on Friday night.

Cody Rhodes has at last finished his story by dethroning Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 40: Sunday.

In the main event of the show, Rhodes ended the 1,300+ day reign of the Head of the Table in a hard-fought, emotional victory inside Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field. The match was contested under Bloodline Rules, a stipulation that was decided in the tag-team match from the previous night. 

Cody Wins the Big One

Rhodes entered first and shared the WrestleMania stage with his wife Brandi. An introductory video for the match included Rhodes’ AEW allies The Young Bucks as well as Chris Jericho. 

Can #CodyRhodes finish the story TONIGHT at #WrestleMania XL? pic.twitter.com/wVIZyhVyVS

— WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2024

Despite the stipulation in place, Rhodes entered with only Paul Heyman by his side and had a special entrance with a new theme song. 

#RomanReigns has arrived for the main event of #WrestleMania!

ACKNOWLEDGE your Tribal Chief! pic.twitter.com/NGHaeYNwfP

— WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2024

Rhodes wasted no time in trying to introduce weapons, but Reigns put a table away to the anger of the fans. Reigns would later introduce a kendo stick and lay into the American Nightmare. Reigns would play mind games with his challenger and even hit the Cross Rhodes on the American Nightmare. 

THAT'S CODY'S MOVE!#RomanReigns just used the Cross Rhodes at #WrestleMania!!! pic.twitter.com/cmMiHMk0vt

— WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2024

Not to be outdone, Rhodes would hit Reigns with the Tribal Chief’s Spear. When Cody went for a trio of Cross Rhodes, Jimmy Uso aided his cousin, but was taken out by Jey who speared his brother off of the WrestleMania 40 ramp. 

It's BLOODLINE RULES at #WrestleMania! pic.twitter.com/7a427h3xsI

— WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2024

 When Rhodes attempted the trio of Cross Rhodes again, Solo Sikoa interfered in shades of WrestleMania 39. 

DEJA VU at #WrestleMania! pic.twitter.com/aNkWr38Egh

— WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2024

Sikoa was dispatched of by the returning John Cena, who faced a ghost from his past in the form of The Rock

THE CHAMP IS HERE!!!

It's payback time at #WrestleMania XL! pic.twitter.com/qWwkHtFp0Q

— WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2024

ROCK. CENA.
WRESTLEMANIA. pic.twitter.com/3OHIA3wRWS

— WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2024

The Rock was then confronted by Seth Rollins, clad in Shield gear, but the former World Heavyweight Champion was dispatched of. 

SIERRA
HOTEL
INDIA
ECHO
LIMA
DELTA

WRESTLEMANIA pic.twitter.com/1lFRUqKbFA

— WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2024

The Rock was dispatched of by The Undertaker in a truly stunning moment. 

UNDERTAKER!!!!!!#WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/zUlo3bItZu

— WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2024

With all of the Bloodline dealt with, Rhodes hit three Cross Rhodes to get the win and at last finish his story. 

FINISHED. THE. STORY. ??#CodyRhodes earned that #WrestleMania moment. pic.twitter.com/U5IAnBimgv

— WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2024

After the match, Rhodes celebrated with the Superstars. Rhodes also cut a promo to the fans and brought out Bruce Prichard and Triple H before celebrating some more as WrestleMania 40 went off the air. 

It appears Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins are still partners despite their disheartening loss at the hands of Roman Reigns and The Rock at WrestleMania: Saturday.

The WrestleMania main event was everything fans expected and more. The match which went over 40 minutes was one of the longest bouts in the history of the Show of Shows.

From the start, The Final Boss used every tactic he could to control the bout. This included threatening the referee in order to stop the tag team rules from being enforced.

Both Cody and Seth showed incredible courage despite the overwhelming odds and managed to get the upper hand a few times, only to be taken out again however.

It looked like Cody might actually win the match for his team when he went for a third back-to-back Cross-Rhodes on Reigns but The Rock introduced the weight belt at the last second and turned the match into their favor.

• Sami Zayn Defeats Gunther to Win Intercontinental Championship At WrestleMania 40

What Happened After WrestleMania Saturday

Seth Rollins had already been taken out by a spear through the barricades. So after the belt spot, Roman hit the spear. It allowed The Rock to hit Rock Bottom and finally The People’s Elbow for the win.

Both the cousins had an extended celebration after the match while Cody remained in the ring realizing the effect this loss would have on his match with Roman Reigns tomorrow.

Though it appears that the bond between Rhodes and Rollins remains the same despite the change. As seen in the post-show footage below, Cody helped a beat up Seth to the back after the show went off air:

It appears Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins are in this together still. Onto the craziest #WrestleMania main event tomorrow nightpic.twitter.com/JAR9p67uQR

— Anutosh Bajpai || SEScoops || Wrestling News (@AuthorAnutosh) April 7, 2024

The WrestleMania Sunday main event between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns will now be contested under Bloodline rules. This means we can expect to see more of all four of these contestants tomorrow night.

As evident from the results of tonight’s show, The American Nightmare will have to do something unprecedented if he has to finish the story tomorrow night and a planned mystery spot may turn out to be the catalyst of it all.

WrestleMania 40 promoted the main event of night one as the biggest tag team match of all time. It certainly delivered on every level.

Cody Rhodes is set to battle Roman Reigns during night two of WrestleMania 40 for the Undisputed Universal Heavyweight Title. Seth Rollins will defend his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Drew McIntyre tomorrow night as well.

The main event of WrestleMania’s first night included a very special stipulation. If the Bloodline won the match, then it would be Bloodline Rules for Cody Rhodes’ match against Roman Reigns during the second night. If the babyfaces won, then the Bloodline would be banned.

In the end, The Rock pinned Cody Rhodes’ shoulders to the mat at WrestleMania 40 Saturday. This means it will be Bloodline Rules for the title match at the end of WrestleMania Sunday.

The Match Finish

This match got going slowly as fans took in the scene in front of them. The Rock tagged in eventually, where he squared off against Seth Rollins first. It didn’t take much time for Cody to take the tag, where he put some boots to The Great One for making him bleed.

The DISRESPECT.#WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/ynlGXt4JRS

— WWE (@WWE) April 7, 2024

The referee started counting to 10 as they brawled on the outside of the ring. Then The Rock threatened to fire referee Chad Patton if he ended the match via countout. “I don’t f*ck around,” he said. This allowed everyone in the match to brawl throughout the stadium for a while.

They returned to the ring eventually, where Reigns and Rollins battled it out. Roman was able to tag The Rock, but they didn’t let Cody tag in. The beatdown on Rollins continued after that.

ROMAN REIGNS JUST SPEARED THE ROCK!!!!!#WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/YoOt0F6dvJ

— WWE (@WWE) April 7, 2024

Finally, The Rock latched on a sharpshooter, and Cody ran in the ring to slap him in the face. Seth finally landed a Stomp on Rock, but he didn’t pin him. He did finally make it to Cody Rhodes for the tag as Roman tagged in to give a teaser for the WrestleMania Sunday main event.

Roman Reigns’ nose was busted open during the brawl, and Cody avoided a spear. Then Roman kicked out after a splash when Rhodes tagged in Rollins. As they kept going, it all climaxed in Cody Rhodes putting The Rock through the announce table with a Rock Bottom as Roman speared Seth Rollins through the barricade.

ROCK BOTTOM DE CODY RHODES A THE ROCK SOBRE LA MESA DE COMENTARISTAS HOLY SHIT #WRESTLEMANIA pic.twitter.com/SrkcDlhOj3

— LuigiWrestling (@LuigiWrestling) April 7, 2024

Roman and Cody ended up in the ring, where they traded shots. Then, Cody nailed two Crossroads, and as he was going for a third, The Rock nailed him with his weight belt. Then Roman Reigns nailed a spear before tagging in The Rock.

BLOODLINE. RULES.@TheRock just pinned @CodyRhodes at #WrestleMania XL and tomorrow night's main event will be Bloodline Rules! pic.twitter.com/RbQPaGAUZF

— WWE (@WWE) April 7, 2024

The Rock nailed a Rock Bottom on Cody Rhodes before hitting a People’s Elbow for the clean win.

ACKNOWLEDGE THE FINAL BOSS AND THE TRIBAL CHIEF!#WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/j1pl7d0yCq

— WWE (@WWE) April 7, 2024

Special Entrances

Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins received their standard entrances for this match. If they get a special presentation, it will likely be for their title matches tomorrow night. That being said, the “WOAH” during Cody’s entrance was incredible.

Cody Rhodes Full Entrance #WrestleMania Night 1

April 6 , 2024 pic.twitter.com/iHIQ0i86EP

— DREAM (@TeamCody__) April 7, 2024

The Rock’s entrance included an epic light show with his Final Boss theme. He also came out in the middle of a flaming Brahma Bull logo with the People’s Championship over his shoulder.

ESTA ENTRADA DE THE ROCK. DEL FINAL BOSS. SIN PALABRAS #WRESTLEMANIA pic.twitter.com/P354xXSdEe

— LuigiWrestling (@LuigiWrestling) April 7, 2024

Cody Rhodes is set for the biggest match of his career at WrestleMania 40. That being said, he doesn’t need any distractions, let alone his bus catching fire, but that is exactly what happened.

The American Nightmare updated fans to let them know that his bus caught fire last night in Philadelphia. Everyone seems to be fine, but he was able to grab a couple of things before making it off the bus.

Cody Rhodes dropped a message on Twitter/X to update his fans. He also wanted to make sure that they heard it from him first. He also thanks the Philly fire department for their prompt response.

Before you hear it elsewhere – my tour bus caught fire last night. Everybody is safe and okay The 2 items I grabbed before I got off will probably pop wrestling fans Again, thank you @PhillyFireDept

Before you hear it elsewhere – my tour bus caught fire last night ?

Everybody is safe and okay

The 2 items I grabbed before I got off will probably pop wrestling fans

Again, thank you @PhillyFireDept

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) April 5, 2024

Brandi Rhodes commented to say that this incident was one “hell of a curveball.” Obviously, they were not expecting something like a bus fire to be involved in their WrestleMania week plans.

Hell of a curveball. https://t.co/djxfMgx4Es

— Brandi Rhodes (@TheBrandiRhodes) April 5, 2024

Cody Rhodes’ WrestleMania 40 Plans

Cody Rhodes will wrestle twice at WrestleMania 40. The American Nightmare will team up with Seth Rollins to take on The Rock and Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania on April 6.

If the heel team wins, then it will be Bloodline rules for the Undisputed Universal Title match on April 7. If Cody and Seth are able to win, then the Bloodline will be barred from ringside.

You can check out the WrestleMania 40 Card below

• Night 1 Matches:
  1. Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch for the Women’s World Championship
  2. Gunther (c) vs. Sami Zayn for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
  3. The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor and Damian Priest) (c) vs. #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) vs. The Awesome Truth (The Miz and R-Truth) vs. The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) vs. A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory and Grayson Waller) vs. New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate) – Six-Pack Tag Team Ladder match for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
  4. Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso
  5. Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, and Naomi vs. Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Asuka, and Kairi Sane)
  6. Latino World Order (Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee) vs. Santos Escobar and “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio
  7. The Bloodline (The Rock and Roman Reigns) vs. Cody Rhodes and Seth “Freakin” Rollins
• Night 2 Matches:
  1. Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre for the World Heavyweight Championship
  2. Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley for the WWE Women’s Championship
  3. LA Knight vs. AJ Styles
  4. Logan Paul (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens – Triple threat match for the WWE United States Championship
  5. The Pride (Bobby Lashley, Angelo Dawkins, and Montez Ford) (with B-Fab) vs. The Final Testament (Karrion Kross, Akam, and Rezar) (with Scarlett and Paul Ellering) – Six-man Tag Team Philadelphia Street Fight
  6. Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship (Stipulation to be determined by the result of Night 1’s main event)

Cody Rhodes is doing okay after his tour bus caught fire in what could be a bad omen for the American Nightmare ahead of WrestleMania 40. 

Taking to Twitter, Rhodes wanted fans to hear the news from him first before anywhere else. The 2023 & 2024 Men’s Royal Rumble winner then shared news of the fire before making clear that everybody was safe and okay. Rhodes added that he grabbed two items from the bus that will ‘pop’ fans and expressed his gratitude to the Philadelphia Fire Department. 

Before you hear it elsewhere – my tour bus caught fire last night ?

Everybody is safe and okay

The 2 items I grabbed before I got off will probably pop wrestling fans

Again, thank you @PhillyFireDept

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) April 5, 2024

Cody Rhodes’ Busy Weekend

A bus fire is hardly a great omen for Rhodes to kick off arguably the biggest weekend of his professional wrestling career. At WWE WrestleMania 40: Saturday, Rhodes will team up with Seth Rollins to face Roman Reigns & The Rock. 

The next night, Rhodes will challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. The stipulation for this match will be determined during the previous night’s tag-team match. This match will come one year on from Rhodes’ heartbreaking loss to the Tribal Chief at WrestleMania 39 in Los Angeles, CA. 

Win or lose this weekend, Rhodes will have little time to reflect on what happens at WWE WrestleMania 40. The American Nightmare is expected to appear on the post-WrestleMania edition of Monday Night Raw from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. If history is any indicator, this show will be a raucous night thanks to the international flavor of fans who traveled to Philly for WrestleMania. It’ll also be the final Raw after WrestleMania on broadcast television.