His one WWE primary goal in mind for 2024
When Cody Rhodes lifted his hands at the end of his first-ever run through his father’s signature match, WarGames, at the 2023 Elimination Chamber, it seemed like the world was the second-generation Superstar’s oyster in WWE, Matty Breisch reports for Clutch Points.
He’d just finished out the final Premium Live event of 2023 with a massive win, his seventh big win on a Premium Live Event in nine tries, and it looked like his spot headlining WrestleMania 40 in a red carpet rematch against Roman Reigns in South Philadelphia felt like a borderline guarantee… barring injury or something spectacular, of course.
Unfortunately for the “American Nightmare,” not one but two spectacular happenings occurred, with CM Punk returning to The Fed at the end of the Elimination Chamber and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson following suit a few weeks later on RAW Day 1.
Discussing the return of a pair of defining Superstars from eras past in an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Rhodes let it be known that he doesn’t care who WWE adds to the roster. All that matters to him is proving why he deserves to be the top guy moving forward.
“The Rock is ‘The Great One’ – he’s still electrifying. CM Punk is one of the greatest stars in the history of wrestling. I know what I’m up against. Look at the roster – it’s loaded with stars. But that doesn’t bother me. I’m not cringing. I’m not rooting against anyone else; I’m just working to make it happen,” Cody Rhodes told Sports Illustrated.
“This job, it’s not like punching a clock. It’s an enjoyable movement with the fans. We’re enjoying this moment that we’re having together. And I only get better with a heavy schedule. I can be the best I’ve ever been because I do it frequently.
“That confidence has been snowballing. I hit milestones I didn’t anticipate. Beating Brock Lesnar twice, for example. I keep thinking, ‘What’s better than this?’ It’s the way each of those moments has connected with the fans. They’ve given me their trust. That has made me even more confident.”
So, with all of that in mind, what is Rhodes’ goal for 2024? Is it still to #FinishTheStory, and if so, what does that even mean? In the humble opinion of Rhodes, the answer is simple: He wants to be “The Face That Runs the Place.”
“The milestones keep building. We keep climbing to new levels. Now I keep asking myself, ‘Who is the face of the place?’ That’s what I want. That’s another level I need to attain. Hopefully, that starts at the Royal Rumble.”
Alright, excluding borrowing a moniker from John Cena, it’s worth noting that WWE doesn’t have a “face” of the promotion at the moment, as Roman Reigns doesn’t wrestle enough to justify that designation. If Rhodes can win the Royal Rumble once more and punch his ticket to a central event spot at WrestleMania 40, it’ll go a long way in establishing himself as the new face of WWE.
Matt Hardy believes Cody Rhodes can still #FinishTheStory.
Regarding Cody Rhodes’ desire for a rematch with Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40, Matt Hardy recently discussed his former co-worker’s prospects after Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson returned on RAW Day 1.
While some may want to push all the chips into the table for WWE’s most significant match at its biggest show of the year, Hardy thinks the game should still belong to Rhodes, as he’s earned the opportunity.
“I just think it’s the right thing to do,” Matt Hardy noted on his podcast via Wrestling Inc. “He’s a guy that is around full time, working 24/7, working harder than anybody else is, and I think he’s the guy that is their top babyface, the guy to build the brand kind of around right now. So, yeah, I do think it’s going to happen.”
Asked if he thinks Reigns-Rock has to happen at WrestleMania, Hardy said no, noting that he believes the promotion could place Johnson or Rhodes on another card and still get the desired impact from the finishes.
“I don’t think the match has to be at WrestleMania. The match could be at WrestleMania,” Hardy noted. “The Cody stuff could happen another time. The Cody stuff could happen at WrestleMania. I don’t know. We’ll have to see how it plays out. But, I think Cody will win the World Title that will help finish his story.”
Would fans care if Rhodes won the title at SummerSlam 2024 instead of WrestleMania 40? I mean, probably not, especially if that allowed Reigns to leapfrog Hulk Hogan in the all-time standings – depending on the date, it likely would – but hey, fans will have to tune into the “Road to WrestleMania,” beginning at the Royal Rumble, to find out.
