Latest news with #UndisputedWWETitle
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cody Rhodes' absence after WrestleMania hurts his character more than a loss
Cody Rhodes' loss to John Cena at WrestleMania 41 sparked a backlash, as fans, media, and wrestling insiders criticized the scripted finish. The prevailing thought was that it was a bad look for Cody. Near the end of their Undisputed WWE Title match, Rhodes and Cena had a tug-of-war over the title belt. Rhodes came out with it—but instead of using it to strike back for the brutal attack he endured from Cena, Travis Scott, and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson at Elimination Chamber, he froze, looking like a deer in headlights. That hesitation allowed Cena to kick Rhodes in the groin, hit him with the belt, and win his record-setting 17th world title. Advertisement 'Now you look at Cody and go, 'What's wrong with you? You're a damn fool.' You deserve everything you get,' said WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray on the Busted Open podcast. Johnson, conspicuous by his absence at 'Mania, was also critical of the booking during an interview on The Pat McAfee Show. Yet, he remained hopeful that Rhodes could recover from the loss under the right conditions. 'If done right, finessed right, and nuanced right,' said Johnson, 'down the road, that guy not only has an incredible run, again, as babyface champion, but also an unheard-of run as a heel down the road.' Indeed, the road to rebuilding Cody Rhodes seems short. Before WrestleMania, Rhodes often said he admired John Cena, even after Cena's betrayal. When faced with brutalizing his idol, someone he once saw as a friend, it's easy to understand why he hesitated in that crisis. Advertisement With the right presentation, it's hard to imagine fans not accepting Rhodes' explanation. What might be harder to explain, however, is why Rhodes tucked his tail between his legs and went into hiding after such an embarrassing defeat. O Cody, Cody, wherefore art thou, Cody? After losing to Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 39, Cody Rhodes worked harder than ever to become WWE's top star. He had a brutal three-match feud with Brock Lesnar, in which he prevailed. He kept a busy schedule, appearing at live events where he engaged in grueling affairs. When his matches were over, he stayed late after shows to meet with his fans. After winning the Undisputed WWE Title at last year's WrestleMania, Rhodes did not slow down, wrestling over 80 matches. He did that while still engaging with fans well into the night. So, to say Rhodes has earned a break at this time is an understatement. Advertisement But here's the problem, especially as Rhodes works to eclipse John Cena, the man he has idolized. At WrestleMania 28 in 2012, John Cena suffered a humiliating loss to The Rock—this, after years of trash-talking the Hollywood icon. When it was over, Cena sat dejected on the entrance ramp, his soul crushed, much like Cody Rhodes after WrestleMania 41. Two heroes sit in silence, broken by WrestleMania defeats. But while one began his redemption that same night, the other disappeared without a fight. Unlike Rhodes, Cena got off his butt and went to work the next day. He showed up on Raw to congratulate The Rock. Instead, he was greeted by a returning Brock Lesnar, who F-5'd Cena into oblivion. Cena had enough reasons to run away, but he chose to keep coming back to work. Advertisement It's been over a week, and Rhodes has missed the last two episodes of Raw and one episode of SmackDown. Currently, he is advertised as one of the 'Featured Superstars' set to appear this Friday in Des Moines, IA, on SmackDown. However, as the old saying in wrestling goes, 'Card subject to change.' As of April 29, 2025, Cody Rhodes is advertised as a 'Featured Superstar' for this week's SmackDown. If Rhodes skips Des Moines—or disappears from the trail for too long—his absence could hurt him more than a loss. Grief has its place, but it can't last forever, especially in pro wrestling. While his defeat was painful, a true hero is defined by getting back on the horse, not retreating to process emotions. When Rhodes returns, he'll likely ask fans, 'So, what do you wanna talk about?' Hopefully, he has a strong explanation ready—because the answer might be, 'Why'd you go out like a chump, Cody?' Advertisement More from
The Independent
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
What are the rules for WrestleMania 41 matches?
WrestleMania 41 is almost here, with the biggest wrestling show of the year scheduled for two nights in Las Vegas. The event at Allegiant Stadium has been built around the 'heel turn' (villainous personality change!) of John Cena, who is set to compete at WWE 's showpiece event for the final time – before he retires in December. Cena will challenge Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Title in the main event of Night 2, while CM Punk, Logan Paul, Roman Reigns and Rhea Ripley are among the other big names competing. But what are the general rules for WWE matches? That depends on the match type. So, let's get into it... How is a wrestling match won/lost? Most WWE matches are decided by one of the following means: pinfall, submission, countout or disqualification. A pinfall occurs when a wrestler pins their opponent's shoulders to the mat for a three count – as counted by the referee – while a submission occurs when a wrestler taps out or passes out while in a chokehold or a limb lock. A countout occurs when a wrestler cannot re-enter the ring before a count of 10, and a disqualification occurs when a wrestler uses an illegal strike – for example a low blow, or using a weapon like a chair to attack their opponent – or doesn't heed the ref's warnings over certain behaviour. These rules apply in one-on-one matches and tag-team matches (which typically pit teams of two against each other, though sometimes teams of three or more). But what about multi-person matches? There are a few of those this year... Rules for triple threats and fatal four-way matches This year, there will be two triple-threat matches. In the Night 1 main event, Reigns faces CM Punk and Seth Rollins (three competitors, thus 'triple threat'), while Iyo Sky will defend the Women's World Title against Ripley and Bianca Belair. The only fatal four-way, meanwhile, sees Bron Breakker defend his Intercontinental Championship against Penta, Dominik Mysterio and Finn Balor. In these matches, there are no disqualifications or countouts. The bout ends when one competitor pins or submits another – and in a title match, the champion does not need to be directly pinned/submitted to lose their gold. Other stipulations Thus far, there are no 'gimmick' matches announced for WrestleMania 41. However, in case there are, let's explain a few. A table match is won when an opponent is driven through a table, and a ladder match is won when a wrestler climbs a ladder and claims the prize hanging above the ring (often a title belt). The latter example was relevant to WrestleMania 40, because Night 1 involved a six-team ladder match for the Undisputed Tag-Team Titles. Elsewhere at WrestleMania 40, The Pride faced The Final Testament in a 'Philadelphia Street Fight'. In that contest, there were no countouts or disqualifications – so there were plenty of weapons involved. These kinds of matches are often simply referred to as 'No DQ' or 'No Holds Barred' contests.
