10 Secrets Behind WWE's Stunning Current Success

5. Cody Rhodes

Triple H
WWE.com

When Cody Rhodes tiddy fell off in May 2022, just about every single WWE fan booked a Royal Rumble win for 'The American Nightmare' safe in the knowledge that the company wouldn't have anybody else in Roman Reigns' orbit around WrestleMania season.

The world (and World Wrestling Entertainment) changing so drastically between then and now upended the take, but the fantasy booking still became a reality at the 'January Classic' all the same.

Cody's comeback having the perfect conclusion at WrestleMania 39 may face slight difficulty in the form of the awesome Sami Zayn story working alongside it, but at the 'Showcase Of The Immortals', Triple H effectively gets to promote the biggest possible WWE Vs AEW match while putting the AEW guy over the very top WWE because he's not really the AEW guy. He's his.

Rhodes has sold his thirst for the WWE Championship as effectively as he did his desire to be NWA World's Heavyweight Champion in 2018. May more so, considering how much he buried the organisation in his time away. But it's worked perfectly, and in direct contrast to recent years, the Road To WrestleMania feels like it'll simply be fun rather than anxiety-riddled broken rollercoaster with Vince McMahon's destructive finger on the button.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett