10 Things WWE Wants You To Forget About WrestleMania 41

Cody Rhodes spent 378 days as Undisputed WWE Champion. That’s over a year of blood, sweat, and emotionally-charged promos about finishing stories, carrying legacies, and proving doubters wrong. And for the most part, he did just that — with a white-hot babyface run that had fans fully behind him.

So when WrestleMania 41 rolled around and Cody found himself face-to-face with John Cena, the stakes couldn’t have been higher. With history on the line, and in the final moments, with the referee down and the belt within reach, Cody had a choice.

And he hesitated.

He looked at the belt — the very thing he’d sacrificed everything to keep — and decided not to use it. Not because he was above it. Not because he was trying to prove a point. But because... well, actually, WWE never really gave us a reason. He just didn’t.

And that’s where the story falls apart.

This wasn’t a sudden crisis of conscience. This was a man who had spent a year doing whatever it took to stay champion. The idea that he’d suddenly grow a moral backbone in the most important match of his career, against the most decorated champion in WWE history, just didn't track.

It wasn’t noble. It was nonsensical.