100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)
26. Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes (WrestleMania 40)
Disappointment was clinging to the oxygen inside SoFi Stadium when Cody Rhodes juuuuust came up short against Bloodline overseer Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39. On socials, comments poured in criticising Triple H for avoiding a happy ending in favour of more Roman dominance, but the wait was worth it one year later when WWE finally "finished the story" at 'Mania 40.
They went blockbuster sports entertainment overload on it too. Everyone from The Usos, Solo Sikoa and Seth Rollins to John Cena, The Rock and even The Undertaker (who was believed to be a last-minute replacement for Steve Austin) invaded as WWE mixed the current product with some Attitude/Ruthless Aggression Era greatest hits.
Seeing Rollins come out rocking his old Shield gear was a trip, and it hilariously had some pondering whether or not AEW's Jon Moxley would show face. Spoiler alert: He wouldn't. There were enough bells and whistles in Philly to last a lifetime though, then Cody cut through all of the outside noise to finally, finally bag the WWE Title.
Rhodes clutched onto that thing like he was holding a precious gem in the immediate aftermath, and countless happy faces hit the ring to celebrate alongside him. It was a true 'Mania moment. One for the ages, and a reminder that sometimes it's best to wait on happy endings rather than pull the trigger on them early.
Cody and Roman had managed to hone their chemistry by 'Mania 40 too. Their match was a vast improvement overall, and not only 'cause it had so many distractions from elsewhere.