100 Greatest WWE WrestleMania Moments
9. Cody Rhodes Finishes His Story (WrestleMania 40)
You could've assembled an army to march on WWE HQ after 'Mania 39's main event. There, Cody Rhodes looked totally distraught after losing to Roman Reigns. Social apps burned brightly with rage for weeks after the match. 'How could Triple H fumble the best babyface of a generation?!'. Everyone demanded answers. Trips made them wait for the payoff one year later.
Cody eventually toppled Reigns at 'Mania 40 to become the new WWE Champion, and all that pain his fans suffered through in 2023 was suddenly worth it. 2024 belonged to Rhodes. Nobody could've circled his name as a Roman-beater when he was riding high as a leading face over in AEW. That seemed inconceivable at one time, but it happened. Such is the magic of WrestleMania, people.
WWE brought the big guns out for Cody vs. Roman II. The Rock, Seth Rollins, John Cena and even The Undertaker all showed face to get involved. Steve Austin was supposed to be there too, but 'Taker was a fine last minute substitute for 'Stone Cold'. Everybody had their brief moment, then Rhodes grabbed his chance and got one of the biggest pops ever by ending Reigns-led dominance over the upper card.
He had finally finished his story and honoured the memory of his late father Dusty.
Recency bias claims may pour in when seeing this ranked so high, but...screw that. Cody becoming WWE Champ and celebrating like a true hero was excellent, and it was honestly worth the 12 month postponement. Good news: His popularity has sustained throughout the subsequent title run too.