Cody Rhodes' WWE career appeared to be going from strength to strength when viewed through the prism of his WrestleMania record.
After making it onto the 'Grandest Stage' via (and due to the death of) Legacy, he then picked up his first win a year later against established babyface hero Rey Mysterio. This soft-launch required one more victory over an established hand to complete an effective trifecta...but the company reverted to type.
The 'Grandson Of A Plumber' had been in outrageous form ahead of the show bullying The Big Show for his various WrestleMania failings, and deserved much of the comeuppance he received. But he also deserved a win - Show only surrendered the belt back to him after stomping backwards through a table, and a finish like that highlighted why a 'Show Of Shows' victory for the defending Champion could and should have been the obvious outcome.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 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 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, 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
