How WWE Is Quietly Building Its Next Main Event Megastar

Cody Rhodes WWE Champion
WWE

It's been years since WrestleMania looked so potentially loaded as early as November, and that's a legitimate credit to Triple H as the company's new chief.

Rey and Dominik Mysterio will presumably do battle in a Father Vs Son match that can't really be great with a capital G, but - on evidence thus far - could generate heat that transcends bouts that fit that description. Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey have been on an invisible collision course since they switched alignments at SummerSlam, even if the story isn't out front at present. The aforementioned Zayn/Owens/Usos showdown is an epic in waiting, and scuttlebutt suggests the Money In The Bank ladder matches might even be on the way back to the 'Show Of Shows'.

It's all looking good, and in The Rock and Cody Rhodes, WWE have - on paper - both a fantasy and dream main event for the second night of their third two-night extravaganza.

But reality is now trumping both. Sami Zayn has become so beloved regardless of any original Bloodline intent that his popularity might be too real for a Hollywood star or injured returnee to compete with. A wrestler right on the cusp of a magic moment forms the intoxicating buzz we all watch for, and hasn't really happened like this since Becky Lynch and Kofi Kingston were both booked into the history books at WrestleMania 35. 2023's stage beckons

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Contributor

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 almost 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 60,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL 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