What If... Cody Rhodes Never Left WWE In 2016

It's stating the obvious a touch, sure. But it's not possible.

That legendary arrival inside of AT&T Stadium? Forget about it

The best WWE trilogy of the last ten years opposite Seth Rollins? Not happening.

That tremendous visual of a torn t*tty 'Nightmare' battling it out in a five-star Hell in a Cell classic? No chance.

But Cody's once unthinkable WWE comeback after letting his AEW deal expire didn't just result in countless iconic moments for himself, it also led to even more game-changing occurrences.

Rhodes wasn't just brought back as Goldust's brother. He wasn't even made to walk down the 'Mania ramp with a plastic mask on his face. Cody came back as 'The American Nightmare'. The look, the music, the graphics, all of them were created outside of WWE. But here they were on 'The Grandest Stage'.

And it was that move which set the tone for things to come in this new WWE era.

Jade Cargill, Andrade El Idolo, and Shawn Spears have all been presented similarly to how they were away from the biggest wrestling organisation in the business since arriving/returning, too, something that was pretty much unheard of in a time pre-Nightmare arrival.

Cody built a brand so strong after going his own way in 2016, WWE would have been foolish to take it all away.

And it was that wise choice not to make Rhodes give it all away and leave behind his kingdom that not only likely made the promotion think twice about repackaging new potential megastars like Cargill, but set the stage for a new WWE poster boy to rise.

Rhodes finally and somewhat inevitably found his way to the top in 2024.

But it wasn't just the visual of Cody handing the belt to Mama Rhodes that caused many a tear to roll around the globe during the WrestleMania 40 Night Two main event.

It was the thought of just how far this trailblazer had come over the prior 8 years.

He hadn't just gone from undesirable to undeniable. Cody did something many claim to, but very few actually achieve.

After leaving behind a broken WWE system, becoming an indy legend, creating a new home for wrestling, and now leading a bold new era as the WWE Champion he always dreamed of becoming, Cody can honestly say he's left the industry in a better place than he found it.

But there are still a few more chapters left to tell when it comes to this story...