Why WWE Will Save Cody Rhodes From Burial

Heading into WrestleMania 39, many suggested that a loss for Cody Rhodes would result in Rhodes' WWE career plummeting in much the same way that Lex Luger's did post-WrestleMania X.

With Luger having debuted in the then-WWF as the villainous Narcissist at the 1993 Royal Rumble, the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion would be switched babyface by the middle of the year. Specifically, it was the 4th July '93 where Lex became the All-American good guy, slamming Mr. Fuji's Yokozuna aboard the USS Intrepid and then embarking on a cross-country tour that largely centred on waving the flag, kissing babies, and hugging grannies.

As Hulk Hogan's days with the company looked to be coming to an end, Luger was modelled to be the Hulkster's replacement. Thus, he was put up against Yoko at that year's SummerSlam, where he challenged for the sumo's WWF Championship. A bizarrely celebrated count-out victory - as in, Lex up on people's shoulders as the locker-room emptied and streamers rained down - from the one-time Horseman was the end result here, but Luger would eventually get another shot at Yokozuna and that prize at WrestleMania X.

Of course, Lex would come up short again at 'Mania - losing by DQ - ahead of Bret Hart being the one to dethrone Yokozuna as WWF Champion later that night.

Once WrestleMania X was in the rear-view mirror, Luger's stock dropped massively, the experiment with him as a top guy had flopped hard, and brief feuds with Crush and Tatanka were followed by Lex teaming with Davey Boy Smith as the incredibly bland Allied Powers. Famously, the Total Package would return to WCW in 1995, re-debuting for the promotion on the inaugural episode of WCW Nitro.