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Cody Rhodes' story is finally finished, allowing WWE to focus the attention on one that is possibly more important.
Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins.
Both Reigns and Rollins left WrestleMania 40 major losers—because of each other. The scars of The Shield were ripped open anew via downright genius, maybe best-ever modern storytelling over the two-night affair.
There was Rollins, already injured, unnecessarily putting his body in harm's way on Night 1 after proclaiming himself to Rhodes as the only man capable of stopping Reigns and the Bloodline.
Over a 40-plus-minute tag match in the main event, Rollins took a beating. Then, on Night 2, he lost his World Heavyweight Championship to Drew McIntyre, largely because of that.
There was Reigns on Night 2 in the main event, after all the necessary interfences, with a chair in his hands. Rather than use it on Rhodes and get the one-two-three pin to keep his historic championship run going, he was presented with Rollins' back against the ropes and simply couldn't resist to take the shot at the man he hates most.
Reigns hit Rollins in the exact inverse of The Architect's original betrayal and Rhodes capitalized on the mistake, winning the match. In the process, Rollins made literal good on his claim that he would be a "shield" for the new champion.
As a result, both men left 'Mania with nothing—but the hate for each other.
Leading up to this pivotal moment in a historic rivalry, WWE had quietly and loudly planted seeds. Sometimes, it was an quiet as the Tribal Chief looking visibly flustered when walking past Rollins on the entrance ramp.
Other times it was quite loud, like when they faced off at Royal Rumble in 2022. Rollins entered to The Shield's theme music and in Shield attire, with Reigns visibly shaken by the mind games:
Rollins proceeded to win via disqualification after Reigns completely lost his composure, really the only time the Tribal Chief has taken a clean defeat before this year's 'Mania. During that match, Reigns threw out things like "he won't allow me to let go" during the chokehold that got him disqualified and mentioned never forgiving Rollins for what he did to them before delivering the chair shots.
That running theme came to a head in Philadelphia and it lays the groundwork for even more.
Some fans might claim they're exhausted by another Reigns-Rollins feud. Been there, done that, right? But we're talking about two guys who entered WWE with one of the most dominant factions ever, eventually split via long-term storytelling and went on to define a generation of pro wrestling as trailblazers.
There's really nothing like it. Rhodes' story is perhaps the best modern comparison, as he took a McIntyre-styled hiatus, then took it a step further by founding the biggest competition to WWE since the WCW days, improving the pro wrestling landscape as a whole.
And yet, it would be really hard to blame those who put the Reigns-Rollins tale a step higher on the list. When we look back decades from now, this is the feud that has dictated so much. The betrayal, Rollins' cash-in moment at WrestleMania 31 that screwed Reigns and so much more, all the way up to the latest twist.
In fact, it's hard to blame fans who wanted to see Rollins, not Rhodes, be the one to take the title from Reigns. And yet the storytelling was so, so good, that in a way, Rollins did.
So to say there's unfinished business at this point would be an understatement. One has to wonder if it can ever truly be finished. But the two turning their attention toward each other again in earnest makes too much sense, especially with Rollins out of the main-title scene and on at least a brief hiatus due to injury while Reigns presumably keeps his part-time schedule.
And if pro wrestling has taught us nothing over the last two or so years, it's the old adage of never say never. There's the specter of Jon Moxley (Dean Ambrose) hanging over the proceedings, too. Rest assured, more than a few fans thought—maybe just for a moment—that Ambrose was about to enter through the crowd during the 'Mania main event when The Shield's music hit. Just admit it, folks.
It just feels like a 'Mania main event waiting to happen, potentially as soon as next year. Yes, there are possible roadblocks like the presence of The Rock and whatever is going on with Rhodes. But at this point, nothing should trump these two and the massive amount of backstory propping it up.
Simply put, fans who clamor for long-term storytelling and character consistency shouldn't have any issue with this. Rollins-Reigns and The Shield have defined a generation of pro wrestling and, stunningly enough, continue to send out industry-wide repercussions and don't feel done just yet.
Right now, it's the story for WWE, the big-event-feel thing that will serve as yet another landmark in the long-running timeline between two of the modern GOATs.
