Cody Rhodes is the Face of WWE’s Current Era—Not Roman Reigns

WWE via Getty Images

Cody Rhodes is the face of WWE in 2024, a fact solidified Monday by the reveal that he will serve as the cover star for the standard edition WWE 2K24 video game, which is available in stores on March 8.

Cody Rhodes @CodyRhodes

Kobe, Tiger, Cena, Lebron, Rhea & Bianca…

I am grateful beyond measure for the honor of being this years @2K cover athelete.

Thank you @WWEgames @WWE

DETAILS: https://t.co/G0sqijyvKS #WWE2K24 https://t.co/qlKqoIkPhx

That may seem like a loaded statement given the existence of undisputed WWE universal champion Roman Reigns, who is the top dog in the company by way of his status as an attraction and a titleholder.

However, Rhodes is the most prominently featured Superstar in WWE. He is all over promotional items, does an abundance of media appearances, and he has become the most beloved Superstar in a company synonymous with its iconic babyfaces.

He is well-spoken and has a wrestling pedigree. Even a brief interaction with an interviewer is likable:

WWE @WWE

The American Nightmare @CodyRhodes comes to the City of Brotherly Love to spread the word about #WrestleMania 40, happening April 6 & 7 at @LFFStadium in Philadelphia.

Get your tickets NOW 🎟️: https://t.co/A9p2adsBMz pic.twitter.com/F5ZmfvBbVR

The second-generation Superstar has followed in the footsteps of Hulk Hogan, The Rock and John Cena to become the white-meat babyface hero to millions and the face of wrestling’s most popular promotion.

How did a guy who was once shoved into a gimmick that did not fit him, who had his career growth stunted seemingly at every turn and whose legendary father cast such a large shadow that it once appeared as though he would never escape, get to this point?

He almost didn’t. Rhodes’ emergence as the face of WWE nearly took a wrong turn a year ago at WrestleMania 39 when he lost the highest-profile main event match of his career to Roman Reigns.

It was a contest that everyone was certain he would win, to the point that his family and friends had gathered at ringside to watch him celebrate his coronation as the undisputed top star in professional wrestling.

WWE @WWE

💔#WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/aZfOrOZYHi

Except it never came, and questions about his ability to sustain the immense popularity he enjoyed entering the show began to arise.

Not only did Rhodes remain incredibly popular, though, he also became even more so. For all of the internet discourse over the finish of the match, fans understood that their favorite wrestler had just been screwed over by Solo Sikoa, costing him the opportunity to win the one title that has eluded his family.

The American Nightmare never made excuses or blamed anyone. He took responsibility and vowed that his pursuit to finish the story would not stop, further endearing himself to the audience.

They still turned out in arenas to sing his theme song and cheer him on. They purchased merchandise with the Nightmare Family logo on it in droves, reportedly setting new records for sales in the city of Chicago, where iconic stars such as Hogan, Cena and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin competed many times.

Even when it appeared this past fall as though there was not much for Rhodes to do creatively, that passion never subsided. He was still the most over guy on any show, the centerpiece of the company’s promotional efforts and the seller of considerable merchandise.

Despite the bleach-blond hair and three-piece suits, Rhodes is relatable. He does not fight for some unachievable goal that most fans will never accomplish. His drive and motivation are simple: He fights to honor his family.

In this case, his purpose is to win the title his father never did. Of course, winning the belt bolsters his resume and cements his legacy, but beyond that, Rhodes is fighting for his family.

He tears up when talking about Dusty, as anyone would at the thought of a loved one who left them too early. As this writer does when thinking of his mother, also gone too soon.

It’s that relatability, and the fact that Rhodes has given fans a narrative they can latch on to and genuinely care about, that has kept him in their hearts despite that crushing loss to Reigns on wrestling’s grandest stage.

It is the passion he approaches every show with that endears him to even the toughest crowd.

Rarely, if ever, does it appear as though any crowd is getting anything less than 100 percent of what Rhodes has to offer. Look no further than him working with a very torn, very bruised pectoral muscle at Hell in a Cell against Seth Rollins in June 2022.

That he comes across as the genuine article, a guy who is never anything but honest with the fans, has helped him develop into this era’s people’s champion.

Never was it more evident than on the January 8 episode of Raw, when The Rock returned and teased that he would be Reigns’ opponent at WrestleMania 40, a scenario that would rob Rhodes of the opportunity to finish his story at The Show of Shows.

That there was even a fanbase openly denouncing the idea of a return to the ring for The Rock is evidence of the connection Rhodes has built with fans through this narrative.

Eleanor @Its_Eleanor

Cody shouldn’t have to wait – he already didn’t win the title at WrestleMania 39 (which I still maintain he should’ve won) don’t push him aside again for The Rock when the match won’t even be that good. https://t.co/STACpNX0Gg

The power that the “finish the story” concept has in WWE is evident in the release of the video game, which will feature a “Finish Your Story” game mode and carry the same tagline.

Rhodes has made a name for himself greater anything imaginable. He has fought through personal and professional disappointment, revolutionized the industry and created an image and brand for himself. He proved he did not need the machine behind him to do it.

With it being there now, his message and brand have been amplified, with a sea of Nightmare Family logos in arenas around the world.

It all comes back to his father, Dusty, the connection he had with people, and that same connection Rhodes has forged with fans that makes him such an effective face of WWE.

They all watched him grow up in pro wrestling and become his own man, and they want to see him succeed at the highest level. And he is—as the undeniable face of wrestling’s most storied promotion.

The only thing left to do? Finish. The. Story.

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