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4 reasons Why Cody Rhodes must retain the WWE title at WrestleMania 41

4 reasons Why Cody Rhodes must retain the WWE title at WrestleMania 41

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Apr 18, 2025, 18:00 IST

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Cody Rhodes faces John Cena at WrestleMania 41 in a high-stakes match where Rhodes' Undisputed WWE Championship is on the line. For Rhodes, losing is not an option as he aims to solidify his position as a full-time champion, secure a major career win against a WWE legend, and break free from Cena's shadow.

4 reasons Why Cody Rhodes must retain the WWE title at WrestleMania 41

Dave Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that reports about John Cena being Cody Rhodes’ planned opponent were accurate. According to Meltzer, the idea of Cena trying to break the world title reign record had been a “working idea” for months.

It is a must-win situation for Cody Rhodes as he is gearing up to battle the Greatest of All Time in WWE, John Cena at WrestleMania 41.
The road to WrestleMania 41 will come to its conclusion with one of the biggest main event matches of all time. The reigning Undisputed WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes, will put his title on the line against the evil tyrant, John Cena. It will be a clash of WWE's past and present for the richest prize in sports entertainment.
While John Cena has laid out his plan to ruin wrestling for everyone, The American Nightmare is facing one of the toughest challenges of his life. Here are four reasons why losing is not an option for the current face of the company, Cody Rhodes:

4. Full-time champion

Cody Rhodes is in the prime of his WWE career. He has proved his worth as a top and fighting champion for a year, appearing at every show and media appearance to cement his place at the top. Rhodes needs to win over John Cena so that WWE can continue to have a full-time champion. In case of John Cena winning, it would not be the same, as Cena no longer has the physical shape to work a full-time schedule in the company.

3. A major win for his career

John Cena is one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time. So, naturally, Cody Rhodes is battling one of the marquee opponents in his career. This makes it a must-win situation for The American Nightmare to etch a big win in his resume, after having defeated top names like Seth Rollins, AJ Styles and Roman Reigns.

2. Break away from John Cena's shadow

Cody Rhodes himself has claimed to be inspired by John Cena his entire life and wanted to be like Cena was in his prime. This has made the perception that Rhodes is nothing but a Cena fan boy, and even Cena called him an errand boy who got lucky. This is Rhodes' opportunity to step outside of that giant WWE flagship shadow and make his own legacy by defeating the 16-time WWE Champion, John Cena.

1. Cement his position as the face of this WWE generation

Cody Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns last year at WrestleMania to rise to the top of the WWE mountain. However, he has yet to defeat John Cena, who defined a generation in WWE and, as many have argued, was a bigger attraction than Roman Reigns in his peak. Therefore, after defeating one flagship WWE star, Rhodes needs the victory over Cena in a passing of the torch moment to cement himself as the unquestioned and undeniable face of WWE today.
Also read: WrestleMania 41 full preview, everything you need to know, rivalries, more

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About the Author

TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

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