Now that the dust has settled on WrestleMania 40, attention has immediately turned to the future and the "new era." Cody Rhodes will make his first defence of the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in Lyon, France at the upcoming Backlash Premium Live Event against either LA Knight or AJ Styles. But what of the man that he defeated for the gold, Roman Reigns?
Well, the Tribal Chief is now on his scheduled time off and isn't being advertised to be on WWE TV until the weeks leading up to SummerSlam. But who should he face off with upon his triumphant return?
Solo Sikoa
When Roman Reigns makes that triumphant return later this summer, he will do so as a beloved hero. Despite his incredible work as a villain over the last few years, fans are dying to cheer for the Tribal Chief, especially after the ending of his epic 1,316-day title reign. But they will be unable to do that if he is aligned with the villainous Bloodline faction. As such, his first feud should be with the man who appears to have taken the reigns of the faction since the loss of the Tribal Chief, Solo Sikoa. Online sports betting odds providers have made the Street Champ a 9/1 contender to win the Money in the Bank ladder match this June. Whether he actually does that or not remains to be seen, but it would certainly serve as justification for him considering himself the leader of the Bloodline over the now-titleless Reigns.
But the bookies odds suggest that the 31-year-old won't have the briefcase in tow throughout the rest of the year. Using an online odds calculator shows that the likes of the aforementioned LA Knight and Dominik Mysteriio are much more fancied, with a £10 on them resulting in potential winnings of £35 and £40 respectively, compared to the £100 of Sikoa. But whether he wins the match or not, he will certainly continue to consider himself the new leader of the Bloodline, putting him on a collision course with the returning Reigns.
FINISHED. THE. STORY. #CodyRhodes earned that #WrestleMania moment. pic.twitter.com/U5IAnBimgv
— WWE (@WWE) April 8, 2024
Cody Rhodes
After a title reign spanning almost four years, it's hard to argue the fact that Roman Reigns doesn't deserve an immediate rematch against Cody Rhodes. Add to that the fact that the pair now both have one win and one loss against the other, and a rubber match could be on the cards. What better way for it to come than at the Biggest Party of the Summer? Let's face it, as good as their recent clash at WrestleMania was, there was a bucketload of interference which Reigns could blame for the defeat. Appearances from The Rock, John Cena and The Undertaker all contributed to his downfall, something which he can lean on and blame as an excuse for the loss, setting the stage for one final clash between the two pillars of WWE.
The result of the match is obvious, Cody Rhodes retains the gold. But not before Reigns is screwed out of the championship by either The Rock or the aforementioned Sikoa - on the Rock's behalf - setting the stage for the two to feud up until next April and WrestleMania 41, should the feud become a priority once again.
