4 Differences in the Undisputed WWE Title runs of Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes
Several WWE stars have won the WWE and Universal Championships separately. However, in recent times, only two can claim to have been the Undisputed WWE Champion.
Roman Reigns won the Universal Title from The Fiend Bray Wyatt in 2020. The creative team then had him unify the WWE and Universal championships by beating Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 38 in 2022.
Whoever holds the Undisputed WWE Championship is considered the company's top star. Both Rhodes and Reigns have enjoyed that luxury. However, their title runs have been rather different.
#4 Showing up to work
One huge difference is that as champion Cody Rhodes has appeared weekly on SmackDown and sometimes on RAW. Roman Reigns only did so to build towards matches at specific premium live events.
This difference came to pass because Reigns seemingly worked out a deal to become a part-time performer a few months after he became the Undisputed WWE Champion. Meanwhile, Rhodes has gone above and beyond with the title.
The Head of the Table took advantage of a part-time schedule to only appear at bigger events throughout the year. Reigns' sporadic appearances were digested a little easier because he was a heel.
#3 The spot at WWE Premium Live Events
Another big difference between the two Undisputed Champions is their match placement at premium live events. Every time Roman Reigns appeared, he had the main event slot. He closed the last four WrestleManias and did the same throughout the year when he competed.
Some will argue that it made his grip on the title stronger and the moment when he lost more impactful. Had there been two titles, it may have mattered. Rhodes has been the opposite type of champion.
Throughout his seven-month run, The American Nightmare has wrestled in different spots on shows. He opened Clash at the Castle in an "I Quit" Match against AJ Styles but closed SummerSlam against Solo Sikoa.
This action allowed other matches to close different events instead of always having the same star in the main event.
#2 Roman Reigns had The Bloodline backing him up
During the majority of his run as Undisputed WWE Champion, Roman Reigns led The Bloodline. He had an entire faction backing him up during his time as champion. The group consistently interfered in his matches, helping him keep the championship.
This booking style cost several stars, including Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre, Rhodes, and LA Knight, a chance to win. Any one of those talents had grounds for a rematch, but most didn't get them.
Rhodes has been a one-man show trying to hold off the new-look Bloodline. He has had help from Owens and Randy Orton this year and Jey Uso and Sami Zayn at other points.
#1 Defending the prestige of the title
When fans and analysts compare stars, the number of titles is usually what puts one over the other. But if that star has a bunch of short championship reigns as opposed to a few lengthy ones, which takes precedence?
The same can be said for the number of times each champion defended the title. Commentators consistently referred to Reigns as the most dominant champion of all time simply because of his lengthy run with the belt.
After unifying the titles, a different story appears. Reigns only put his gold on the line three more times in 2022 and five times in 2023.
The Tribal Chief made only one defense in 2024 before losing it to Rhodes in April. Conversely, Rhodes has already defended the title six times in seven months. He still has around two months to add to that total.