5 Mistakes Triple H has already made with Cody Rhodes as the Undisputed WWE Champion
Cody Rhodes engraved his name on the pages of history books at WrestleMania XL when he ended Roman Reigns' legendary Undisputed WWE Universal Championship reign. A new star was born, and since that day Rhodes has become the North Star of the industry. The WWE Universe had high hopes for his title reign, given the standards Reigns had set for it.
However, WWE's creative mastermind, Triple H, made several creative missteps, whether it be questionable character development or a lack of diverse feuds for the 39-year-old champion. Despite these, The American Nightmare consistently delivered some incredible matches. Yet, his championship reign often remained a topic of debate and discussion among fans.
Let's look at five mistakes Triple H has already made with Cody Rhodes as the Undisputed WWE Champion.
#5. Lack of championship defense
Cody Rhodes has only defended the Undisputed WWE Championship in five premium live events in the last eight spectacles. His last title defense came at Bash in Berlin 2024, and since then, his championship has not been put on the line in two consecutive PLEs. Moreover, there are also reports that The American Nightmare is set to miss Survivor Series 2024 PLE.
The fact that Rhodes' title defense has started to get rare is arguably a huge creative blunder from the Triple H-led regime. There have often been arguments that Roman Reigns also rarely defended his championship during his four-year reign. However, WWE needs to understand that the same formula does not work for every superstar.
Considering that Cody Rhodes won the title from a part-time WWE Superstar, he should have defended his gold more often instead of getting involved in tag team programs.
#4. Pinned by Solo Sikoa at Money in the Bank
At WrestleMania 40, Cody Rhodes dethroned Roman Reigns, the man who had been invincible and undefeatable for a very long time. Therefore, after such a monumental victory, WWE should have booked him as a dominant force during his Undisputed WWE Championship run on SmackDown.
Surprisingly, The American Nightmare was pinned by Solo Sikoa at Money in the Bank 2024 in the Six-Man Tag Team Match he was part of. This was arguably another big mistake Triple H should have avoided, especially now that Cody is the reigning champion. The company could have taken a different route to build the Rhodes vs. Sikoa match for the next PLE, which was SummerSlam.
Making the Undisputed WWE Champion take a pinfall defeat in the middle of the ring just months after winning the title heroically has undeniably compromised Cody Rhodes' credibility as a world champion.
#3. Lack of diverse feuds for the Undisputed WWE Championship
Since becoming the Undisputed WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes' title reign has been marked by a scarcity of diverse feuds. Even though he defended his gold against five different opponents in the last seven months, the reigning champion only had two notable feuds in his title run: with AJ Styles and Solo Sikoa.
Another promising feud with Kevin Owens is yet to begin. Rhodes' narrow scope of opponents raises questions about the creative direction surrounding his championship reign. The lack of fresh feuds and compelling storylines for The American Nightmare made his title reign quite underwhelming.
Therefore, it is quite evident that Triple H arguably fumbled with Cody Rhodes' championship reign, failing to put him in a wide variety of feuds and rivalries.
#2. Cody Rhodes' constant involvement in The Bloodline saga
One of the major mistakes Triple H arguably made with Cody Rhodes in his title reign was his constant involvement in The Bloodline's storyline. The American Nightmare was embroiled in a long-standing feud with the heel faction for the last two years during the lead-up to WrestleMania 39 and 40.
However, once he dethroned Roman Reigns at The Show of Shows this year after years of hard-fought battles, WWE should have put an end to this saga for good. His involvement with Reigns, Solo Sikoa, and the faction even after becoming the Undisputed WWE Champion was seemingly not the right move.
It only sparked criticism and controversy, with many fans stating that Rhodes is only relevant when he is involved in The Bloodline saga. Besides, it also raised questions about Triple H's booking, with fans asking if the WWE CCO had no other plans for The American Nightmare in his title run.
#1. Refusing to respond to Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens attacked Cody Rhodes in the parking lot backstage after the Bad Blood Premium Live Event. This was apparently the beginning of another major feud for the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion. However, right after that, Rhodes got involved in a program with Gunther for Crown Jewel 2024, and his burning desire for revenge against Owens was gone.
He did not mention KO even once in the following weeks during the lead-up to Crown Jewel. This was another huge blunder from the Triple H-led regime, which somewhere derailed the momentum of this blockbuster feud before it could even begin. Even if WWE had plans to kick off this feud later, the company should have kept this rivalry hot by showing Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens disdain for each other simultaneously with other feuds.
The fact that WWE could not keep the flames burning high despite igniting the spark in the Rhodes-Owens rivalry was an example of a creative misstep.