5 ways WWE can ensure fans go home happy after WrestleMania 40 - Cody Rhodes wins, huge heel turn & more
WrestleMania 40 will be memorable for many reasons. WWE Legends may appear while new champions will emerge. Some will complete their emotional journey by defeating a rival and earning a prestigious title.
With over 13 matches, WWE has a lot to worry about. Will the booked matches deliver both great action and the right outcome? Will the correct champions drop their titles?
A lot can go right and a lot can go wrong at WrestleMania 40. With more eyes than ever on the product, WWE can send the fans home happy in the following five ways.
#5. Popular legends have significant roles
WWE legends pop up at WrestleMania every year. Triple H will almost certainly show up since he's the man in charge of creative and other important aspects of production. Hulk Hogan has shown up in the past and could do so again at WrestleMania 40.
Two other huge names that have been rumored to appear are Stone Cold Steve Austin and John Cena. Both former champions could factor into the match between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes. If it's a No DQ match, the Bloodline's interference will be legal.
Rhodes will need allies beyond Jey Uso and Seth Rollins. Cena was last seen being destroyed by Solo Sikoa, and Austin has a history with The Rock. If Cena and Austin just show up backstage, it will disappoint fans. Using them significantly, however, will make everyone happy.
#4. GET THE TABLES!
Three matches will certainly be using tables. The ladder match for the tag team titles will be unchained carnage. Several stars will go through tables. The same can be said for the Philadelphia Street Fight between Bobby Lashley's group and the Final Testament.
Philadelphia is the home of ECW, so some ECW Originals could show up at some point. If Reigns vs. Rhodes becomes a Bloodline Rules match, then tables will be used frequently.
Fans always cheer for the use of tables during matches with big stipulations, so expect them to be used early and often at WrestleMania 40.
#3. A big heel turn rocks WrestleMania 40
WrestleMania 40 has several matches where the potential for a heel turn is high. Chad Gable could turn on Sami Zayn after thinking that Zayn doesn't deserve his title shot against Gunther.
Kevin Owens could turn on Randy Orton, while the opposite is also a strong possibility. The biggest angle with the most opportunities for shocking turns, however, is the Bloodline saga.
Seth Rollins could finally reach his boiling point and snap on Cody Rhodes. Many anticipate that The Rock will turn on Roman Reigns, but he'll be cheered regardless of what he does. Perhaps Roman turns on Rocky.
A big character shift will knock the socks off of the fans and keep them talking, but it needs to happen with one of the bigger stars on the card.
#2. Booking several cathartic wins
Another important aspect of WrestleMania is booking the right winners. Some fans hope for a title change simply for the sake of a change. Others, however, hope that certain stars complete their emotional journeys by capturing a title and beating a rival.
That is the case for nearly every one of the matches at WrestleMania 40. Fans are clamoring for LA Knight to get a huge win in his first spotlight at The Show of Shows. Many hope Sami Zayn and Bayley can defeat the bullies in their lives.
Becky Lynch has sold her feud with Rhea Ripley greatly over the last month, but fans will be split with the outcome due to Mami's popularity. The ending of WrestleMania 39 and Clash at the Castle left a bad taste in the mouths of the fans, so WrestleMania 40 must rectify those mistakes.
#1. Cody finally finishes his story and beats Roman Reigns
The biggest way WWE can send fans home happy is if Cody Rhodes finally finishes his story. It's been his rallying cry ever since he came back to WWE two years ago.
Rhodes worked his way to a title shot but was cheated out of a win by interference from the Bloodline. The story added a new layer this year with the arrival of The Rock, further pushing the narrative that Rhodes must dethrone The Tribal Chief.
The Great One has operated as both a face and a heel, and he'll likely factor into the outcome of the main event of WrestleMania 40. While Cody not beating Roman cleanly may be slightly disappointing, he needs to win the title in any way possible.
If he does not, the last two years of storytelling would have been for naught, including the tagline of WWE2K24.