Cody Rhodes' WWE title reign could be shorter than speculated - Reports
Cody Rhodes' reign as Undisputed WWE Champion may not last as long as many fans expect. The American Nightmare successfully defended his title against Solo Sikoa in a Steel Cage match this past Friday night on SmackDown.
According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, Rhodes is not guaranteed to be Undisputed WWE Champion at WrestleMania 41 next year. The 39-year-old defeated Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania XL earlier this year to capture the title.
Meltzer stated that he was told that The Rock's People's Championship which was introduced earlier this year ahead of WrestleMania was a backup plan so that the company could pivot if Cody Rhodes' title reign didn't last long.
"One of the deals with Rock and Cody, a year ago, was if Cody – it was not a lock that Cody would have a one-year run. He could but one of the things I was pretty much told is the reason for the People’s Title was a back up for Cody not to go a year. So, they could go with something else," Meltzer said. [H/T: Ringside News]
Hulk Hogan makes prediction for Cody Rhodes as Undisputed WWE Champion
Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan recently predicted that Cody Rhodes would remain Undisputed WWE Champion for the foreseeable future.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Wrestling's Bill Apter, The Hulkster praised Rhodes as champion. The legend noted that Cody Rhodes has worked hard and deserves to be at the top of the company. Hogan added that the SmackDown star could have longevity as a champion moving forward.
"I think Cody has worked real, real hard to niche out for himself. I think he deserves to be exactly where he's at. He's cool, calm, and collected, very methodical, and I think he's got some serious, serious longevity. I love his work. I love his work. He's doing a really great job up there, and I've seen some really good stuff with him and Seth [Rollins], some really believable stuff, and it looks like he's on to greatness." [From 04:23 – 04:55]
You can check out the interview with Hulk Hogan in the video below:
Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns will be teaming up to battle The Bloodline's Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu next month at WWE Bad Blood in a tag team match. Only time will tell how long Rhodes will be able to hold onto the Undisputed WWE Championship on SmackDown.