Major backstage news on the original plans for Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39 - Report
Night Two of WrestleMania 39 ended with Roman Reigns defeating Cody Rhodes, and not many seem to be happy with the decision. Fightful Select provided some insight into the backstage planning that went into the finish. It was noted that Reigns was originally set to win heading into the show.
The build-up to the undisputed title match heavily hinted towards Cody Rhodes being the one who finally dethrones the Tribal Chief.
Fightful stated that there were people within WWE who "began to defend the idea of Roman Reigns winning this past week." There were also "murmurs" circulating backstage last week that he was scheduled to retain his titles.
It has now been confirmed via WWE sources that the original plan was always for Roman Reigns to win, which was set in stone "several weeks ago." It was, however, not revealed whether talent was also informed about the same in advance.
It's interesting to note that the "interference elements" in the WrestleMania main event were not told to the wrestlers, referees, and other personnel until the day of the show. Moreover, many parties were only aware of their involvement in the angle once they were given the information today.
Regarding the pitches for Cody Rhodes, he was never really factored in to win - contrary to public opinion. It was reiterated that some people internally wanted him to face John Cena, even after he suffered an injury and was sidelined for months.
The decision for The American Nightmare to take on Reigns was made last summer. The plan for the reigning champion to go over was confirmed many weeks ago.
What happened in Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes' WrestleMania match?
As expected, both men received grand entrances, as there was indeed a big fight feel for Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes' long-awaited clash.
The bout initially followed a predictable pattern as the heel dominated the babyface before Rhodes fought back and got the crowd behind him. Unsurprisingly, the headliner featured several swerves as The Usos got involved, leading to Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn coming out to level the playing field.
After a few intense moments, Roman Reigns had the last laugh. Towards the end, Heyman initially distracted the referee, leaving an opening for Solo Sikoa to hit the Samoan Spike on Cody Rhodes. The Bloodline leader then hit a spear on the title challenger to retain the undisputed championship. The result came much to the dismay of more than 80,000 fans inside the SoFi Stadium.
Did you like the finish, or were you rooting for Cody to finish his story? Sound off in the comments section below.