#3. Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39 for the Unified WWE Universal Championship
Professional wrestling is a lot about masterful storytelling. Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes told one of the best stories of the modern era in their first battle at WrestleMania 39. The American Nightmare was on a fairytale run with all the momentum looking set to finish his story.2
However, Dusty Rhodes’ son faced one of the greatest students under The American Dream’s learning tree. The Tribal Chief was on an unprecedented run of dominance and was closing in on a thousand days as World Champion. Rhodes faced a tall task, but he had the crowd’s support and the emotional fuel to conquer Reigns.
This was the first time fans got a taste of the in-ring chemistry between Rhodes and Reigns, and the wrestling world was thoroughly impressed. Reigns’ slow, methodical, power-based style contrasted nicely with Rhodes’ fast-paced, athletic style. Both men took each other to the limit until the match reached its chaotic climax.
The referee was knocked out, allowing The Usos to interfere and nail Rhodes with the 1D. Unfortunately for The Bloodline, Rhodes had friends too. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn ran down to neutralize The Usos and sent them into retreat. The playing field was level once again, and Rhodes had the upper hand.
The American Nightmare was one Cross Rhodes away from finishing his story, but Solo Sikoa pounced on him with a Samoan Spike. This allowed the Tribal Chief to hit one last Spear to retain the championship. At the time, the decision was highly contested, but Triple H had a plan.
