The mediocre booking of Cody Rhodes’ babyface run needs to be studied in a lab, because it is continually being presented as fan service. Many fans attribute this character failure to Cody Rhodes, but he has truly been doing the best with what he is given.
His in-ring work is impeccable, and his promos are immaculate. Yet, his storytelling abilities are nonsensically restricted by asinine TKO decisions to include Pat McAfee and Jelly Roll, who have no business being involved in a historic Legacy storyline and WrestleMania program with him and Randy Orton. After winning the title back from Drew McIntyre and retaining the title against Orton at WrestleMania 42, many fans are left scratching their heads as to why WWE continues to push Rhodes down their throats.
Unfortunately, WWE often books the “face of the WWE” this way. They make the “face of the WWE” easy to find and hard to beat. To their fault, WWE is reluctant to give the fans what they want and turn Cody Rhodes heel because there is so much monetary value in him being a babyface (i.e., merch sales, media presence, appeal to kids, etc.).
Since the decision to keep him face is strictly a business decision, WWE has been throwing heels that the fans viscerally hate, like Pat McAfee and, more recently, Gunther, at Rhodes so that Rhodes can be cheered due to being the lesser of two evils. Indeed, as his babyface appeal dwindles, the big red target on his back enlarges. Here are the biggest threats to Cody Rhodes and his WWE Title on the road to SummerSlam 2026.
CM Punk
CM Punk teased a future title match with Cody Rhodes on the Raw after ‘Mania. This is such a big match that it could either be a SummerSlam match or a WrestleMania 43 match. However, this is not the first time they have teased a showdown. Punk and Rhodes have had promo battles in the build to the Royal Rumble in both 2023 and 2024. They even teased it in the build to Survivor Series in 2025 until the Seth Rollins injury threw a wrench in those plans, and Roman Reigns ruined the party.
Why are the WWE fans “shielded” from this money match? Why is WWE teasing but not pleasing? The anticipation is amplifying, but if the fans wait too long, they will lose interest. WWE should strike while the iron is hot and book Punk to win his first Rumble to set this up at ‘Mania 43.
Randy Orton
Anyone would be remiss to neglect Randy Orton, who still needs his lick back from WrestleMania 42. Like Punk, Orton failed to get his first victory in a WrestleMania Main Event. Although he lost to Rhodes, he still punted Cody Rhodes in the skull and left business unfinished. It was expected that they would battle again at Backlash, but Orton went on a hiatus while Rhodes is currently on our TV screens with a black eye.
Whenever Orton returns, it seems that he will be in the SummerSlam match, as that feud is big enough to warrant a main event spot on that two-night event. Orton is on a journey to become a 15-time WWE Champion, and he should attain that accolade as a sentimental way to get his flowers for all of the top-tier work he has delivered in his 20+ year career in the WWE.
