The Royal Rumble is trending after an interesting show that sets up a potentially epic WrestleMania. The aftermath of Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens for the Undisputed WWE Championship on that show is not consuming most of the discourse online but looks to be critically important in the next few months before WWE takes over Las Vegas.
Two of the company’s most consistent stars had a match to remember on a night with plenty of memorable moments. The match itself set both up for their following chapters, both of which have a lot of potential. As the WWE sets itself up for the biggest show of the year, the ripples of the ladder match are just beginning to surface.
The Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens Ladder Match as a Prologue
The ladders served as the ultimate equalizer. The steel chipped away the exterior layer of the Superstars, reaching for the most illustrious prize in the promotions. Both men took sustained damage throughout.
The start had Owens on the offensive, beating down the champion with everything he had. By the halfway point, the roles flipped, and the honorable Rhodes whipped his challenger into a bloody mess.
With it, the pretense that this was a title match or revenge for his mentor, Randy Orton, started to slip. Owens’ smug demeanor was wiped away as he had to fight valiantly to survive.
The American Nightmare has SNAPPED!#RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/c5KrwNK5Z6
— WWE (@WWE) February 2, 2025
A one-on-one ladder match is hard to get right. There are many gaps that can look totally forced and unbelievable as two adult men try to figure out how to use a ladder or perhaps even their own two hands.
Rhodes and Owens did not run into those issues, and the match was a fitting finish to their feud. The violent nature of the bout didn’t seem like the usual stakes heightening that the final battle often has in the WWE. It seemed designed to shift to what’s next.
As Owens took shot after shot on the unforgiving rungs of the ladder, he became a little more sympathetic. The beating that Rhodes extended his rival was far more vicious than many of his previous ones. It was a fight and made for a compelling story on the Road to WrestleMania.
Kevin Owens’ Journey in the Aftermath of Rhodes vs Owens
At the midpoint of the match, Sami Zayn came out to check on his friends – both of his friends. Zayn and Owens have a long history with one another, and their story may not be breaking any new ground. However, the two of them seem to be “home” for the other.
Rising to the heights of fame in WWE, they remind one another of who they were before finding success at the top of the industry. That story will play out once again, as it will every time because that is what brothers do for one another.
Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn may need some stakes to avoid feeling incredibly repetitive. The aftermath of Rhodes vs Owens was always going to impact others on the card, and Zayn has no other path to the main event. There are ways to do that but only time will tell how they handle that.
It may not seem fair that two stars who regularly power the shows year-round always get paired together in the more significant moments. It is entirely plausible that their always coming together will have considerable meaning further along in their career. For now, though, it is Zayn’s turn to save Owens from his profound instability after a brutal loss to the Undisputed WWE Champion.
Cody Rhodes’ Road to WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas
All roads lead to The Rock in the aftermath of Rhodes vs. Owens. Still the hero of SmackDown, Rhodes is not going to face Jey Uso at WrestleMania. There are dozens of scenarios to consider but most of them allude to a creeping sense of reality that Cody Rhodes “finished his story” at the Royal Rumble.
Right off the elation of his WrestleMania 40 win, The Rock informed Cody that their story wasn’t over. He also said whether or not he was going to come for Rhodes and made him promise to break his heart again.
Cody Rhodes, our loveable underdog looking to fulfill his father’s American dream, has done that. For months now, though, he has grown more violent and obsessive about protecting his spot. The “QB 1” has gone to lengths previously unimagined for the clean-cut face the fans pushed into the main event.
When he loses his spot, and it is very likely coming at the hands of John Cena at Elimination Chamber, his great rival Dwayne Johnson will emerge again to share his disappointment with the champion Rhodes has become. Turning on the people that brought him to the mountaintop when he couldn’t do it himself. A fight for the writ of “People’s Champion” will headline WrestleMania.
The Landscape of WWE in the Aftermath of Rhodes vs Owens
Tickets: Punched. @MsCharlotteWWE & Jey @WWEUsos are going to #WrestleMania. pic.twitter.com/Vp3OWQvC0K
— Triple H (@TripleH) February 2, 2025
The landscape of WWE has changed in exciting ways in the aftermath of Rhodes vs Owens. With a new star at the helm of WrestleMania in Jey Uso, the WWE Championship could become critically important.
John Cena is on the hunt for his last World Championship, and CM Punk, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins are all looking for a path to the main event. In the aftermath of Rhodes vs Owens, Rhodes is hanging onto his very being by a thread, and Owens is lost in the wilderness, ranting to no one as he is proven right
There is a lot of movement left to do on the road to WrestleMania, and both superstars are poised to play a big role after the Royal Rumble.
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