Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns

When Cody Rhodes began his feud with Roman Reigns, it became the centerpiece of his modern WWE run. It was more than a championship chase. It was the story of a son trying to achieve what his legendary father, Dusty Rhodes, never could.

Roman Reigns stood in the way as the Tribal Chief, armed with The Bloodline and a historic title reign. After winning the 2023 Royal Rumble, Cody earned the main event at WrestleMania 39. The build-up to the event combined legacy and power together, with Reigns and Paul Heyman cutting promos mocking Dusty, and claiming that Dusty trained him because he was the son he always wanted, not Cody. Cody pushed back by saying he wasn’t just fighting for himself, but for his family’s honor.

At WrestleMania, Reigns retained his championship after outside interference when Solo Sikoa reappeared after being ejected and jabbed Rhodes with a Samoan Spike, allowing Reigns to retain, extending his reign, and leaving Cody’s quest unfinished.

The loss set the emotional tone for the year that followed. Cody responded by doubling down on the idea that he would circle the mountain as many times as it took. The faction itself complicated everything, especially as the family saga stretched across weekly TV, and the angle demanded a climactic setting that matched the stakes.

Twelve months later, the stakes rose when Cody became only the fourth man to win back-to-back Royal Rumbles, and the road to WrestleMania XL added The Rock to the orbit of The Bloodline.

Night 1 placed Cody and Seth Rollins against Reigns and The Rock. A loss meant the match on Night 2 would have Bloodline Rules, and that is exactly what happened after The Rock pinned Cody to close the show. It set the scene for a chaotic title match where interference would be legal and inevitable. This set the stage for one of the most chaotic and emotional main events in WWE history.

Night 2 delivered a delirious spectacle of allies and enemies weaving in and out of the action. John Cena, The Undertaker, and Jey Uso all played roles in neutralizing The Bloodline, leaving Cody and Reigns to finish their story in the ring. After surviving everything, Cody hit three Cross Rhodes and pinned Reigns to end a 1,316-day reign and capture the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. The sight of Cody raising the championship with the crowd completely behind him brought to a close a two-year saga on television and carried the weight of decades of family history with it.

The celebration told you everything you needed to know about how much it meant to the locker room and the audience. For Cody, it was the finish to his story that he brought back with him when rejoining WWE in 2022.

This feud combined every element that makes a rivalry great: personal legacy, faction warfare, and the pressure of a long reign with a hero who refused to bend. Reigns embodied dominance and arrogance. Cody carried the underdog determination of a man fighting for family and legacy. The first WrestleMania meeting showed how far Cody still had to go. The second showed the payoff.

For fans, Rhodes vs. Reigns will be remembered as the rare story where the hero not only got his moment but also delivered closure to one of the longest-running championship reigns in company history.