Following Sami Zayn’s defeat at Elimination Chamber, the path now seems clear for Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns to meet in the main event of WrestleMania 39.
Rhodes booked his shot at the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion by winning the Royal Rumble, and Reigns has held World Championship gold for well over 900 days.
In recent weeks the tension between the two men has ratcheted up significantly despite them never coming face to face. This continued on the February 20th edition of Monday Night Raw, as Rhodes continued his verbal jousting with Special Counsel, Paul Heyman.
Rhodes got things started by heading out to the ring to a loud ovation but he was quickly cut off by Heyman who appeared on the big screen. Heyman was sporting a neck brace as a result of his Stunner from Kevin Owens at Elimination Chamber, and made it clear he wasn’t coming to the ring, despite being asked to by Rhodes.
Heyman reiterated that Rhodes can’t beat Roman Reigns, but still began to ponder life if he did. The veteran questioned whether the American Nightmare was willing to make the sacrifices required to be World Champion, even referencing his brother Dustin Rhodes reflecting on how often their father was away when he was growing up.
In closing, Heyman dropped in a reference to Rhodes’ wife and how alone she would be if he was champion.
Cody Rhodes‘ response was short and to the point. He warned Reigns not to send Heyman to do his bidding again, before promising to finish his story and become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
Taking to Twitter after the show, Rhodes revealed why his response was so abrupt. The star apologised for this and said his mic time got cut short.
“Sorry the mic time got cut short and apologies for losing my temper a bit, but more importantly Ottawa…I wasn’t sure you’d be interested in the merch for The American Nightmare…boy was I wrong , thank you VERY much and next time hopefully I’ll be in action. Wonderful night.”
Will Sami Zayn Face Cody Rhodes And Roman Reigns At WrestleMania?
With Sami Zayn’s incredible rise in popularity in recent weeks many fans have called for him to be added to the WrestleMania match between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns. Despite this, the most recent report on the situation has reiterated that WWE is continuing with its original plan to leave the main event as a singles match.
On Raw, Sami Zayn attempted to reconcile with Kevin Owens, but KO is still hesitant to join forces with his former friend.