Cody Rhodes finished his story at WrestleMania 40: Sunday, ending the 1,316-day reign of Roman Reigns to become Undisputed WWE Champion. Now, Rhodes is celebrating a milestone in his career as he has reached one whole year with the gold.
Rhodes won the title on April 7, 2024, and has had a whirlwind reign on top ever since. Along the way, Rhodes has defended against the likes of Logan Paul, AJ Styles, Solo Sikoa, and Kevin Owens. Proving the old wrestling adage of ‘never say never,’ Rhodes even teamed with Reigns in late 2024 to battle Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline.
Rhodes has proven to be a fighting champion, unlike his predecessor who would often go months without a title defense. In his first year with the gold, Rhodes has defended his title 58 times, averaging more than once a week. The majority of these defenses have come at untelevised live events or in dark matches after WWE TV tapings.
Rhodes’ title reign hasn’t just been about leading WWE in its current era but also paying homage to those who have come before. For Saturday Night’s Main Event in December 2024, Rhodes brought back the classic Winged Eagle title design for his match with Kevin Owens. Fans were elated to see the design, once held by legends like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, back on WWE programming.
Now, Rhodes begins Year 2 of his reign though John Cena hopes to put a swift end to his time as champion at WrestleMania 41. With the Undisputed WWE Champion and arguably the very soul of WWE on the line in Allegiant Stadium, Rhodes will do all he can to keep hold of the richest prize in WWE today.
