WrestleMania XL: The Greatest Story Ever Told (Part Two)
/By Tara Lomax and Mark Williamson
This is the second of three parts on the recent WrestleMania XL and the current revival of WWE. It reviews the interconnected and multistrand storytelling that unfolded over two years leading into the recent event and highlights opportunities for further appraisal. The first part established the important role of audience and character in pro wrestling, and overviewed key moments for Roman Reigns leading into WrestleMania XL. This second part introduces the story of Cody Rhodes and reflects on long form serialized storytelling in WWE. The third part will explore the blurring of reality and fiction that drives pro wrestling storytelling and the role it played in the lead up to WrestleMania XL. Readers who might be interested in this piece include those new to pro wrestling within the context of popular culture and entertainment studies and those curious about WWE’s revival. Italicized text denotes wrestling terms.
In Part One, we established some of the historical context for what makes WrestleMania XL so significant, highlighted some of the distinct aspects of storytelling in professional wrestling – most notably the importance of audience in shaping the roles of the babyface and heel – and reviewed key moments in the story of heel, ‘The Tribal Chief’ Roman Reigns. In Part Two, we overview the story of the babyface, ‘The American Nightmare’ Cody Rhodes, before exploring the ways that serialized storytelling worked to strengthen Rhodes’ resilience and destabilize ‘The Bloodline’.
Cody Rhodes: Babyface, Challenger, ‘The American Nightmare’
Cody Rhodes is the son of pro wrestling legend and Hall of Famer, ‘The American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes, and brother of ‘Goldust’ Dustin Rhodes. The Rhodes are one of the many ‘royal families’ of pro wrestling. Despite his lineage, Rhodes’ first term in WWE (2006–2016) comprised of a string of midcard (and borderline embarrassing) gimmicks, including ‘Dashing’, ‘Undashing’, and ‘Stardust’ (image 1). While he exuded potential as a WWE superstar, his early personas lacked uppercard status.
Image 1: The many early gimmicks of Cody Rhodes in WWE (L-R: ‘Dashing’, ‘Undashing’, and Stardust’)
In 2016, Rhodes left WWE to reinvent himself through the independent pro wrestling circuit and other promotions, such as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), Ring of Honor (ROH), and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The decision to leave WWE to develop himself as a pro wrestler is a significant aspect of Rhodes’ story: it is as a member of the ‘Bullet Club’ in NJPW that he introduced the heel gimmick, ‘The American Nightmare,’ and in 2019 his involvement with the ‘Young Bucks’ led to the formation of All Elite Wrestling (AEW). AEW was the first pro wrestling promotion large enough to compete with WWE since the collapse of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 2001. The AEW fanbase enjoys a strong rivalry with the WWE Universe. In AEW, Rhodes transformed ‘The American Nightmare’ gimmick into a babyface, until he refused to let the audience’s heat turn him heel; ironically, through his refusal to turn heel at the audience’s demand, he effectively turned heel (video 1). This is an example of how a heel can still be ‘morally good’ but ‘turn heel’ through audience response.
Video 1: Rhodes turns heel on AEW Dynamite (October 23, 2021)
Rhodes took a big professional gamble when he left WWE in 2016; he took another gamble when he left AEW and returned to WWE in 2022. The return alone is notable, but what made this more significant is that he returned using his “indie gimmick” ‘The American Nightmare’, who enters the ring to the song “Kingdom” by Downstait, not as his previous WWE gimmicks, ‘Dashing’ or ‘Stardust’ (video 2). Historically, pro wrestlers who join WWE from another promotion will transform their gimmick to ensure the promotion maintains control and ownership of relevant trademarks, including name, costumes, and entrance music. Rhodes’ surprise entrance as ‘The American Nightmare’ at WrestleMania 38 (2022) realized a historical and creative continuity across promotions.
Video 2: Rhodes returns to WWE at WrestleMania 38 (2022)
Rhodes’ return to WWE was most defined by his goal to “finish the story”: to do what his father never did and win the WWE Championship. On the “Raw after Mania” (2022), his return promo tells the story of how in 1977 his father was handed the WWWF Heavyweight Championship after winning by count-out, but did not win the title belt on technicality (video 3). This established the motivation for Rhodes’ return to WWE and was a story the audience could support. While the “Road to WrestleMania” usually starts at the Royal Rumble each year, Rhodes’ goal to finish his father’s story revealed a narrative lineage that even preceded the first WrestleMania in 1985.
Video 3: Rhodes tells the story of why he returned to WWE on Raw (April 4, 2022)
As his first feud back at WWE, Rhodes’ defeat of Seth “Freakin” Rollins at WrestleMania 38, WrestleMania Backlash (2022), and Hell in a Cell (2022) set the tone of his return. While training in the gym for the Hell in a Cell Main Event, Rhodes tore his right pectoral muscle completely off the bone; advised that the injury could not get any worse, he still wrestled Rollins and emerged victorious. The image of Rhodes wrestling (and winning) with a bruised body exemplified his resilience and determination (video 4); this was not an everyman like Zayn, but an übermensch – the larger-than-life superhuman babyface that WWE has needed.
Video 4: Rhodes wrestles with a torn pectoral muscle at Hell in a Cell (2022)
There is a lot that can be (and has been) said about associations between pro wrestling, the superhero genre, and heroism in storytelling. Rhodes’ match against Rollins at Hell in a Cell reinforced this relationship while also demonstrating its distinct expression through the staged sports dimension of the medium. The image of an injured Rhodes defeating Rollins is an icon of the contemporary pro wrestler as a symbol of human resilience and perseverance (image 2). His bruised body proved that the injury was indeed real and so the narrative of determination challenged the common commentary around pro wrestling’s perceived “fakeness.”
Image 2: An injured Rhodes wins Hell in a Cell (2022)
Rhodes had only been back in WWE for two months before his injury, so his return after surgery and months of rehabilitation came with further urgency and resolve to achieve his goal. The pieces began to fall into place when he won the 2023 Royal Rumble and earned a title opportunity at WrestleMania 39 (2023) (image 3). As commentator Michael Cole summated after Rhodes’ win: “undesirable, undeniable, uncrowned, but the goal still remains the same – this is just one more step in the journey to finish the story” (Royal Rumble, 2023) – this would be credited as the first reference to the phrase “finish the story”.
Image 3: Rhodes wins the 2023 Royal Rumble.
The road to WrestleMania 39 involved Rhodes crossing paths with ‘The Bloodline’ for the first time. With Zayn preparing to take on Reigns at Elimination Chamber (2023), after having just left ‘The Bloodline’ at the 2023 Royal Rumble (as mentioned in Part One), Rhodes made an ally in the ex-Bloodline member. Eager to cement the phrase “finish the story” into WWE parlance, Rhodes offered it to Zayn in a motivational pep talk in a first effort to activate the babyface roster against ‘The Bloodline’ (video 5).
Video 5: Rhodes motivates Zayn to finish his story in the lead up to Elimination Chamber (2023) on Raw (February 13, 2023).
Rhodes’ goal to “finish the story” is a professional pursuit wound up in personal signification. The dynamic between the professional and the personal is constantly at play for Rhodes and has the potential to be a strength or a weakness in any given moment. This is highlighted on an episode of Raw when ‘The Wise Man’ Paul Heyman, Reigns’ manager, exploits this vulnerability by recounting the cost of being a champion, only for Rhodes to deliver his most meme-worthy ‘I have to finish the story’ promo (video 6).
Video 6: Rhodes vows to ‘finish the story’ on Raw (February 20, 2023)
Pro wrestling is often so focused on feuds and rivalries – whether between individuals or factions – that it overshadows its potential for comradery, sportsmanship, and leadership. Although Rhodes had a strong individual goal, he was also focused on forging alliances. After helping to repair the broken friendship between with Zayn and Kevin Owens (image 4), Rhodes became a babyface for the WWE roster, not just the WWE Universe.
Image 4: Rhodes helps Zayn and Owens reunite on Smackdown (March 17, 2023)
At the time, WrestleMania 39 seemed like the logical climax to Rhodes’ story: he had come back from injury to win at the 2023 Royal Rumble and would finally meet Reigns in the Main Event (image 5). There was strong momentum for Rhodes’ story, but this was not yet the time for his fairytale finish. Rhodes was defeated for the first time since his return to WWE one year prior: despite help from Zayn and Owens, interference from ‘The Bloodline’ allowed Reigns to spear Rhodes and win the match (image 6).
Image 5: Night 2 Main Event at WrestleMania 39 (2023)
Image 6: Rhodes is defeated in the Main Event after interference from ‘The Bloodline’ at WrestleMania 39 (2023)
In hindsight, WrestleMania 39 was a midpoint event in the development of Rhodes’ story. The Main Event loss raised the stakes for Reigns’ domination of WWE and further tested Rhodes’ resilience. Rhodes had won the respect and support of the WWE Universe but winning the championship would require more work. WrestleMania 39 launched a period of vulnerability for Rhodes that he would have to overcome before his next match with Reigns. Rhodes’ loss at WrestleMania 39 reinforced the long form nature of WWE storytelling: this signaled a genuine commitment to giving meaning to Rhodes’ and Reigns’ stories and the symbolic significance of the WWE Championship.
Serialized Storytelling
Beyond Reigns and Rhodes, the road to WrestleMania XL involved multiple interconnected stories, rivalries, and alliances that would complicate the narrative. WWE is a form of serialized storytelling told over two weekly shows – Raw and SmackDown (not including NXT) – and several ‘premium live events’ (PLEs) per year. WWE claims that Raw is the longest-running episodic series in the US, with SmackDown taking second place; the accuracy of these claims is debatable, but the significance of these shows compared to other long-running series is the lack of seasonal hiatuses or re-runs. With Raw and SmackDown, WWE produces new weekly content all year round.
WWE storytelling typically develops across these weekly shows and is punctuated with major rivalry matches in PLEs. For this reason, it is challenging to distil the extensive canvas of interrelated storytelling into this piece, but there are several key moments to highlight before Rhodes and Reigns meet again: Rhodes’ feud with Brock Lesnar, the fragmenting of ‘The Bloodline’, and the growing alliance of the babyface roster against ‘The Judgment Day’.
Brock Lesnar vs Cody Rhodes
Rhodes’ feud with Lesnar built Rhodes’ resilience and strength as a future champion. WrestleMania 39 proved that Rhodes did not yet have what it takes to defeat Reigns, and so defeating the greatest adversary of ‘The Tribal Chief’ would prove his might and provide a minor redemption for Rhodes’ loss at WrestleMania 39. On “Raw after Mania” (April 3, 2023), Lesnar was expected to join Rhodes in a tag match against Reigns and Solo Sikoa, but instead brutally attacked and shamed Rhodes. Rhodes’ weakened body splayed over ring stairs produced an image reminiscent of primitive gladiatorial combat (image 7).
Image 7: Lesnar attacks Rhodes on Raw (April 3, 2023)
This attack provoked a feud with Lesnar over three PLEs: Rhodes defeated Lesnar at Backlash (2023); Lesnar defeated Rhodes at Night of Champions (2023); and Rhodes defeated Lesnar at SummerSlam (2023) (image 8). These matches reflect the serialization of match-based storytelling, where conflict and character dynamics are negotiated through combat through repetition and continuation. The four-month feud resulted in Lesnar eventually respecting Rhodes as a worthy face of WWE. Lesnar has since been an inactive member of the roster and not appeared on any WWE program.
Image 8: Rhodes and Lesnar’s feud across Backlash (2023), Night of Champions (2023), and SummerSlam (2023)
The Bloodline Civil War
The popularity of ‘The Bloodline’ is responsible for the current revival of WWE. Over multiple years of WWE programing, the story of the heel faction made up of Reigns, Sikoa, Jey and Jimmy Uso, Zayn and Heyman developed into a melodramatic gangster saga. The dominance of ‘The Bloodline’ was maintained by a brutal treatment of their opponents and their control of the championship titles: Reigns held the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, while Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso possessed the Undisputed Tag Team Championship. Although Reigns won and retained his title on Night 2 of WrestleMania 39, The Usos lost the tag titles to Zayn and Owens in the Main Event of Night 1. With this loss, Cole asked on commentary, “is the Bloodline disintegrating before our eyes?” Retrospectively, yes, this loss indeed signaled the destabilization of ‘The Bloodline’ that would eventually impact WrestleMania XL.
Reigns resented The Usos after losing the tag belts, particularly Jey who took the defeating pin. His punishment involved denying The Usos a rematch and announced that he and Sikoa would instead face Zayn and Owns at Night of Champions to bring the tag championship back to ‘The Bloodline’ (image 9).
Image 9: Reigns and Sikoa v Zayn and Owens in the Main Event on Night of Champions (2023)
In contrast with the mostly match-driven storytelling of Rhodes versus Lesnar, ‘The Bloodline’ story unfolded through non-match segments as much, if not more, than the match-based conflicts. As such, weekly SmackDown programing around ‘The Bloodline’ embraced the soap operatic nature that drives WWE storytelling, as demonstrated by the following segments (videos 7-10).
Video 7: Reigns wants an apology from The Usos on SmackDown (May 12, 2023)
Video 8: Reigns punishes The Usos on SmackDown (May 12, 2023)
Video 9: Jimmy attacks Reigns at Night of Champions (2023)
Video 10: The Usos retaliate against Reigns on SmackDown (June 16, 2023)
Stronger than threats from outside opponents, The Usos’ retaliation against Reigns was a pivotal moment of disruption for ‘The Bloodline’ as a dominant force on SmackDown. This feud within the faction culminated in a “Bloodline Civil War” match in the Main Event on Money in the Bank (2023), where Jey Uso pinned Reigns to win the match. This was the first time that Reigns took a pin since 2019 and revealed that he was indeed beatable. As Cole said on commentary, “Jey Uso has done the unthinkable. Roman Reigns is not unbeatable. Roman Reigns is indeed human” (image 10).
Image 10: Reigns is pinned by Jimmy in a “Bloodline Civil War” match at Money in the Bank (2023)
To correct Reigns’ momentary vulnerability against Jey Uso, Reigns defeated him in the Main Event at SummerSlam (2023) after interference by a mysterious figure who was revealed to be Jimmy Uso (image 11). On SmackDown after, Jimmy Uso explained that he held his brother back from the victory to prevent him turning into the next Reigns. In response, Jey Uso turned on his brother before announcing his departure from ‘The Bloodline’, SmackDown, and WWE (video 11). Jimmy Uso subsequently renewed his loyalty to Reigns and ‘The Bloodline’.
Image 11: Jimmy interferes in the match between Jey uso and Reigns at SummerSlam (2023)
Video 11: Jey Uso quits WWE on SmackDown (August 11, 2023)
Unsurprisingly, Jey Uso’s departure was short-lived when, less than a month later on Payback (2023), Rhodes announced Jey will join the roster on Raw. His return is welcomed by Zayn who could relate to the experience of breaking free from ‘The Bloodline’ and finding sanctuary on Raw, away from Reigns (video 12).
Video 12: Zayn welcomes Jey Uso to Raw (September 4, 2023)
This ‘civil war’ phase in ‘The Bloodline’ saga established two important shifts that would lead to WrestleMania XL: the destabilization of Reigns as an unstoppable heel and Jey Uso joining ‘Team Cody’ on Raw.
The Judgment Day vs ‘Team Cody’
As a heel opponent, ‘The Judgment Day’ played an instrumental role in the formation of an alliance between the superstar babyfaces of Rhodes, Rollins, Jey Uso, Zayn, and Owens, which would eventually shape the story leading into WrestleMania XL. ‘The Judgment Day’ is a heel faction made up of Damien Priest, Rhea Ripley, Finn Bálor, ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio, and JD McDonagh. Its dominance of Raw is comparable to ‘The Bloodline’ on SmackDown, although there is no narrative connection between the two factions except for their feud with Rhodes. The babyface alliance developed on Raw when Rhodes, Rollins and Zayn united to defeat Priest, Bálor and Mysterio in a six-man tag match (video 13).
Video 13: Rhodes, Rollins and Zayn unite against ‘The Judgment Day’ on Raw (August 7, 2023)
The feud between the babyfaces and ‘The Judgment Day’ unfolded over three months on weekly episodes of Raw and PLEs, Payback (2023), Fastlane (2023), and Crown Jewel (2023). During this period, both opponents enjoyed victories and defeats, with the tag team titles moving between Priest/Bálor and Rhodes/Jey Uso and Rollins’ newly formed World Heavyweight Championship under threat from Priest’s guaranteed title opportunity he secured at Money in the Bank (2023). Culminating in the Main Event at Survivor Series: WarGames (2023), Rhodes, Rollins, Jey Uso, and Zayn united with a returning Randy Orton to defeat ‘The Judgment Day’ and Drew McIntyre (who joined the match only to enact his own revenge on Jey Uso) (image 12).
Image 12: ‘Team Cody’ defeat ‘The Judgment Day’ and Drew McIntyre at Survivor Series: WarGames (2023)
The rivalries and events at the heart of Rhodes’ and Reigns’ stories were supported by the secondary relationships between Rhodes, Rollins, and Jey Uso established through this feud with ‘The Judgment Day.’ There is a lot that can be said about how WWE’s serialized and multistrand narrative works to enrich character relationships and conflicts inside and outside the ring. Even though ‘The Judgment Day’ plays no role in the Main Event of WrestleMania XL, it is otherwise difficult to appraise the significance of its interweaving storytelling.
It is also worth re-emphasizing the importance of audience expectations and unpredictability in pro wrestling storytelling. By all accounts, Survivor Series: WarGames cemented Rhode’s clear path back to Reigns, until just before the live stream ended and the entrance music of estranged WWE legend CM Punk welcomed him back (video 14). This would further complicate the road to WrestleMania XL, as will be discussed in Part Three.
Video 14: CM Punk returns to WWE at Survivor Series: WarGames (2023)
Biographies
Tara Lomax is the Discipline Lead of Screen Studies at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS). She has expertise in blockbuster franchising, multiplatform storytelling, and contemporary entertainment and has a PhD from the University of Melbourne. She has published on media franchising, the superhero and horror genres, entertainment industries, transmedia storytelling, and stardom. Her work can be found in publications that include the Journal of Cinema and Media Studies (2024, forthcoming), Senses of Cinema and Quarterly Review of Film and Video, and the edited books Starring Tom Cruise (2021), The Supervillain Reader (2020), The Superhero Symbol (2020), Hannibal Lecter’s Forms, Formulations, and Transformations (2020), The Palgrave Handbook of Screen Production (2019), and Star Wars and the History of Transmedia Storytelling (2017). She is on the Pop Junctions editorial committee.
Mark Williamson has over twenty years of experience as a performer, promotor, producer and commentator in Australian professional wrestling. He has booked wrestling promotions including International Wrestling Australia (IWA) and Warzone Wrestling, and produced the series Underworld Wrestling (2018-2019), which streamed on Amazon Prime Video (2018-2022) and is now available on Tubi. As a pro wrestling manager, he worked with former pro wrestler and now WWE Raw General Manager Adam Pearce. More recently he has explored the creative opportunities of pro wrestling storytelling through comic books and audio platforms.
