Cody Rhodes

In this day and age of social media and smartphones, WWE fans get a ton of looks behind the curtain and on the business side of wrestling, but never as much as getting the company's internal power rankings of its own Superstars. 

Until now, apparently. 

With WrestleMania now a distant memory, it looked like things in wrestling land would slow down when it comes to rumors and buzz. Instead, an alleged leaked list of company tier rankings for Raw Superstars threw out quite a swerve. 

According to PWinsider (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), the top-listed men's babyfaces are as follows: 

1. Bobby Lashley
2. Cody Rhodes
3. AJ Styles

And the top heels: 

1. Seth Rollins
2. Kevin Owens
3. Edge & Damian Priest

On the women's side, according to PWinsider (h/t Ortman), the babyfaces: 

1. Bianca Belair
2. Alexa Bliss
3. Rhea Ripley

And heels: 

1. Becky Lynch
2. Carmella
3. Zelina Vega

The lists, no matter how accurate, provide a lot to dissect, to say the least. 

Look at the Raw men's babyfaces, where Bobby Lashley would somehow be considered the top good guy. Yet it's no wonder fans seem a bit lukewarm on him—his entire recent title reign was completely derailed so the main event scene could focus on Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns—and only Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns—at the expense of the Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber and more. 

Then there's the Cody Rhodes conversation. Based on the reaction to his stunning return at Mania after serving as one of the founding fathers for WWE's biggest competitor, All Elite Wrestling, one would think he'd already sit No. 1 on the list. 

And he probably should. WWE has had a brutal time building babyface stars. Look at how fans reacted to Reigns for a long time compared to how much they've loved his current heel saga. Heels are the cool thing. 

Which is to say there's a short shelf life on Rhodes as a babyface, and it might be better for WWE to capitalize on his momentum and goodwill now before it evaporates. Wait too long and any eventual title win might receive a tepid reception. 

Anyway, AJ Styles sticking in the top three isn't any big surprise, and neither is Seth Rollins as the top heel. Funnily though, he's a good example of how hard it is for promotions to book characters in this day and age. The company believes Rollins a heel and he acts like one, yet one doesn't have to strain their ears too much to hear how much fans still love him and want to see him succeed. 

Interestingly, it's Kevin Owens in the second slot and not Edge. The former is more of a goofy heel most fans seem to love. His entire feud with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was simply talking bad about a state. Edge might be the only heel here that is straight-up violent and dangerous in an old-school way. 

There are similar themes on the women's side of the rankings, too. Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley standing tall in the top three as babyfaces is, if nothing else, WWE fully embracing the next generation of main-event stars. 

But still sandwiched between them, somehow, is Alexa Bliss, who has wrestled just one match since September of 2021. That's not a knock on her, either—she's one of the best in the world. But one would think WWE could have built up somebody else like a Dana Brooke or even Liv Morgan to occupy that slot. 

And then there's the heel list for the women's side which is, to be blunt, a mess. Becky Lynch is technically the top heel, but it's a "begrudgingly" sort of placement because fans seem so unenthusiastic about it. WWE tried for the shock appeal of her returning early to beat Belair to get the ball rolling on that, but it was met with backlash and mostly indifference since. 

That Carmella is right behind Lynch on the heels list isn't necessarily a good thing. She would appear to be flirting with legitimate go-away heat with fans because of the way WWE keeps pushing her YouTube show with Corey Graves. That's as opposed to heat from fans for in-ring actions or interactions with other Superstars. 

Zelina Vega, at least, is a superb name to slot in the top three for a brand right now, and if and when Lynch goes back to a babyface role, she could be the successor to the No. 1 spot. 

Looking at the women's side specifically, it's apparent just how much Raw struggles for depth right now. Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks and Ronda Rousey are all on SmackDown. The women's division desperately needs Asuka and Bayley back from injury to help flesh out lists like these. 

As a whole? The lists could certainly look worse. Like any WWE plans for angles or stars, they're also surely fluid and can change on a moment's notice. But it's quite an interesting snapshot into what WWE hopes to accomplish with its red brand in at least the short-term, while potentially saying quite a bit about omitted names like Finn Balor and tag-based stars like Randy Orton. 

Do the lists look anything like the way fans might rank the same thing? Certainly not, but that gap doesn't have to be a bad thing, either. It leaves room for surprises, not to mention opportunities for the company to hear fan wants and make them happen over time. 

For now, this is the state of WWE and who the main drivers of the vision will be as the next march to a Mania starts in earnest. 

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe and All Elite Wrestling.

Reigns Reportedly Wasn't Injured at WrestleMania

Despite speculation to the contrary, Roman Reigns reportedly didn't suffer an injury during his WrestleMania 38 main event match against Brock Lesnar.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer said on the Sunday Night's Main Event podcast (h/t WrestlingInc's Marc Middleton), Reigns did not get injured at WrestleMania, and his match against Lesnar went off as planned.

There had been speculation that Reigns suffered a shoulder injury, thus forcing him and Lesnar to end the match sooner than intended, but that reportedly wasn't the case.

Reigns needed about 12 minutes to beat Lesnar with a spear, retaining the Universal Championship and winning the WWE Championship in the process.

Reigns is now the unified world champion, meaning he can appear on both SmackDown and Raw moving forward, which is something he has already done since WrestleMania.

On last week's SmackDown, Reigns was confronted by Shinsuke Nakamura, who appears to be The Head of the Table's first challenger coming out of WrestleMania.

A match has yet to be announced, but it seems likely that Nakamura will challenge Reigns for the titles at WrestleMania Backlash next month.

Meanwhile, Lesnar hasn't been seen since WrestleMania, and it is unclear when he will be brought back to WWE programming.

Regardless of Lesnar's status, there is little doubt that Reigns is the face of WWE currently, and he will continue to be presented as the top star in the weeks and months to come.

Rey Mysterio Missed Raw for Medical Reasons

WWE originally advertised Rey Mysterio to face Veer Mahaan on Monday's episode of Raw, but Rey did not appear on the show.

According to Meltzer (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Mysterio was unavailable due to a "medical issue," which resulted in WWE changing up its plans.

Instead of Rey, his son Dominik Mysterio was Veer's opponent. Veer won the match in dominant fashion, which led to Dominik being taken backstage on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance.

After months of teases, Veer finally appeared on last week's post-WrestleMania edition of Raw. He made his presence felt in a major way by attacking and decimating both Rey and Dominik Mysterio.

That attack occurred after Rey and Dominik suffered a defeat at the hands of The Miz and Logan Paul at WrestleMania.

At 47 years of age, Rey has essentially been relegated to helping his son develop, while also putting over other Superstars on the roster.

Rey almost certainly would have put over Veer on Monday, but with their match getting postponed, it seems likely that it will still occur at a later date with the same result.

Depending on how long Rey is out, a match between him and Veer at WrestleMania Backlash is a possibility.

Jericho Understands Rhodes' Decision to Leave AEW for WWE

AEW star Chris Jericho gave a diplomatic response when asked Monday about Cody Rhodes leaving AEW for WWE.

Appearing on SiriusXM's Busted Open (h/t WrestlingInc's Danny Wolstanholme), Jericho said the following about Cody's departure:

I was honestly disappointed that he left. But, I get it. I've done it many times myself. You know this, we've discussed the reinvention of Jericho many times. I mean, I left WWE in 2017 for basically the same reason why Cody left AEW, from what I understand. He just didn't think he was getting the—I don't know if it's the spotlight or the respect or whatever the word being, but you could kind of see the writing on the walls.

Obviously now, Cody is as bigger than he's ever been just by changing companies. And obviously, they did a great job in putting him over at WrestleMania, bringing him in at the highest of levels, and now it's up to Cody to do the dirty work shall we say and continue that momentum and get that job done. And can he do it? Absolutely. He's a very smart guy. He's a great performer.

Cody shocked the wrestling world in February when he announced he was leaving AEW despite being an executive vice president and one of the people chiefly responsible for creating the company.

Fans eagerly anticipated a return to WWE, and they got precisely that at WrestleMania when Rhodes arrived as Seth Rollins' mystery opponent and picked up a victory.

Remarkably, Rhodes had the same presentation in WWE as he did in AEW in terms of his gear, theme music, nickname and more.

Cody received a massive reaction from the fans at WrestleMania, and that has continued over the past two episodes of Raw, firmly establishing him as one of the top babyfaces in WWE.

In AEW, it seemed as though fans had grown tired of Cody, as evidenced by them routinely booing him despite him being a face.

Rhodes had essentially done all he could do in AEW, feuding with many of the top stars and holding the TNT Championship on multiple occasions. As a result, he felt it was the right time to go back to where it all started for him.

Cody has made it clear that his goal is to do what his father, WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, never did, and that is winning the WWE Championship.

Based on how over he is with the WWE fanbase, it seems like it is a matter of when rather than if he wins the title.

Three years ago, it was hard to imagine that Cody Rhodes would ever return to WWE after he famously smashed a throne at Double or Nothing.

This divisive act of defiance at All Elite Wrestling's first pay-per-view signaled the beginning of what he dubbed a "revolution." In the process, it's impossible to deny that the 36-year-old helped to change the industry for the better.

To start 2022, Rhodes' free-agent status became one of the biggest stories in professional wrestling. He wouldn't go back to the place he often derided, would he? He couldn't conceivably leave what he helped to build in AEW and return to the company he openly challenged in hopes of creating an alternative, right?

Well, the second-generation star put all the rumors and lingering questions about his next destination to rest as he returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38 as Seth Rollins' mystery opponent. That's right. The American Nightmare once again took his talents to Stamford, Connecticut. It was surreal, to say the least, but his re-emergence was one of the highlights of Night 1 of The Greatest Spectacle in Sports Entertainment.

From Undesirable to Undeniable

No matter what you think of Rhodes or his decision, he succeeded in his six-year trek to reinvent himself and prove his detractors wrong. On a night when "Stone Cold" Steve Austin returned to have one last match, the former AEW EVP was the most talked-about subject online. At the time of publishing, his appearance Saturday night has garnered more than 2.8 million views on WWE's YouTube channel.

To put that in context, the clip of his entrance dwarfed all three videos of The Texas Rattlesnake's contributions to WrestleMania. That's quite a feat for someone who was in a creative rut the last time The Showcase of the Immortals took place at AT&T Stadium in 2016. It's even more impressive because this was unquestionably a result of the work the Atlanta native put in to construct his brand.

Everything special about his entrance was a product of his time away. WWE surprisingly used every aspect of his character and presentation, and it worked exceptionally well. The company used The American Nightmare moniker that he popularized, his entrance, the logo that Rhodes tattooed on to his neck and his tagline: from undesirable to undeniable.

This was his moment. Moreover, his match with Rollins was paced and structured like the matches he had elsewhere. It would be easy to say that this was so effective because of the controversy surrounding the first AEW star to jump ship for WWE. However, one has to respect the fact that Rhodes went away, made himself a bigger star and forced the company to recognize that his ideas were the best options.

After all, WWE has taken heaps of criticism lately for repackaging notable indy wrestlers like Pete Dunne and Walter. There were even rumors that there were plans to change Adam Cole's look and character. Conversely, the prodigal son came back with leverage and immediately paid dividends.

It's tempting to say that that's a good sign for the future of WWE, but Rhodes is a special case. He can insist that, unlike many of his peers with less notoriety, he doesn't need to change anything. Frankly, that's a testament to his drive and effort to make himself undeniable.

The Road Ahead

We can wax poetic about how great Rhodes' return was, but there are still so many questions. Some fans will obviously continue to wonder what caused him to leave AEW, but we probably won't get a satisfactory answer on that front for a long time.

It's easy to say that some of the loyal enthusiasts he cultivated should just let it go and be happy about the next step in his career. However, it's also fair to admit that the lingering drama following his exit is distracting.

Nevertheless, reservations as to whether his second run with WWE can live up to all the fanfare surrounding his return are just as prevalent. Admittedly, this is a complicated question. It depends heavily on what viewers hope to see and what The American Nightmare hopes to accomplish.

Those are two distinct standards to consider when evaluating where this could lead. Fans will always maintain certain hopes and expressed biases. Regardless, Rhodes clearly has personal reasons for going back to the company and attempting to gain validation from winning its top prize, which he seemingly rejected years ago.

Some critics will admonish this move if the three-time TNT champion doesn't become a consistent main eventer. That's a legitimate concern, and one would have to imagine he didn't come all this way to go back to being a midcarder. In contrast, it would be difficult to argue this wasn't beneficial for him if he just wants to reestablish himself as a consummate babyface and handle some unfinished business.

Rhodes' passion and determination to make something of himself makes him so relatable. It's even more admirable to watch him strive to live up to the legacy of his father, Dusty Rhodes. This is what made his NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship triumph at All In so poignant. It's also a large part of what made him such a compelling protagonist during his first year with AEW.

The Son of The Son of a Plumber had become so polarizing over the past year. Even more, he seemed to lose that fire that made him so endearing before the infamous Anthony Ogogo feud. In less than a week, the change of scenery has already created a positive buzz for him. His renewed quest to become WWE champion is also much more interesting than what he was doing for the past few months.

During his promo on Monday's episode of Raw, he quoted the French poet and fabulist Jean de La Fontaine. "A man often finds his destiny on the path he takes to avoid it," he said as he laid out his reasons for returning and his need to do what Dusty Rhodes never did.

It was an apt excerpt that could lead to a long-overdue WWE Championship win, but then what? That's the million-dollar question. His initial push will be important for many skeptics, but consistency will determine whether this run will succeed or fail.

Still, it had to be quite a victory for the man who said he wanted to kill the Attitude Era during his feud with his older brother, Dustin Rhodes, to momentarily overshadow its biggest star at WrestleMania 38. It may be too soon to say that kind of momentum will last. However, it is a signature moment for him, and it certainly won't be the last one of its kind.

Rhodes is a star. He has proved that many times over, and he will continue to make an impact on the wrestling industry with WWE. Some fans won't understand his appeal. That's the nature of the beast, but his earnest approach to storytelling and mind for the business will shine no matter what.

Cody Rhodes made his WWE return on Night 1 of WrestleMania 38 on Saturday after leaving All Elite Wrestling, and he picked up a huge victory as Seth Rollins' surprise opponent.

The American Nightmare hit Rollins with two straight Cross Rhodes. He teased a third before striking him with a series of punches and the Bionic Elbow in tribute to his father, Dusty Rhodes. 

Rhodes picked up The Visionary and delivered a third Cross Rhodes to get the win. 

Rollins desperately tried to get himself added to the WrestleMania card in the weeks leading up to The Showcase of the Immortals but fell short in matches against Kevin Owens and AJ Styles.

WWE chairman Vince McMahon agreed to put him on the WrestleMania card, but he said the former universal champion wouldn't know his opponent until he was in the ring.

While there were believed to be a few potential candidates to face Rollins, Rhodes made his highly anticipated WWE return, which elicited a huge reaction from the crowd at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Along with Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks and Tony Khan, the 36-year-old was a driving force behind the creation of AEW and the success it has enjoyed over the past few years.

After being under contract with WWE from 2006 to 2016, Rhodes requested his release from the company because of a disagreement over how he was being utilized. That resulted in him establishing himself as a major star outside of the company.

Rhodes had stints in Ring of Honor, New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Impact Wrestling. During that time, he held the ROH World Championship, IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship and NWA Worlds Championship.

He was also behind the organization of the All In pay-per-view in 2018, which was essentially the fore-runner to AEW.

When the formation of AEW was officially announced on Jan. 1, 2019, Rhodes was revealed to be one of four executive vice presidents under president Tony Khan.

He went on to be involved in countless top matches and rivalries, and he also held the TNT Championship on three separate occasions.

Given his standing in the company, all signs pointed toward Rhodes being in AEW for many years to come, but the first sign of something being amiss came in January when Fightful reported he was no longer under contract and was working on a handshake deal, which he confirmed in an interview with the AEW YouTube channel.

It was still widely assumed Rhodes and AEW would work something out, but after The American Nightmare dropped the TNT title to Sammy Guevara in a ladder match on the Jan. 26 episode of Dynamite, a bombshell was dropped.

Rhodes released a statement on Feb. 15 in which he thanked AEW and announced that he and his wife, Brandi Rhodes, were departing the company:

Shortly thereafter, Khan released a statement thanking Cody and Brandi, and confirming their departure:

That immediately led to speculation regarding what went wrong and whether Rhodes would go back to his old WWE stomping grounds.

Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated reported that Khan taking on full booking responsibility and Rhodes losing creative control played a significant role in the latter's decision to leave AEW.

Then, before anything was officially announced, Wade Keller of PWTorch reported that Rhodes was WWE-bound and would be in for a "big push" upon arrival (h/t Wrestling Inc's Sai Mohan).

Now that he is officially back in WWE, the focus shifts toward how he will be utilized.

During his first run with the company, Rhodes was a multi-time intercontinental and tag team champion, but he never reached the top of the card.

After making a name for himself outside WWE, though, he may be in line to take the next step, much like Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley did upon returning to the company in recent years.

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