WWE’s Triple H: Roman Reigns-Cody Rhodes story not over, By Mike Mooneyham -
April 8th 2023

(The Post and Courier)

The Post and Courier - Sports - Wrestling

Roman Reigns, flanked by Solo Sikoa (left) and Paul Heyman, turned back Cody Rhodes to regain his Universal title at Wrestlemania 39. WWE Photo

It was a moment that was generations in the making.

But for one thing.

That one shining moment – the one where Cody Rhodes would fulfill his destiny on “The Grandest Stage of Them All” – never happened.

Marking his 945th day as Undisputed WWE Universal champion, Roman Reigns shattered the American Nightmare’s dream of accomplishing what his famous late father, Dusty Rhodes, was never able to do.

And that was to become world champion in WWE.

“You were the better competitor,” Rhodes told Reigns the next night on Raw. “(But) last night I had you.”

The result from the 39th edition of Wrestlemania drew mixed reactions from the WWE Universe, many of whom firmly believed that Rhodes, who had valiantly fought his way back into the title picture after missing last year’s Wrestlemania due to injury, was destined to be the man to finally dethrone the 37-year-old “Tribal Chief.”

“WWE ruined the story and disrespected the entire Rhodes family and legacy,” tweeted one fan.

“It’s actually impressive how quickly WWE managed to ruin Cody Rhodes. Not good, but impressive,” tweeted another.

As disappointing as the outcome was to a sizable number of the 161,892 fans who attended the two-night extravaganza at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque reassured the fan base that it wasn’t the end of the story.

“It’s always interesting to me when people say how could that happen, or how could they do that in that moment,” Levesque said in a press conference following the event. “It’s almost perfectly spelled out in this story, to finish the story. In the WWE, the story never changes. Tomorrow night on Raw at the sold-out Crypto Arena, the story continues, the story takes another chapter. We just got to the end of the chapter. But the story continues and that is where the story gets interesting to me.”

That story may have started a new chapter Monday night on Raw when Rhodes challenged Reigns to an immediate title rematch. What happened instead was a tag-team match pitting Reigns and enforcer Solo Sikoa against Rhodes and surprise partner Brock Lesnar. The bout never developed, however, as Rhodes suffered a major beatdown from Lesnar before the match started that lasted nearly 10 minutes.

It is expected that Lesnar will now be Rhodes’ next hurdle heading into WWE’s Backlash event next month in Puerto Rico.

To Paul Heyman, Reigns’ appointed “Wise Man,” Rhodes came away from Wrestlemania as an even bigger star. He said the story now is about Cody’s comeback and redemption.

“That’s what you want,” Heyman told BT Sport’s Ariel Helwani. “You want the challenger to come out a bigger star than he would have been if he had won the championship, because then where do you go from there? What’s the story to tell? Now you know the story; it’s Cody’s redemption.”

Deal merges WWE, UFC

As if the week of nonstop activities surrounding the “Hollywood Wrestlemania” wasn’t enough, mainstream media attention quickly turned to the blockbuster news that WWE was being sold to Endeavor, the parent company of UFC, to form a new publicly traded company that will be valued at $21 billion.

The new company will be headed by Ari Emanuel, whose Endeavor purchased UFC in 2016 for $4.2 billion. The deal is expected to close in the second half of this year pending regulatory approval.

Vince McMahon will remain executive chairman of the board of WWE, while Emanuel will lead the company as CEO and Mark Shapiro will be president and COO of both Endeavor and the new company. Dana White and Nick Khan will maintain their roles as president of UFC and president of WWE, respectively. The Board of Directors will consist of 11 members who will be appointed at a later date, six of whom will be appointed by Endeavor and five of whom by WWE.

Endeavor will have a 51 percent controlling interest in the new company, with the remainder being held by existing WWE shareholders. The deal values UFC at $12.1 billion and WWE at $9.3 billion.

“Together, we will be a $21+ billion live sports and entertainment powerhouse with a collective fan base of more than a billion people and an exciting growth opportunity,” McMahon said. “I, along with the current WWE management team, look forward to working closely with Ari and the Endeavor and UFC teams to take the businesses to the next level.”

The 77-year-old magnate, who retired last year amid a sexual misconduct scandal, returned to the company in January looking to sell the company. The public face of WWE for decades, McMahon told CNBC it was just the right time when asked why he was selling a company that had been a family business for 70 years.

“It’s the right time to do the right thing, and it’s the next evolution of WWE. I could probably do what Ari is doing right now with UFC, but it would take me 10 years. By the time I grab those 10 years, he’d be 10 years ahead of me. It makes all the sense in the world for all of these synergies that we have to extract all of the value we can out of the marketplace.”

McMahon, who gives up financial control of a company that dates back to his father’s Capital Sports Corporation that started running in the early 1950s, also indicated that he wasn’t likely to play a major role in the creative side of the product.

“Yes and no. On a higher level, yeah. In the weeds, which I always loved to get in the weeds in the past,” McMahon said, “No I can’t do that.”

That didn’t appear to be the case at last week’s Raw, however, as McMahon reportedly ordered rewrites shortly before the show went on air. The changes continued throughout the show, according to PWInsider, and talent was said to have been concerned regarding McMahon’s return.

Endeavor reportedly won’t interfere with creative or production, and Levesque is expected to remain WWE’s chief content executive.

Levesque on Monday night assured the Raw audience that the company would continue stronger than ever.

“The same WWE that you love, the same WWE that put 161,000 people to the rafters in SoFi Stadium, is going nowhere. We will be here week in and week out, event after event, sold-out arena after sold-out arena, packed stadium after packed stadium, because we are the WWE.”

“And, just like it says in the beginning, ‘Then, Now, Forever, Together,’” said Levesque, citing the company slogan.

Sources told the Fightful Select website that WWE’s sale to Endeavor had nothing to do with the decision to have Roman Reigns retain the Universal championship at Wrestlemania.

Wrestlemania fallout

WWE announced that Wrestlemania 39 was the highest-grossing event in company history.

The mega-event generated a gate of more than $21.6 million, breaking the previous record by 27 percent, with 161,892 in attendance at SoFi Stadium over the two nights.

A number of readers chimed in on the event, specifically regarding the Reigns-Rhodes main event on Night 2. It was a booking decision that has been widely derided.

Longtime WWE follower Joe Dobrowski said Reigns has enjoyed a tremendous run, but feels the company missed a golden opportunity. Doing this a second time around could have a less emotional payoff for fans.

“From watching for 40 years and not just in wrestling but life in general, timing is everything,” Dobrowski wrote. “You can do the right thing and the wrong time and you come out wrong even though the calculations were right. Timing is the one factor in all of your data analyses that is always moving. Like a stick of gum in your mouth, it only has flavor for so long. You can’t

inject more flavor in it. I feel horribly for Night 2 compared to Night 1, and I wonder if the Endeavor sale has a major factor into this. Cody Rhodes may have his day but what good is it at any time other than tonight? You won’t have a better time to do it. Any losses for Roman will never hurt him. I just have to wonder if there are internal politics as well as this sale a factor here. I don’t like it one bit.

“Another thing, too, is if the adage and the vision is ‘Finish the Story’ and then you have Paul Levesque saying the story never finishes, I’ve got to wonder if there are deeper thing here. Paul, whether he realizes it or not or intentional or not, just put a knife into the credibility of Cody Rhodes. He may recover from this, but I find the explanation telling.”

Greg Tingle, director of Media Man Australia, writes that the main challenge is that it’s the business of sports entertainment and the massive bottom line element.

“Business in WWE has been absolutely booming with the Roman Reigns-Paul Heyman-Bloodline connection. There’s likely too much money at stake to risk upsetting the applecart and changing up the formula at this stage of the game, especially with the Endeavor Group deal happening. Reigns and Heyman have proven to be a meal ticket and gateway, if you will, to the promised land of mega-WWE media, marketing and crossover deals.

“With Vince McMahon and Nick Khan in such high-up positions in the WWE, it would not be a good look for them and other bean-counter types to put the belt on Cody Rhodes. Cody’s story may have to wait six months to three years or so to potentially come full circle and see the strap around a Rhodes waist … Triple H is now somewhat caught between a rock and a hard place, and he has to toe the line and do what’s best for business. With the Endeavor element, the rules of the game have changed. In the midst of chaos is opportunity, and Rhodes must ride out the storm and play the long and patient game.”

More reactions:

“It wasn’t clean, and based on what HHH said at the press conference afterward, I’m hopeful for the story to progress and Cody to get his moment at some point. This does mean that Roman will pass the 1,000 days. I’d like to see him beat Hogan’s record, now, since they decided to keep it on him tonight.” – Ryan Frick

“For someone who doesn’t watch WWE really anymore because I’ve changed my loyalties to another company, I thought the main event was fantastic … A match that kept you on the edge of your seat, hoping that Cody was going to win. The finish of the match, what a wash. Ridiculous idea in my opinion to have the guy that was kicked out from ringside earlier in the match to come back and interfere to help Roman retain … They passed on both Sami Zayn and Cody Rhodes when they were at top babyface runs. Maybe it’s just me, but it blows my mind how they continue to think that Roman still holding the title is what’s great for them right now. At this rate who will actually beat Roman? – Preston Lood

“It was great! Action, thrills, swerves, pageantry. Everything pro wrestling is supposed to be. Kudos to those from the front office to the wrestlers in the ring. Even Snoop Dogg stepped in for the save. It was tremendous. When the WWE is hot the entire business will prosper.” – Jimmy Hines

“Business as usual. Predictable as can be. The Cody finish was the same as the McIntyre-Roman ending in Wales, with Solo interfering.” – Ken Mihalik

“They put over 160,000 (butts) in seats over two nights. Nothing else matters. Once someone does more than that, I will listen to their ideas on how it could have been booked better.” – Bill Hazelwood

“I didn’t see Cody going over here. In a sense, he’s still ‘new’ to the company. There’s still time to build this into an epic chase, should he be the one to dethrone Roman. I love that Roman has been built this way. Whenever he is beaten, this will be a huge moment no matter where it occurs. Too many title changes = nobody cares and delegitimizes the belt and its meaning. – Abigail Forshner

“It was a great weekend of wrestling and entertainment. I’m interested in seeing how they follow up Cody’s loss. I hope they didn’t Luger him.” – Thomas Simpson

“With the expected sale of the WWE to the group who owns the UFC, maybe the WWE needed to keep the big name on top a little while longer.” – Brian Boyd

“The story’s not over. Just because it’s Wrestlemania doesn’t mean it has to end.” – Tim Dixon

“I loved the match and think both Rhodes and Reigns both tore down the dang house.” – Charlie Layton

“If they weren’t going to put the belt on Cody with that buildup, then it should’ve been Sami Zayn going over at Mania.” – Donnie Tillman

“I absolutely loved Wrestlemania. The very best one I have seen in many years. So very many awesome matches. I personally would like to have seen Cody win, but I get why Roman went over. The only problem is that they need to make sure Roman does not get stale as champion. If Cody had won, it would have kept everything fresh and it would have been a nice change-up. Roman could have won it back within months, wouldn’t have hurt anything.” – Steve Worrell

“Triple H hasn’t forgotten about Cody smashing that throne in AEW.” – Chuck Green

“Great event! Both nights were solid with very few low points. As far as Cody/Reigns, the same thing I said about Sami in Toronto … good match, wrong finish.” – Tarron Coalson

“Hadn’t watched much wrestling in a while. Same old endings, same old story. Mystery interference, idiot referee, just too much of the same. Hated the outcome.” – Richard Adam Gregg

“Three referee bumps deciding outcomes in one weekend is a bit much.” – Johnny Lee Gayton

“I think we all got too presumptuous about Cody winning. Everything else was predictable, so they had to pull the rug out somewhere. Cody hasn’t been chasing it very long anyway. Why end a story that has been so gold so far?” – Jody Mooneyham

“I’m also of the belief that the pending sale to Endeavor is the cause of Roman going over. I can’t help but think Vince forced Paul to call an audible because of it.” – Alan Powell

“I think it’s a mistake to let Reigns keep the title. They built it up, but missed their chance to push Rhodes.” – Theodore Odom

“Well, if they are going to make this a trilogy, it was a good move. If this will set up a Rock return it was a good move, but if either storylines not advancing it was dumb. That was a heck of a match and if Roman really wanted time off, losing would not have made him look weak given the match quality. I do believe the new owners probably had input on this because UFC is all about hype. More will be revealed.” – Bob Sampson

“Cody doesn’t have ‘it.’ Reigns does. Not sure why anyone would think the WWE was going to switch the belts; you marks got worked.” – Christopher Cruise

“I think that there is a lot more left in the Bloodline storyline, and that combined with Roman (most likely) going to over 1,000 days as champ is compelling. Though Cody is still very over, I think there would have been a percentage of the fan base that would have turned on him quickly had he won last night; it just felt too quick. Let him have a year-long redemption story that can run parallel to the Bloodline storyline (maybe they periodically intersect at the Big 4 PPVs) and have it culminate in him winning next year at WM.” – Chip Collins

“It has to be reckoned the resulting feelings of being cheated are akin to being the spoiled child in the family. Much like a responsible family member reminding that child ‘the world doesn’t revolve around you,’ we have the juxtaposition of WWE and the fan base. I didn’t like Reigns going over. I was satisfied with every other match. So, I’m spoiled and I want what I want? Yep. I’m not going to stop watching because of one letdown. I’m now more interested in the new direction (if any) of WWE. It’s been a lifelong investment for this kid.” –William Hunnell

“I always thought there was a chance that they kept it on Roman. The crowning of Cody at Mania would have been a moment, but storytelling wise there’s a lot more ways to go. You keep the Bloodline still strong. You cast doubt in to who can finally take them down. You make Sami and KO have to watch their backs more so now that they are champs. You have Cody now having this inner struggle of can he ever do it. But the biggest thing is, MITB (Money in the Bank) just became so much more important because that seemingly is going to be the only way anyone gets the belts off of Roman.” – John Hart Jr.

“Still crushed by the ending … but with the Endeavor purchase it makes sense to keep the current champion going.” – Peter Bahi

“While I don’t watch any current product anymore, keep this in mind. His father drew money chasing the title. Never held it for long. Ric Flair also made a career out of spoiling what the fans wanted but giving great matches. What the fans want doesn’t always matter if the booking is done correctly.” – Ed Stylc

“Seems obvious to me that the Cody-Reigns match was just the first chapter of the bigger story they want to tell. Just because Cody didn’t win last night doesn’t mean he never will. I see a cage match/Hell in a Cell match down the road, and I’m betting that people will be watching that en masse too. One more point. Did the armchair bookers out there on the Internet just sell their company for 9 billion dollars? No? Funny how that works, huh?” – Brian Huff

RIP Bushwhacker Butch

Bob “Butch” Miller, a member of one of pro wrestling’s most beloved teams, passed away on April 2 at the age of 78.

Miller teamed with Luke Williams (Brian Wickens) as The Bushwhackers in WWE (then WWF) during the late ’80s and ’90s, and the two were inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame in 2015. They were inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2020.

“The Bushwhackers became one of WWE’s most popular tag teams of all time, competing in multiple Wrestlemanias,” WWE said in a statement. “They thrilled the WWE Universe with their signature march to the ring, swinging their arms and hugging fans along the way.”

Before arriving in the WWF, though, the two were one of the most vicious and violent teams in the business as The Sheepherders, earning a reputation for their bloody hardcore matches, most notably with The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers).

Miller began his career alongside Williams in their native New Zealand in the mid-1960s. The two, then known as Nick Carter and Sweet William, got their first big break as The Kiwis in Stu Hart’s Calgary-based Stampede promotion.

“By the time we reached our mid-20s, we found ourselves traveling the world together, from New Zealand to Australia to Malaysia, Singapore and Japan, before ‘invading’ the North American territories in Canada and the United States as The Sheepherders,” said Williams. “In 1988 we were in our 40s and still at the top of our game when we got a call from the offices in Connecticut with an offer to join the largest and fastest-growing wrestling promotion in the world, the WWF/E. The Bushwhackers were born!

“As The Bushwhackers we appeared in the largest venues in the world, in front of the biggest crowds professional wrestling had ever seen. And we were eventually honored by our fans and peers with our inclusion in the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2020. We did it all, we saw it all, and we accomplished it all together.”

The duo also appeared as themselves in a memorable episode of the television show “Family Matters,” where The Bushwhackers, as “The Pyscho Twins,” wrestled against Carl Winslow and Steve Urkel.

Miller was forced to retire from the ring in 2001 after a neck injury and returned to New Zealand.

Miller had flown to Los Angeles from New Zealand on March 29 for Wrestlemania week. He experienced a medical episode, which was described as a “situation with medication,” shortly after arriving and was hospitalized. He died on April 2.

“This past weekend in Los Angeles, Bob flew in from New Zealand to join me for Wrestlemania weekend and the related festivities, neither of us knowing it would be our last days together and his last days of life,” said Williams.

“Late last night, I lost my friend, brother and tag-team partner of over 50 years with the passing of Bob ‘Butch’ Miller,” Williams posted on social media. “From the early 1970s when we were

young mates wrestling for John da Silva in New Zealand, my first impression of Bob ‘The Chest’ Miller (as he was called in those days) was that he was a first-class redneck, and what bloody redneck he was! But he was also an all-around good guy and a great friend.

“If you were to read the story of my life it would say that I am only child, but it would be wrong,” added Williams. “In life I had a brother and his name was Bob Miller. I love you, Bob. Until I see you again, WOOOOAHH YEEEEAAHH!”

Fulton, who with his late tag partner Rogers had a classic feud with The Sheepherders during the ’80s, also expressed his sadness in a Facebook post.

“As I’ve stated throughout the years, at five years old my dream was to get in the world of professional wrestling. There are many I can thank for me getting the opportunity to live out my dream. We had 37 barbed-wire cage matches. Two of them that helped Tommy and I gain the legitimacy of being more than a pretty boy tag team was Luke and Butch.

“We spilled blood, we sweat, and today Luke and I cry together. Tommy and Butch are sadly gone. As in 2015 when we lost Tommy, with Butch and the others that have gone, this isn’t goodbye, we will one day meet again. Butch, Tommy and the rest live on in our memories!”

Reach Mike Mooneyham at bymikemooneyham@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter at @ByMikeMooneyham and on Facebook at Facebook.com/MikeMooneyham. His latest book — “Final Bell” — is now available at https://evepostbooks.com and on Amazon.com

Did you know …

Hiro Matsuda, one of the most respected wrestlers in the pro ranks during the ’60s and ’70s, was also regarded as a top coach and trainer.

Matsuda, whose real name was Yasuhiro Kojima, owned part of the Florida Championship Wrestling promotion, one of the hottest territories in the business at that time, and later trained much of the top talent coming out of that wrestling-rich state, a lengthy list that included the likes of Terry Bollea (Hulk Hogan) and Larry Pfohl (Lex Luger).

“He was responsible for many superstars who developed during the Florida Championship Wrestling era,” said Hall of Famer Jerry Brisco. “I’d like to think myself and my brother were two of them. When Hiro was putting on his camps, they were notorious throughout the world as being some of the roughest camps ever. My brother and I had been in the business for quite some

time when we decided to work out with Hiro. We went two-a-days with Hiro. Needless to say, Hiro whipped up from one side of the court and down the other side.”

Brisco noted, however, that the grueling workouts eventually paid dividends for him and brother Jack.

“We were pushed until our tongues hung out,” said Brisco. “But it was the finest shape we ever got in in our lives and we had a bunch of opponents squealing shortly after that because of the condition we were in. At the end of the workouts, we’d enjoy a six-pack together. There was nobody finer in this industry. My hope was always to beat Matsuda in the mile after one of these workouts. Once I beat him in the mile, but it took me about four months to get up the endurance. We bought a six-pack, sat down and celebrated, and I didn’t go back to his gymnasium again for a workout. But I always went back to have a cold brew with him.”

Matsuda passed away at the age of 62 in 1999.

On this date …

Thirty-four years ago today on this date (April 9, 1989): Bianca Belair was born in Baltimore, Md.

Born Bianca Nicole Blair, the two-time WWE women’s champion married fellow performer Montez Ford (Kenneth Crawford) in 2018.

Belair was an All-SEC and All-American in track at the University of Tennessee and was named to the SEC’s academic honor roll in 2011 and 2012.

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(The Post and Courier)