Cody Rhodes Defeats Roman Reigns, Wins WWE Universal Title At WrestleMania 40

At WrestleMania 40, Cody Rhodes finished his story  with a victory. With the assistance of Jey Uso, Seth Rollins, John Cena and The Undertaker, Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns to secure the undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Rhodes sealed his triumph by pinning Reigns, thereby concluding Reigns' remarkable title reign in a tumultuous main event. 

The involvement of John Cena and The Undertaker heightened the excitement of the moment. Despite coming close to clinching the title the previous year, Rhodes had faced interference that prevented his success. Nevertheless, on Night 2 of WrestleMania XL, Rhodes fulfilled the long-awaited dream of his late father, the iconic Dusty Rhodes.

During WrestleMania Night 1, Rhodes found himself pinned by The Rock in the tag team main event. Consequently, his subsequent bout with Reigns was contested under Bloodline rules. The action promptly spilled outside the ring, with weapons entering the fray. Both competitors engaged in a brawl throughout the arena before eventually returning to the squared circle.

Rhodes Overcomes Adversity To Claim Victory

Both competitors exchanged incredible blows, with Reigns even executing a Cross Rhodes on Rhodes. Rhodes retaliated with a spear on Reigns and appeared poised to claim the title. However, Jimmy Uso's interference disrupted Rhodes' momentum.

However, Jey Uso intervened and saved the day by taking out his brother with a spear off the ramp. Just as Cody seemed poised for victory once more, Solo Sikoa struck him with the Samoan Spike, reminiscent of WrestleMania the previous year.

Despite Solo's interference, Cody refused to give up. That's when John Cena came to Cody's aid, delivering a couple of Attitude Adjustments to Solo and Reigns.

The Rock then made a dramatic entrance to confront Cena, reigniting their iconic WrestleMania rivalry. The Rock executed the Rock Bottom on Cena. Then, Seth Rollins attempted a sneak attack, disguised as a member of The Shield, but Reigns quickly countered with a Superman punch, thwarting Rollins' plan.

Following that, The Undertaker's iconic music resonated throughout the arena. As the lights dimmed, he materialized in the ring, delivering a choke slam to The Rock. Then, just as mysteriously as he appeared, the lights went out again, and The Undertaker vanished.

Subsequently, Reigns seized a chair and unleashed a brutal assault on Rollins. As Reigns prepared to deliver a spear, Rhodes intercepted him, executing three Cross Rhodes maneuvers to secure the victory.

Brandi Rhodes entered the ring to celebrate with Cody, and soon, the rest of his family joined in, along with Cena, Randy Orton, Sami Zayn, Jey Uso, CM Punk, and others. Rhodes presented the title to his mother amidst the jubilant celebration.

Rhodes Ends Reigns' Reign

Rhodes' victory signifies his inaugural World Championship win in WWE and brings an end to Reigns' illustrious reign with the titles. Roman Reigns held the WWE Universal Championship for an impressive 1,317 days, claiming the title from Bray Wyatt at WWE SummerSlam 2020. Additionally, he held the WWE Championship for 736 days, securing the title from Brock Lesnar on night two of WrestleMania 38.