Cody Rhodes won back the Undisputed WWE Championship from John Cena at SummerSlam 2025. Since then, he has defended his championship on only three occasions — and exclusively against Drew McIntyre. This pattern raises questions about the creative direction for Cody. Is the creative team out of ideas, or is The American Nightmare unwilling to work with other talents?
In this article, we explore three reasons why Triple H, as head of WWE’s creative team, should consider installing a different superstar as WWE Champion.
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### 3. Fans Turning on Cody Rhodes
There’s little debate that Cody’s second title reign has been far from convincing. The fans are starting to turn on him, particularly after his last two title matches.
During a SmackDown title match, Cody retained the championship by disqualification, using a cheap tactic that left many viewers unimpressed. Then, at Saturday Night Main Event (SNME), he resorted to an illegal move — delivering a DDT to Drew McIntyre onto the title belt itself, knocking McIntyre out of the match.
These questionable actions by Cody Rhodes have started to shift fan opinion against him. Many fans are now vocal about wanting Cody removed as champion, expressing their dislike for seeing him portray a heel character.
It could be part of a deliberate strategy by the creative team to slowly turn Cody heel and reshape the fans’ perception of him. Only time will tell if this tactic pays off.
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### 2. SmackDown Needs a Creative Boost
The blue brand is losing momentum, and the declining ratings mirror this trend. As the top face of SmackDown, Cody Rhodes shoulders the bulk of the blame for the show’s dwindling numbers.
Fans seem bored with Cody leading the show as champion and desire fresh energy and new storylines. SmackDown definitely needs a creative boost, and the locker room is stocked with talent that Triple H can turn to.
Take Randy Orton, for example. The 14-time WWE Champion has been waiting for another title run for some time. Many fans voice concerns that WWE management is unfairly overlooking Orton’s legacy.
Beyond Orton, top-tier superstars like AJ Styles, Finn Balor, and Sami Zayn could be given renewed pushes to help elevate SmackDown’s appeal and ratings. Meanwhile, Cody Rhodes could be given some time off to regroup.
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### 1. WWE Needs Other Stars on the Same Level as Cody Rhodes
There’s no doubt that Cody Rhodes currently stands as the face of WWE, but relying on one superstar alone may not be sufficient to sustain or grow the company’s ratings.
Instead of putting all its eggs in one basket, WWE should focus on building other superstars up to Cody’s level and passing the championship torch to them.
Randy Orton and AJ Styles, among others, have the talent and fan support to be successful champions. Elevating more stars will diversify the main event scene and prevent the risk of overexposing a single superstar.
A balanced roster with multiple credible top-tier talents will help keep storylines fresh and audiences engaged.
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It remains to be seen how WWE will book The American Nightmare in the coming months. For the health of the product, a creative shake-up may be exactly what the company needs — starting with a new face holding the Undisputed WWE Championship.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/wwe/3-reasons-triple-h-must-take-undisputed-wwe-championship-cody-rhodes
