Kevin Owens just lately turned heel by attacking Cody Rhodes. (Credit: WWE/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesCody Rhodes defeated Kevin Owens at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event to retain the WWE Champion, however in an odd twist, it was the babyface Rhodes who emerged with a tainted victory.
Rhodes has basically been WWE’s “golden boy”—simply ask Owens—for the previous two years, and if there was ever any doubt about that, “The American Nightmare” squashed these considerations when he defeated Roman Reignst at WrestleMania 40. When Rhodes ended Reigns’ historic title run of greater than 1,300 days, the widespread expectation was—and nonetheless is—that Rhodes would maintain the title all the way in which to and maybe even by means of WrestleMania 41.
Then got here Owens’ epic heel flip—by which he attacked each Rhodes and Randy Orton—simply as experiences of Owens probably signing a brand new contract started to create a buzz. Now, Owens is likely one of the most compelling characters in all of professional wrestling, who has an actual gripe concerning how he misplaced his WWE title match at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
After an inadvertent ref bump, Owens hit Rhodes with a stunner and had him pinned effectively past the three-count—solely, the ref couldn’t rely it. After yet one more ref bump, Rhodes was capable of his his Cross Rhodes finisher on Owens onto a metal chair—a tactic usually reserved for a cowardly heel.
Well, it’s uncertain anybody had that convoluted end on their Saturday Night’s Main Event bingo card.
WWE loaded up the cardboard for the return of Saturday Night’s Main Event, and Rhodes vs. Owens—which very simply may have taken place at Survivor Series—as a substitute discovered itself because the headlining match for the returning present, seemingly setting the stage for both an Owens upset or a clear win for Rhodes. It was, in any case, simply at Bash in Berlin in August that Owens misplaced to Rhodes however definitely underneath a lot completely different circumstances.
They have been each babyfaces, nonetheless loosely aligned as allies and rating among the many hottest stars within the firm. Rhodes nonetheless suits the invoice as WWE’s prime star, however his reign as champion had lacked that actually memorable rivalry. Then, alongside got here Owens, who hasn’t held a world title in practically a decade and has had official points with Rhodes that make sense from a storyline perspective.
Owens has needed to cope with The Bloodline greater than anybody else, and so, it was Rhodes’ obvious reconciliation with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline that despatched him over the sting. Owens feels justified in his actions, which is what has made his heel flip so compelling. He does certainly have a official cause to be offended with Rhodes, and now, he has much more cause to regardless of Rhodes after the WWE Champion took a shortcut to retain his title on Saturday evening.
Call it no matter you need, however simply a few months in the past, nobody may have envisioned Rhodes retaining the WWE Championship that manner in 2024.
Rhodes, nonetheless, has teased that his plans for WrestleMania 41 will shock followers, maybe hinting that he’ll splinter off into a unique rivalry within the weeks forward. But the primary actual shocker got here at Saturday Night’s Main Event when Rhodes introduced again WWE’s traditional winged eagle championship solely to take the straightforward manner out to go away with that belt in hand.
If there may be one factor that WWE followers can count on throughout Triple H’s inventive period—which has allowed WWE to ascend to heights it’s by no means seen earlier than—it’s long-term storytelling. There is, thus, an actual path for Rhodes to proceed his feud with Owens after the way in which he defeated his former buddy contained in the Nassau Coliseum.
Owens could have lose at Saturday Night’s Main Event, however that end suggests there may be extra to return between Rhodes and the previous Universal Champion. Owens, in any case, spent the previous few months establishing himself as a tremendous antagonist, the kind of WWE star who can carry a world championship with out anybody questioning it. Now, he has a official gripe that might him one other shot on the gold.
And whereas some followers will query the choice to ebook a babyface Rhodes that manner, WWE’s present inventive regime pays consideration to minor particulars on the subject of its reserving. That implies that Rhodes’ low-cost win wasn’t accomplished accidentally.
Owens is value of holding championship gold in an period by which lengthy title reigns be certain that only some stars do, and although he’s not WWE Champion but, that tainted end ought to get him one other shot at it.
