Wrestlemania XL will unfold on Saturday, Apr 6, 2024, & Sunday, Apr 7, 2024, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The event is already a massive financial success for the company, with ticket sales setting a new all-time record of $21.6 million, breaking last year's mark. A rematch for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title between champion Roman Reigns and challenger Cody Rhodes seems inevitable to be the main event for the show's second night.
But if you will allow me - Let Me Talk To Ya!
Nostradamus couldn't have predicted the meteoric emergence of LA Knight in 2023. From a lackluster feud, no one cared for with the late Wyndham Rotunda (Bray Wyatt) back in January. To fans going wild the second his theme music hits and following along with his catchphrases is amazing.
In the staged arena of WWE, it's more than what you can do in the ring that gets you noticed by the suits. It's what you can do in the all-important merchandise department where Knight has been dominating. He has been the number one merchandise seller for three months in a row now. He beat out John Cena, Cody Rhodes, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Rhea Ripley in September, and currently doesn't look like that trend will change.
If we look at Knight's matches in 2023, it is a bit perplexing how he finds himself in the main-event spotlight. You would need help finding a feud or signature win before his recent involvement with the Bloodline to propel him higher than mid-card or upper mid-card. Yet here we are. Trying to understand the popularity of LA Knight is for another conversation altogether.
Getting endorsed by John Cena on television with the recent battles with The Bloodline has made him look like a main event player on the rise. On Nov 4, live from Saudi Arabia, he will have the opportunity to prove that the endorsement is accurate. The main event will feature LA Knight challenging Roman Reigns for the top prize in the company. Will Knight defeat the Tribal Chief and reign over Smackdown? No. But what happens at Crown Jewel can have lasting effects heading into the city of brotherly love.
photo courtesy: wwe.com
It bears repeating, but no one outside the most die-hard Knight fan should rightfully believe he is leaving Crown Jewel as the new Undisputed WWE Univeral Champion. How Knight performs at Crown Jewel, however, can have some interesting ripple effects. For this thought experiment to work, we will assume Knight, with two Smackdown shows before Crown Jewel, can add depth to his character. And we will also assume he does not stink up the joint and prove he can be a permanent big-time player.
LA Knight is a rocket that needs one more explosion to shoot off into the stratosphere. A breakout moment along the lines that changed Becky Lynch into The Man could unravel everything. A tough or cheated loss to Roman Reigns in the right way will only fan the flames of Knight's popularity. WWE officials would have to consider a rematch at the top prize. With Knight bringing WWE sizable deposits into their accounts, they would be daft to say no. And that is where this gets fun. Would WWE really pull the trigger and have Knight be the man to finally conquer Roman Reigns? What happens to Cody Rhodes finishing the story? What happens to the main event of Wrestlemania?
Roman Reigns comes face-to-face with Cody Rhodes.
First, we must look at the man Knight would be replacing, the American Nightmare. WWE has gone to great lengths to present Cody as the face of the company. Seth "Freaking" Rollins is the World Heavyweight Champion of RAW and was recently awarded the #1 male wrestler in the world by Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI). Despite that, Cody is considered the face of the show, going out of his way to be the man of the people. Flying to both shows, meet and greets, house shows, and autograph signings after the shows end. Cody has been carefully groomed to ultimately be the man to defeat Reigns. Cody is the ultimate baby face like Bret Hart once was. But this is professional wrestling.
LA Knight could be the Stone Cold Steve Austin to Cody Rhodes' Bret Hart. The cooler-than-cool badass that fans gravitate towards. If it comes down to a straight popularity contest, Knight could leapfrog Rhodes by the time the Royal Rumble rolls around as the chosen one. Knight winning the Royal Rumble and challenging Roman at Wrestlemania would completely change the narrative of Cody's story. Assuming Rollins is still the World Champion of RAW at Wrestlemania. Would defeating Rollins leave Rhodes and WWE fans feeling satisfied? There has been so much groundwork over the past year and a half-built-up between Rhodes and Reigns. It is insane to think that could all go away. Even more nutty is the real possibility this could happen.
Rollins would have something to say on the matter. Despite his fantastic year, he is an afterthought with the current swirling storylines. There were rumblings about an unhappy Rollins deciding not to sign a new long-term deal not too long ago. His contract is believed to be ending right around Wrestlemania time. Knight's soaring popularity can push Rollins further down the totem pole. And with his wife Becky Lynch's contract suspected to finish in the summer of next year, WWE could lose one, if not two, of their biggest names. While it is improbable that WWE will let both go, the trade-off can be worth it if Knight continues on the rise he finds himself on. If Cody defeats Reigns at Wrestlemania, and Rollins loses to Knight. Does Rollins go after Cody's new title? It is hard to believe Cody would not have a lengthy run as the man. Seth "Freaking" Rollins could find himself the odd man out again of any world title picture.
The wild card in all of this is Señor Money in the Bank Damian Priest. WWE loves making history. Should Priest successfully cash in his contract attempt. He would be the first Puerto Rican world champion for WWE since Pedro Morales in 1971, who held the title for 1,027 days. Knight taking the championship off of Priest might be more palatable for Rollins. There are a lot of unknown emotions, thought processes, and egos we don't know. This is purely speculation from a distance. But from our periscope, it is hard not to believe Knight will be a champion in some capacity very soon.
Roman Reigns saying, "Acknowledge me," for forty seconds.
The last and most daunting obstacle for LA Knight to hurdle is the legendary title reign of Roman Reigns. The Head of the Table's rule is mythical by wrestling standards. A one-year title reign is not unheard of for world champions. Roman is in year three and legitimately threatening to break records as hollowed as some found in professional sports, such as Cal Ripken and Brett Favre's Iron Man records. To any record held by The Great One. Not that Great One, but Wayne Gretzky. Reigns recently passed Pedro Morales on the all-time list, sitting at over 1,100 days. A victory at Crown Jewel all but guarantees Roman will pass Bruno Sammartino's 1,237-day reign for third all-time. Records at one time seemed as out of reach as the nearest galaxy to our own.
Next on the list would be Hulk Hogan at 1,474 days. For Roman to pass the Hulkster, he would have to leave Wrestlemania as champion and make it to at least SummerSlam in August. Bob Backlund's 2,135 title reign is the next colossal milestone to top. Even by Reign's otherworldly standards, the idea of him passing Backlund is too far-fetched. Passing Hogan is a real possibility if we assume the status quo, and he defeats Cody again at the Showcase of the Immortals. Let us remember it took Reigns several years before he could conquer and stay ahead of his top rival, Brock Lesnar. Cody could be suffering a similar fate. That is if LA Knight doesn't crash the main event party.
We got a staredown of Roman and Cody at the season premiere of Smackdown. We had Michael Cole pose the question on RAW to Cody after winning the Undisputed Tag Team Titles with Jay Uso: is this how the story ends? Since returning to WWE, Cody Rhodes has become the unquestioned face of RAW. All signs have pointed to a rematch with Roman for the prize that has eluded his father and himself.
All that could be undone at Crown Jewel heading into a new gallant with one man proudly proclaiming, "Whose game is it?"
courtesy of TikTok @WWE
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