Is Cody Rhodes An Overrated WWE Main Eventer?

Cody Rhodes has been WWE’s number one babyface star for the last four years, climbing the ranks quickly after his return to the company and going on to wrestle a stunning five WrestleMania main events and secure three reigns as the WWE Champion. In that time Rhodes has had some standout matches and moments… but is there an argument to suggest that Rhodes’ run as a main eventer is a little overrated? On the back of yet another disappointing big match, this time against CM Punk at SummerSlam 2026, questions need to be asked about the quality of Rhodes in WWE’s main event scene.

Cody Rhodes’ Main Event Matches Have Underwhelmed

• Rhodes’ last two WrestleMania main events were duds.
• Rhodes vs. CM Punk at SummerSlam was a let down.
• Too many of Rhodes’ WWE Title matches are a miss.

When the lights have been the brightest in recent years, Cody Rhodes hasn’t always delivered. For instance, WrestleMania 41 featured what is considered to be one of the worst main events in the history of the show as he and John Cena had a slow, weird, plodding match with a very unsatisfactory ending. One year later, the much-anticipated showdown between Rhodes & Randy Orton in the main event went down a similar path, with awful pacing and a bizarre match structure. Cody Rhodes’ most recent major match against CM Punk at WWE SummerSlam left a lot to be desired, with the pair not clicking and failing to deliver the classic that many expected.

Over the last year, Rhodes has also engaged in underwhelming WWE Title fights with the likes of Drew McIntyre and Gunther, with his only real standout matches coming in the form of a fun SummerSlam 2025 headliner with John Cena and with Sami Zayn’s shock WWE Title win in a triple threat at Night Of Champions. This is simply not good enough for WWE’s number one star.

Cody Rhodes Can Work Quality World Title Matches In WWE

• Rhodes’ feud with Kevin Owens had good matches.
• With the right presentation, Rhodes’ main event bouts deliver.
• Rhodes has worked well with the likes of Gunther & Drew McIntyre.

The disappointment surrounding Cody Rhodes’ recent exploits comes largely due to the fact that he has proven that he can work big matches in a strong manner, such as his aforementioned bout with John Cena at SummerSlam. Additionally, Rhodes has competed in one of the best Hell In A Cell matches ever with Seth Rollins, an iconic WrestleMania main event with Roman Reigns, and standout matches with the likes of Kevin Owens. Even in his disappointing feuds with Gunther & Drew McIntyre, it is clear that when the shackles are off and Rhodes isn’t constrained by the poor pacing of matches, he can work well and impress fans against those names.

This poses the question over whether Rhodes is simply an inconsistent performer, whether he is someone reliant on his opponent to take him to the next level, or whether something else is afoot. It is most likely the latter. Rhodes is not overrated, but instead he has been hampered by poor booking and weak match structure more than anything else.

WWE’s Booking & Match Production Is To Blame For Cody Rhodes’ Misfires

• Rhodes has proven himself capable of working big matches.
• WWE should be blamed for his poor match production.
• Rhodes’ WWE feuds in recent months have been booked badly.

Rhodes’ slower, methodical matches have been a complete miss around almost every corner, so it is baffling as to why WWE keeps turning back to this formula. It has failed against Orton, Cena and now Punk, so why does WWE continue to make Rhodes look bad in big matches? A lot of mistakes can also be seen in his lackluster feuds too, which have all contained a lack of heat, very basic storytelling, and sometimes even carbon copies of previous feuds (see the “frustrated with authority” Gunther & McIntyre angles), which leads to matches underdelivering due to a lack of meaning and intensity.

Rhodes’ blood feud with Kevin Owens delivered because they could both build on their months of promos, brawls, and interesting storytelling, bringing this energy into their clashes over the WWE Championship. However, when Rhodes’ feud with Orton was overshadowed by the presence of Pat McAfee, there was nothing present to inject life into their match. Sure, Rhodes could perhaps work in a different way to make matches better, but the blame must be put onto WWE for how they’ve carried out so many of his matches, feuds, and main events. Rhodes needs a break from the top of the card, giving him a refresh and a route to find a newer side of himself that can bring something new to the main event whenever he returns to it next.