WrestleMania 39: Cody Rhodes and the stars who will have the biggest impact in LA
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- Cody Rhodes, left, is one of the WWE Superstars who will have an impact at WrestleMania 39. Credits: WWE.com
WrestleMania 39 is fast approaching, and the stars who will help define the 2023 edition of The Showcase of the Immortals are starting to emerge.
Cody Rhodes was expected to be one such name when he returned from injury to win the Men’s Royal Rumble match in January, but who else will make his mark on the WWE roster at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 1-2. Will leave
Find out with this preview of WrestleMania Goes Hollywood.
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens
1 out of 5
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens’ journey into WrestleMania began with them as rivals and would end as teammates in an Undisputed Tag Team Championship match against The Usos.
Arguably the most popular babyface on the roster at the moment, Zayn writes the latest chapter of his unlikely rise to the top of the industry alongside his longtime friend to complete the best storyline in wrestling.
Owens followed up his main event match last year by competing in one of the most anticipated matches at the two-night pay-per-view against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
Zayn and Owens have a long history of stealing the show and evoking the type of emotion that only the best performers can. As the wrestling world turns its eyes on The Grandest Stage of Them All, the expectation will be even greater.
New Champion? Perhaps. A match that has the potential to steal the show? Oh hell yeah.
Rey Mysterio
2 of 5
If WWE creative is any indication, Rey Mysterio may be at odds with his son, Dominik.
The 48-year-old will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as the headliner of the Class of 2023 ahead of the events at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Either the match or the honor will be sure to keep the three-time World Champion busy over WrestleMania weekend, but having either will give him the important weekend a star of his stature has earned.
To say that Mysterio’s ‘Mania resume isn’t as strong as it should be would be an understatement. Most of that can be attributed to low creativity and his questionable casting in some scenarios as an afterthought.
Arguably one of the best of all time, the fact that he only really had one special WrestleMania moment, albeit a world title win, is astonishing. That should change this year; First with his reputation among WWE veterans, and then with the culmination of his feud with his son.
It makes for a loaded dance card in LA and a defining weekend for a man who influenced a generation of professional wrestlers.
Rhea Ripley
3 out of 5
Rhea Ripley has previously triumphed on the grandest stage when she defeated Asuka to win the Raw Women’s Championship in 2021.
However, it was the Australian’s failure the year before – a loss to Charlotte Flair in her first ‘Mania match – that laid the groundwork for her appearance on this year’s show.
After winning the Women’s Royal Rumble, Ripley will challenge The Queen for the SmackDown Women’s Championship and look to avenge the 2020 loss that set her career back.
It would be a tall task, as even Ronda Rousey was unable to vanquish Flair at The Showcase of the Immortals the year before. But replays are on a different level now.
The 26-year-old is physically dominant, smarter than ever and has pace in ways few other superstars do right now.
WrestleMania 39 will mark her coronation as the future face of women’s wrestling.
Austin Theory
4 out of 5
At WrestleMania 39, Austin Theory will face the man who has had the most influence on his career, John Cena, for the United States Championship.
Despite being completely cooked over the mic by the veteran on March 6, Theory still stands to emerge as one of the most influential Superstars of the weekend from his match with the 16-time World Champion, likely in large part Thanks for that it is intact. His title and score are the biggest wins of his young career.
The 25-year-old is unlikely to give up the title to an up-and-coming contestant whose allegiances lie with Hollywood at this point in her career. Could WWE book Cena for the surprise win? Sure, but it sounds like a coming-of-age story and a match for the theory.
If A-Town is up to it, he could be the biggest surprise of the entire weekend.
cody rhodes
5 of 5
WrestleMania 39 will kick off with Cody Rhodes being crowned the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion, loads of pyro and the crowd roaring in approval of the new face of the company.
Over the past five years, the 37-year-old has revolutionized the industry by creating All Elite Wrestling, returning to WWE to much fanfare, suffering a serious injury and taking on Roman Reigns by winning the Men’s Royal Rumble match.
It’s been a tough journey for The American Nightmare to reach the top, but years of hard work and dedication have gotten them here. Ending the historic reign of The Tribal Chief and ushering in a new era for WWE would be an impressive way to close The Show of Shows.
Determined to capture a prize that eluded his father, Dusty, Rhodes will have his moment in the sun and stand head and shoulders above the rest as the central figure in the WrestleMania 39 storyline.
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