Is Cody "The Guy" now?

[HIM]

Serious question. We know what that means. When someone is "The Guy" they're the franchise player, the face of the company, the one tasked with the world on their shoulders. We can look at this company's history and see there's been a changing of The Guy for decades. Recently it's been Cena and then Roman Reigns, hell Becky too (insert "The Man" pun), can't forget about her so the question is...

Is Cody "The Guy?"

No, this isn't "well they're fumbling his booking he can't be The Guy" because there hasn't been one person who's had 100% great booking. Basically, is Cody that dude now.

Personally I'd say right now it feels like Cody's where Austin was prior to WM14 against Shawn. He's the face but he hasn't been crowned yet. He's doing everything they've expected from him.

[TWERKIN' MAGGLE]

I'll get back to you on that after Mania.

[fw91]

People understandably didn’t mention it due to Vince stuff, but HHH more or less hinted that he’s pretty mich next in line at the Rumble press conference. But you can never be too sure as long as Roman has the title.

[Dub H]

Any sane person would make him the guy.

[schizo]

He most definitely is imo

[Fade]

Feb 10, 2024 16:52:29 GMT -5 HIM said:

Serious question. We know what that means. When someone is "The Guy" they're the franchise player, the face of the company, the one tasked with the world on their shoulders. We can look at this company's history and see there's been a changing of The Guy for decades. Recently it's been Cena and then Roman Reigns so the question is...

Is Cody "The Guy?"

No, this isn't "well they're fumbling his booking he can't be The Guy" because there hasn't been one person who's had 100% great booking. Basically, is Cody that dude now.

Personally I'd say right now it feels like Cody's where Austin was prior to WM14 against Shawn. He's the face but he hasn't been crowned yet. He's doing everything they've expected from him.

Basically 🤷

[A Platypus Rave]

Feb 10, 2024 16:53:01 GMT -5 TWERKIN' MAGGLE said:

I'll get back to you on that after Mania.

Yeah, They actually have to let him win the big one to be the guy.

[Clash, Never a Meter Maid]

I don’t understand why WWE doesn’t have Roman, Cody, Becky and Seth just say they’re “The Ace”. Ace sounds so much cooler than “The Guy”.

Or is that too tied to Japanese wrestling?

[Woo]

He could be. But then so could have many other guys they fumbled. We shall see what happens at Mania.

[A Platypus Rave]

Feb 10, 2024 17:30:59 GMT -5 Woo said:

He could be. But then so could have many other guys they fumbled. We shall see what happens at Mania.

Like almost anyone that has faced Roman could have been the guy. But they basically killed their momentum with this run.

Hell remember when the crowd went nuts for Cesaro? Only for Roman to basically no sell all of his offense... then Roman, Seth, and Jey beat the shit out of him after the match to make sure you understood that he was a loser?

[Jindrak Mark]

Realistically Roman is still the top star. When Cena at Mania faced Bray in 2014 and Rusev in 2015 in relatively upper-midcard level matches then especially from 2017 onwards when he would just lose constantly is when it became clear he wasn't the guy anymore. Roman still main events the Wrestlemanias and the Summerslams though. And there's a good chance when he goes back face now he'll actually be as popular as they wanted him to be in 2015-19. So I think Roman will still be the face of the company for another 2-3 years.

If you're speaking strictly about full-time guys then it's obviously Cody and has been for a year already. He's the top merch seller, works all the house shows and is now the protagonist in 2 of the biggest Wrestlemania main events of all time. Put it like this, even if he retired today and never won a world title his popularity in the past 2 years and the way he's helped boost business already easily puts him in the top 5 biggest babyface stars in the company since the turn of the millennium. And if you're not including ones who were already stars before then like Austin/Rock then he's probably top 3 with Cena/Batista. He's already surpassed face Roman, Orton, Punk, Bryan, etc. Him ending Roman's title reign and "woah-ing" in front of the Mania crowd with fireworks blasting everywhere is what needs to happen though to fully cement him in kayfabe and be shown in video packages for decades to come.

[Cyno]

It's still Roman. After Mania? We'll see.

[simplydurhamcalling]

Feb 10, 2024 17:30:09 GMT -5 Clash, Never a Meter Maid said:

I don’t understand why WWE doesn’t have Roman, Cody, Becky and Seth just say they’re “The Ace”. Ace sounds so much cooler than “The Guy”.

Or is that too tied to Japanese wrestling?

It's too tied to their former head of talent relations. I'm joking although now I've written it down I do think it's a legitimate reason they would avoid it.

To answer the OP he is to me, I can't think of any babyface in recent memory that has managed to stay as over as Cody has right at the top of the card whilst winning 95% of his matches. The rocket has been strapped since he came back and unlike with babyface Roman and Cena before him fans have continued to lap it up.

I do think that when/if he wins the title at Mania he should not have a long run if he wants to keep that momentum going. I just don't think long babyface title reigns work in 2024 and you almost always wind up less over than when you won the title in the first place.

[Ryushinku]

As red hot as he is right now, it completely depends on Mania.

And the follow-up, but, mostly Mania right now. It's a true make or break.

[yokohamacpfc]

He needs a run with the title to prove it. However, barring the injuries that prevented Bryan from making it I don't see any obstacles (unless they decide for Roman to win at Mania which is currently a 5% chance IMO).

Austin was an exception because Bret had gone, HBK was unreliable, Rock, HHH & Foley were a year away, and Undertaker was in his own universe so the role fell to him by default. WWE now has an embarrassment of riches to rely on.

[fw91]

Feb 10, 2024 17:59:35 GMT -5 Ryushinku said:

As red hot as he is right now, it completely depends on Mania.

And the follow-up, but, mostly Mania right now. It's a true make or break.

How do they stick the landing on the follow up? What I mean is even though I think Cody will be the heir apparent to Roman as the "guy" I feel like ultra long title reigns may be over. What if he loses the title sometime before Survivor Series?

[Ryushinku]

I do think it's a little tricky too, yes.

While Cody is popular enough for it, yet another multi-year run with the title I think would both make the Reigns run less special but almost compound the view that it's just really really damn long title runs for all the major belts every time.
And that would also lead to the similar issues of boredom and filler feuds.

So, I do think you'd need to have Cody lose that title at some point, even if that can still be after several months with it. I wouldn't say SummerSlam, for instance, but after that point. And it's how you handle that.

But I'm putting the cart before the horse here. Beating Reigns for the big one at WrestleMania absolutely mints Cody in the first place, and that's what would make him The Guy undisputed.

[Push R Truth]

Feb 10, 2024 16:53:01 GMT -5 TWERKIN' MAGGLE said:

I'll get back to you on that after Mania.

This is the simple truth.

If he wins at Mania? He's The Guy.
If he loses again? He's That Guy.


You never want to be That Guy.

[Cyno]

I don't think they need another mega-run if Cody wins the championship. It can last a few months before he drops it to someone else (preferably not right back to Roman). I'm pretty tired of year+ long runs where it'd be a nice change of pace for wrestling in general. Just as long as he doesn't get jobbed out in seconds like Kofi did to Lesnar.

But he's gotta get there first. As Jon "Stugotz" Weiner would say "Do it in the playoffs." Cody is at the crossroads (pun not intended) where he can either be Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes.

[Legion]

Feb 10, 2024 18:56:40 GMT -5 Cyno said:

I don't think they need another mega-run if Cody wins the championship. It can last a few months before he drops it to someone else (preferably not right back to Roman). I'm pretty tired of year+ long runs where it'd be a nice change of pace for wrestling in general. Just as long as he doesn't get jobbed out in seconds like Kofi did to Lesnar.

But he's gotta get there first. As Jon "Stugotz" Weiner would say "Do it in the playoffs." Cody is at the crossroads where can either be Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes.

See, I'd be happy if they let Cody have a long run, as long as they let the second strong WHC get some hot shotting.

They dont both need long reigning champs