WRESTLEMANIA 39 HAD one of the most controversial finales in history as Roman Reigns defeated Cody Rhodes to secure the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
The battle between these two WWE superstars saw fans overly hyped to witness the finale, only for their cheers to evolve into an echoing silence the moment the Tribal Chief carried the championship belt.
As the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California was left in disbelief, wrestling fans were left pondering on whether the outcome was justified.
Even the MPL Philippine casters namely Dan "Leo" Cubangay, Manjean "Manjean" Faldas, and Renmar "Reptar" Sta. Cruz, who are diehard wrestling fans have expressed their opinions to Spin.ph.

Another long road for Cody Rhodes
Reptar didn't mince his words the moment the Tribal Chief was acknowledged. Like most of the fans, he was likewise lost for words.
"Torn! On one side, it already was the perfect moment. It already felt like the perfect moment to pull the trigger on the greatest story ever told in wrestling," started Sta. Cruz.
"The callbacks, someone FINALLY getting help against the bloodline with KO (Kevin Owens) and Sami [Zayn] of all people being the ones to help the biggest threat to Reigns' reign so far. The bionic elbow combo countering the Superman punch leading up to the Cross Rhodes. Hell, even Brodie Lee Jr. was ringside," he continued.
After digging deep on what happened during their match, Renmar hinted that WWE may have other plans to further build the American Nightmare's storyline.
"But then I also get the other side, that would have been too predictable. Everyone EXPECTED the reign to end there. But what if...Not just yet. What if Cody Rhodes has to go on one more long hero's journey within the WWE to finally get what his dad couldn't."
He added: "It's equal parts frustrating and exciting. But WWE have put immense pressure on themselves to somehow write another few months or maybe even a year of storytelling to finally reach the ultimate endgame. The outcome and leadup of which HAS to outweigh the disappointment of the outcome of Reigns vs Rhodes I."
But despite the outcome, Renmar had an extremely positive feedback on the match going as far as calling it "one of the greatest WrestleMania main events of all time."
A Song of Fire and Ice
While Renmar was torn with the overall finale, Manjean felt sad as he expected Dusty Rhodes' son to win, though he found Reigns' victory as a way of further fleshing out his villainous role.
"Sad ako for Cody. Mukhang buo na kasi yung concept na akala naming lahat siya na mananalo. Pero interesting yung choice ng WWE na Reigns pa rin tas parang mas napinuruhan pa yung pagiging heel niya sa story."
Then he compared the outcome to HBO's Game of Thrones, a show renowned for its unexpected twists and turns.
"Parang mala Game of Thrones na may biglang mangyayari na di ine-expect ng lahat. Solid! Tanggap ko yung ending na it’s a story for a lot of fans na na-feel na Cody na dapat," said the MPL Hall of Legends inductee.
Delayed Gratification
Meanwhile Leo, who has posted memes about the WrestleMania 39 finale, admitted his frustration knowing Cody's tumultuous journey. Prior to their WrestleMania bout, Cody suffered from a torn pectoral tendon, which fans witnessed in his match against Seth Rollins.
Due to the injury, Rhodes was unable to step in the ring for nine months. His return saw him prevail in the Royal Rumble, giving him a chance to challenge Roman Reigns in the biggest event.
"Initially, it’s frustrating. Everybody’s sick and tired of Roman. And Cody’s tale, despite the 2022 injury, I could’ve sworn, was supposed to come to a climax here. Tonight. That was honestly what’s eating at me."
Yet like his fellow peers, Leo believed that something big might be brewing into Cody's career, especially since he was overlooked in his initial stint with WWE, when he donned the Stardust persona.
"But I get it. Delayed gratification. The 1000+ day reign. A better ramp up and emotional hook to Cody’s eventual win. Not everyone was invested in his career and way back into the WWE, so this story they're telling now is to fix that. I can kind of see where they're going, as difficult as it is to accept now. We just gotta let em cook. Trust in the process," reflected Cubangay.
Then when talking about the match itself, Leo admitted that both delivered a worthy spectacle.
"As for the match, extremely entertaining. Neither Cody nor Roman looked weak. They pulled out all the stops. To be fair, neither of em are known to be spot-monkeys or have the deepest arsenals, but the storytelling, the legacy, the history, and the gravitas of it all is what carried the match, and the pacing."
He added: "These two are vets - the best in the business right now, I acknowledge that. It was fun, quite the emotional rollercoaster - just the finish, it’s messy and was a means to a long and still quite unclear end."
Given how fans reacted, how will WWE respond? Will Cody finally get the prestigious title? Let's wait and see.
As of now, let's just acknowledge the Tribal Chief's dominance.
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