DDP Reveals Cody Rhodes Was Slated to Dethrone Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 Until WWE Changed Plans

DDP has claimed that WWE changed the ending to WrestleMania 39 match between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns.

DDP Reveals Cody Rhodes Was Slated to Dethrone Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39 Until WWE Changed Plans

DDP on Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns at WM 39 [via- WWE]

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Diamond Dallas Page, or simply DDP, is someone who’s been a longtime advocate of Cody Rhodes, whose legendary father, Dusty Rhodes, was a mentor to Page back in the day. The latter has now set the record straight on if the ending to WrestleMania 39, which saw Dusty’s younger son lose to Roman Reigns, was always the plan in the first place or not.

Appearing on Chris Van Vliet‘s Insight podcast, DDP revealed that Rhodes told him that he was going to beat Reigns in their very first WrestleMania encounter in 2023. It was something that WWE allegedly had in its pipeline if Page’s words are to be believed. However, plans are always subject to change in pro wrestling, and that’s what happened with Reigns vs. Rhodes the first time they met.

Dallas Page never thought a creative decision so big that it would completely alter the outcome of a WrestleMania main event would be taken in the lead-up to the event, but it was. Instead of crying over the spilt milk, the former WCW Champion tried finding the silver lining.

He asked Rhodes if him losing the first time around was really that detrimental to his stock. Because if he didn’t win, it’d create a ruckus among the fans, and they’ll start empathizing with Rhodes more than ever before. And that’s exactly what happened. The crowd reactions for Rhodes only grew from that low at WrestleMania 39.

Moreover, if it wasn’t for that gut-wrenching loss against Reigns at SoFi, the former AEW EVP wouldn’t have gone through the adversities that he did with The Rock‘s arrival in the storyline as the ‘Final Boss’. DDP further said that he always tells the younger talent in the business to not dwell on any setback as the worst thing to happen to them.

Instead, in hindsight, they could turn out to be the best-case scenarios, which couldn’t be more true as far as Cody Rhodes‘ arc of redemption from Roman Reigns and his Bloodline is concerned. That moment from WrestleMania XL where Rhodes finally won the world title from Reigns in an ending that reeked of an Avengers movie does not happen without the ‘Prodigal Son’ failing in his first time of trying.

DDP hopes for WWE to give a real shot to LA Knight

In another excerpt from the aforementioned interview, Diamond Dallas Page was asked about his thoughts on fan comparisons between himself and LA Knight. ‘The King of Bada-Bing’ said he loves the 43-year-old Maryland native and even praised him for his tenacity. Page hoped for Knight to be given an actual shot at proving his worth as a main event level star in WWE.

DDP and LA Knight
DDP and LA Knight [via- Wrestling Inc]

The yoga fitness instructor affirmed that ‘The Megastar’ has all the necessary tools to shine on the grandest stage. DDP imploring for an opportunity for Knight does seem like an attainable ask given how the company internally views the erstwhile Eli Drake. Recent reports confirmed that the segment where The Vision absolutely pummeled the former US Champion on Raw was not a burial.

In fact, there’s no truth to Knight leaving WWE, as he has several years left on his contract. The fans can expect a better 2026 for Knight, as per BodySlam, which also claimed Knight is positioned as one of the top babyfaces in WWE. It’d be interesting to see how long it takes for ‘The Defiant One’ to make his return, which could directly happen in the Royal Rumble match as a surprise entrant.

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