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Fans were unhappy when Cody Rhodes failed to defeat Roman Reigns to become the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion at WrestleMania 39, with the common consensus being ‘well, what now?’ WWE would be walking a fine line with Rhodes’ popularity, as he was super hot in the lead up to WrestleMania. A big setback like this followed by months of a rebuild towards another world title push could be highly damaging for his momentum as a top babyface. There could be a silver lining though and a clear way in which WWE can keep Rhodes hot, and it may be something that is already in the process of happening - an anti-authority feud against Triple H.

Cody Rhodes Needs A Big Angle And Feud To Remain Hot

There are no current entirely plain-as-day obvious indications that WWE is building a feud between Triple H and Cody Rhodes, so this is mostly based on theories from small and subtle hints over the last couple of months. Before delving into those, it should be said that even if WWE aren’t currently planning on doing this, then they need to change their plans and do it. Keeping Rhodes hot all the way until an expected WrestleMania 40 rematch against Roman Reigns will be a very hard job to accomplish, but creating a huge storyline and anti-authority feud would be a perfect way to carry on building his momentum.

RELATED: Can WWE Keep Cody Rhodes Hot All The Way Until A WrestleMania Rematch With Roman Reigns?

Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39

The likes of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Daniel Bryan are key examples of how wonderfully an anti-authority feud can help to turn a babyface into the absolute hottest thing in the professional wrestling business. It hasn’t always worked, with Reigns being an example of it not being good in 2016, but a key factor which differentiates Rhodes is that he is already popular, whereas the anti-authority feud for Reigns was done to make him popular. This is why Rhodes would work wonderfully in this role, particularly against Triple H.

There Have Been Subtle Hints Of Triple H Going Against Cody Rhodes

There are certainly some hints towards the wheels already turning on this storyline. For instance, Triple H’s comments at the WrestleMania 39 media scrum talked down about the prospect of Rhodes winning the world title, stating things like "well, then what" and "stories don’t finish" in WWE. For someone who is meant to promote all superstars, this seemed a little harsh on Rhodes. In regards to this WrestleMania 39 match, Triple H is someone who had the power to ban The Bloodline from ringside to prevent Reigns from once again cheating his way to victory, but he didn’t do so, allowing Rhodes to lose.

RELATED: 5 Biggest Allies Of Triple H's Wrestling Career (& 5 Biggest Enemies)

Prior to introducing the new World Heavyweight Championship, Triple H spoke favorably towards Reigns’ part-time status as champion, praising him for making smart decisions rather than damning the heel for taking shortcuts and not being a fighting champion. Other hints include Rhodes’ feud with Brock Lesnar. Fans have still not been privy to a real explanation as to why Lesnar turned heel on Rhodes the night after WrestleMania 39, leading to some belief that he could be working directly for Triple H. Rhodes had set his sights on Reigns once again, but before he could even think about the gold, Lesnar attacked him and ignited a rivalry, distracting him from ‘finishing the story’.

cody-rhodes-brock-lesnar-wwe-raw

On a recent episode of Monday Night Raw, Triple H and Cody Rhodes shared a backstage segment in which Triple H was seemingly trying to deter Rhodes from competing at Night of Champions against Lesnar. Triple H is someone who has the power to stop a wrestler competing, though it seemed like he was playing reverse psychology on Rhodes to ensure he would compete and continue putting himself in harm’s way.

Triple H Has A History Of Hating Outsiders

Whilst Triple H can no longer step foot into the ring to compete, that doesn’t mean he can’t be the authority figure in a feud with a babyface. Additionally, a feud between him and Rhodes is something that makes a world of sense. Back in AEW, on Rhodes’ first night in the promotion, he took a major shot at Triple H by destroying a throne at the top of the ramp. This alone would give Triple H reason to want revenge.

RELATED: 5 Wrestlers Cody Rhodes Gets Along With (& 4 That He Doesn't)

Triple H Attacks Daniel Bryan

Additionally, Rhodes is an outsider who has come back in and shot right to the top, and for someone like Triple H, who has a history of being against those who have found success elsewhere, such as Sting, Goldberg, Daniel Bryan, Booker T and more, would undoubtedly be rubbed the wrong way with how quickly Rhodes has climbed the ranks in WWE. Triple H has proven to be wonderful in this particular role, and he could well be on his way to becoming a bad guy once again.