According to F4WOnline, Roman Reigns retaining the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 39 last Sunday was said to be not a late decision.
The report also notes Rhodes losing to Reigns “was always the plan.” It was also said it was kept secret and that almost nobody knew.
Reigns pinned Rhodes in the main event of last Sunday’s WrestleMania 39 Night Two at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.
Dave Meltzer said the following on the report:
“That’s what you want, a challenger to come out a bigger star than he would have been if he had won the championship because then where do you go from there? What’s the story to tell? Now you know the story, it’s Cody’s redemption. He’s coming back from what was just taken from him, from the defeat he suffered that he didn’t deserve to have inflicted upon him.”
The finish of the match saw outside interference by Solo Sikoa, who was ejected from ringside at one point during the match. When it looked like Rhodes was going to win, Paul Heyman climbed up on the ring apron distracting the referee so that Sikoa could enter the ring and hit Rhodes with a Samoan Spike. This then allowed Reigns to pin Cody after he hit him with a spear for the win.
During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Paul Heyman said that be believes after Rhodes’ loss at WrestleMania 39, he now a bigger star than he was before.
You watch/listen to the entire interview below: