The Rock, the Chamber, and the Battle for Cody’s Soul

Power. Prestige. The big contract. Championships.

When we’re discussing sports of any kind, those are our markers of success. They tell us how successful we were, but more importantly they tell us the story of how we got “here.”

Where the men’s Elimination Chamber match this weekend is concerned, the contest is ripe with interconnected stories. That’s what makes these matches exciting because where the Rumble can be so unpredictable, the focus the Chamber matches provide gives the wrestlers the breathing room to have the match they want, achieve the same goal as the Rumble, and achieve the same result in setting up that key WrestleMania match.

On its own merit the match would be worth watching, but this year feels different. With Cody Rhodes as a champion on the brink of collapse amid a crisis of self, The Rock prodding him as a pseudo Shang Tsung emboldens the pressure on Rhodes to succumb to the whims of the Final Boss. What makes that dynamic interesting, without even getting into the match, is that it feels like Rock is setting Rhodes up as part of a larger plan. The smoke and mirrors of Rock’s last appearance feel thinly veiled. It feels like a concerted effort in the context of their bigger story to get payback on Rhodes for how the 2024 WrestleMania season played out.

Let’s come back to those four dynamics up top. Those measures of success are largely co-dependent, one leading to the other. You put in the work, you scratch and claw in a very Cena-esque way and then you break through. From that vantage point, Cody Rhodes’ story has those elements. His return to the company was defined by his wish to succeed where his father and brother failed. Coupled with that eventual success of becoming champion was the glory, power, prestige and contract benefitting a titleholder. All of that is great, but the story being told over the last several months is the effect of those elements and how the pressure that comes with the position is negatively affecting Rhodes.

Battling for the Soul of the ‘Common Man’

Thinking on this for a bit, that original plot point of the story is being overlooked. When discussing Rhodes, and the family as a whole, we’ve cast aside that aspect of putting forward hard work, dedication and that “common man” work ethic. Dusty’s character was built on that relatability and it’s something Cody openly invoked on his road to the championship. He also lived and breathed it the entire time he was away from WWE, and continued doing so upon his return. That connection is why it was so easy for so many to enter his orbit and stay there.

Since he became champion, that aspect of the character has eroded away almost by design. His run has become more about fighting to stay champion and much less with how he got there. There’s an element of desperation in the portrayal. Consider for a moment the decisions he has made. Something as simple as teaming with Roman Reigns defies his road to that moment. That story beat was done because it made sense for the moment, and then in the bigger picture the ripples it caused informed how to tell even more poignant stories between Cody and Kevin Owens.

The point is simple. Kevin Owens at this very moment has more in common with Dusty Rhodes than Cody. His conviction has never wavered, whereas Cody’s gradual breakdown becomes more apparent with each match. At this moment Cody is at a crossroads that is the culmination of his story. Not “the story,” but his story. Who he is in relation to people like Rock, Reigns, Owens and even his father is the centrepiece.

That’s the story beat of Rock’s appearance and request that Cody submit his soul — his core — to him. The success that would come in return would be worth it for any champion dying to cling to what they have. The question we need answers to ask how far gone is Cody Rhodes? If his series with Kevin Owens showed us anything, if we accept Owens as Cody’s social conscience who placed a mirror in front of Rhodes then the answer is apparent. The next thing we have to ponder is whether or not the “heart” of the “common man” is still beating.

Stone Cold Final Boss

From the moment The Rock adopted his final boss character he was portrayed as a cutthroat individual willing to smile to your face while plotting your demise behind closed doors. His smiley nature feels like a smokescreen concealing his true intentions, namely the demise of Rhodes for interfering in his family’s business. The consistency between last year and now is his conviction dictates and informs his decision-making within how he can best be served. It’s a power dynamic. There’s no other way to really interpret the recent Rhodes-Rock segments other than this way. If we accept that “Shang Rock Tsung” is craving power and representation of his interests, his apparent ruthlessness across 2024 and 2025 is a character staple. Regardless of his more softer portrayals, that underpinned “final boss” mentality is still present.

Whether he fights Cody, or his new representative acts by proxy, the core element is his demeanor. Rock is out for himself and anything that serves his purpose is useful to him. What’s interesting is there are parallels between them demonstrating their willingness to act in their own interests to preserve power. The difference is where Rock is fully transformed into his persona, Rhodes can still be saved before the dream inevitably becomes a nightmare. Losing his championship is inevitable.

Every analysis below is of course presuming Rock and Rhodes is definitely off and not booked. Rock could literally just show up at the PLE to whip Cody’s soul via his butt using his new Dream-inspired weight belt.

Elimination Chamber and the Road to WrestleMania

Rhodes will probably balk at Rock’s offer to set up a proxy match with the Chamber winner at WrestleMania. The questions we then have to ask are who wins, who benefits most, and who would likely sell their soul to “The Final Boss?”

Let’s assume one of the six taking part in the Elimination Chamber:

• John Cena
• CM Punk
• Drew McIntyre
• Logan Paul
• Damian Priest
• Seth Rollins

While it’s impossible to guess exactly what’s in store at Elimination Chamber, let’s assume this is the right track. If we do that, we need to look at it in terms of what makes sense for the story. I think we can omit Priest and Logan right away as they have no ties to either major player.

Typically these types of matches have combatants who are there only to pick up an elimination or two, hit a big spot, are over and appear strong enough to win but fall short of the goal. Paul will probably do something crazy off the cage and pick up an elimination or two. Paul winning the entire match feels far fetched, and him getting eliminated early wouldn’t be the worst thing. Of the two Priest feels more likely, but he feels too detached from the bigger story. Both feel like they would come from left field as associates of The Rock.

Drew McIntyre

The combination of the remaining four is interesting. Cena, Punk and Rollins have a close connection to Cody and Rock specifically, with Rollins having a looser connection in the sense that he really only stood against Rock last year. Conversely, Rollins and McIntyre have closer to ties to the other players in the match, not necessarily just Rhodes or The Rock. McIntyre’s road still feels like an unknown weeks after the Rumble and while it wouldn’t be the worst choice, it doesn’t carry the same weight. Couple that with McIntyre posting about his relationship with The Rock and it amounts to be being a red herring. McIntyre is more likely to be put against someone else in the match for WrestleMania.

Seth Rollins

Rollins could be an interesting possibility as someone you could flip. Where that option hits a snag is he has no reason to stand with Rock following his part in defeating the Bloodline in 2024. Looking at him purely in terms of matchups, there’s less value in retreading the feud between Rhodes and Rollins. Depending on how Punk figures into this, Punk and Rollins could continue their feud and also connect this back to their squabbling at the Rumble alongside Reigns. However it feels as though his inclusion here is not in service of the bigger title-centric story.

Where does that leave Cena and Punk then?

CM Punk

Looking at Punk his promo opposite Rhodes weeks back felt like foreshadowing. Certainly it was obvious he was talking about the Rumble, but with that in the past we have to ask how desperate he is to secure the title match and his first WrestleMania main event. Further to that, we must ask whether he would side with his old rival — selling his soul to him in the process — in order to make good on his pledge to Cody before the Rumble.

It’s fair to say the Punk of 2013 would never do such a thing, but the Punk of 2025 is a different matter. He’s an older, more desperate version of himself with less time in front of him than not. Punk would be a solid choice if not for the possibility of matching up with Rollins and Reigns. The company could merely run with Rollins and Reigns, but their combined elimination from the Rumble was done with intent. This feels like it makes more sense than the alternatives. However, Punk turning on Rhodes and siding with the Final Boss is not that absurd.

John Cena

This brings us to Cena.

With his retirement journey underway all assumptions about his final run are not out of the realm of possibility. Prior we’ve said here his story needs to be focused and direct, and above all defined by his credo. Let’s say for a moment though that he succumbs to the desire to take a shortcut and like Punk side with his old adversary. Let’s say he compromises himself if only momentarily to secure that one last WrestleMania main event. Concurrently he’d also get that chance at #17.

Cena’s entire career has been predicated on hustle, loyalty and respect. For that reason he’s also the best choice. Firstly it would be shocking, and secondly he can pull it off while still making fans sympathetic toward him. That’s the mastery in play. Looking at the possibilities, Rhodes and Cena is the biggest match possible of the six wrestlers involved. No doubt any one could win, but if you understand how interconnected every one is or isn’t then the possibilities crystalize. With that in mind, Cena and Rhodes feels like the most logical choice for this particular moment in the company.

To be frank though, Cena and Punk are equally possible for whatever comes next for Cody Rhodes. But in an effort to save his own core — to preserve his father’s legacy — someone else may sell off theirs to the “Final Boss.”

All for the glory, power, and money that comes with championships.