Original Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns WrestleMania 42 Plans Revealed

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According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the original plan for the main event of WrestleMania 42 in 2026 was for a trilogy match between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns, with the two facing off in a Hell in a Cell match for the WWE world title. However, the match was ultimately scrapped due to a shift in storylines following an injury to Seth Rollins a month earlier at Crown Jewel.

Why it matters

Rhodes and Reigns have been two of the biggest stars in WWE in recent years, with their previous two WrestleMania matches against each other being among the most highly anticipated main events. The planned trilogy match would have been a fitting conclusion to their rivalry, but the change in plans means fans will miss out on seeing the two top stars face off one more time for the title.

The details

The report states that the original plan for WrestleMania 42 had Rhodes and Reigns completing their trilogy of 'Mania main events. At WrestleMania 39, Reigns defeated Rhodes with help from The Bloodline to retain his undisputed WWE world title. A year later at WrestleMania 40, Rhodes defeated Reigns to end his 1,316-day reign as champion. The two were set to meet in a Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania 42 before the plans were changed.

• At the end of the Survivor Series event in San Diego last November, Rhodes and Reigns had a staredown to close the show, teasing the potential trilogy ender.
• A month earlier at Crown Jewel in Perth, Australia, Seth Rollins suffered an injury, leading to a shift in several storylines and the scrapping of the Rhodes vs. Reigns Hell in a Cell match.

What they’re saying

What’s next

Fans will have to wait and see how the storylines play out, as Rhodes is set to face Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42, while Reigns will take on CM Punk in one of the main event matches.