WrestleMania 39: Cody Rhodes and the Stars Who Will Have Biggest Impact in LA

WrestleMania 39 is rapidly approaching, and the stars who will help define the 2023 edition of The Showcase of the Immortals are beginning to emerge.

Cody Rhodes was expected to be one such name from the moment he returned from injury won the men's Royal Rumble match in January, but who else on the WWE roster will leave their mark at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 1-2?

Find out with this preview of WrestleMania Goes Hollywood.

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens' journey to WrestleMania started with them as rivals and will end as teammates in an Undisputed Tag Team Championship match against The Usos.

Arguably the most popular babyface on the roster right now, Zayn writes the latest chapter of his unexpected rise to the top of the industry alongside his longtime friend to cap off the best story in wrestling.

Owens follows up his main event match against "Stone Cold" Steve Austin last year by competing in one of the most anticipated matches on the two-night pay-per-view.

Zayn and Owens have a long history of stealing shows and eliciting the sort of emotion only the best performers are capable of. Expect more of the same when the eyes of the wrestling world are on them on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

New champions? Probably. A match that has the potential to steal the show? Oh, absolutely.

Rey Mysterio

Rey Mysterio may square off with his son, Dominik, if WWE Creative is any indication.

The 48-year-old will be deservedly inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as the headliner of the 2023 class before events get underway at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Either the match or the honor would ensure the three-time world champion stays busy over WrestleMania weekend, but having both would give him the momentous weekend a star of his stature has earned.

To say Mysterio's 'Mania resume is not as strong as it should be would be an understatement. Much of that can be attributed to lackluster creativity and his questionable casting as an afterthought in some scenarios.

Arguably one of the best of all time, the fact that he has only had one truly special WrestleMania moment, albeit a world title win, is astonishing. That should change this year; first with his enshrinement among the WWE greats, and then with the culmination of his feud with his son.

That makes for a loaded dance card in L.A. and a defining weekend for a man who has influenced a generation of professional wrestlers.

Rhea Ripley

Rhea Ripley has won on the grandest stage before, when she beat Asuka to win the Raw Women's Championship in 2021.

However, it was the Australian's failure a year earlier—a loss to Charlotte Flair in her first 'Mania match—that has laid the groundwork for her appearance at this year's show.

Ripley will challenge The Queen for the SmackDown Women's Championship after winning the women's Royal Rumble, and she will be seeking to avenge the 2020 loss that set her career back.

It will be a tall task, as even Ronda Rousey was unable to conquer Flair at The Showcase of the Immortals a year ago. But Ripley is on a different level now.

The 26-year-old is physically dominant, smarter than before and has momentum on her side in a way few other Superstars do right now.

WrestleMania 39 will be her coronation as the face of the future for women's wrestling.

Austin Theory

Austin Theory will face the man who has had the greatest influence on his career, John Cena, for the United States Championship at WrestleMania 39.

Despite being utterly cooked on the mic by the veteran on March 6, Theory still stands to emerge from his match with the 16-time world champion as one of the most impactful Superstars of the weekend, thanks in large part to the likelihood that he retains his title and scores the biggest win of his young career.

The 25-year-old is unlikely to drop his title to a cameoing competitor whose allegiances are to Hollywood at this point in his career. Could WWE book Cena to win for the sake of pulling a surprise? Sure, but this feels like Theory's coming-of-age story and match.

If A-Town is up for it, he may be the biggest surprise of the entire weekend.

Cody Rhodes

WrestleMania 39 will end with Cody Rhodes crowned undisputed WWE universal champion, a boatload of pyro and a crowd roaring in approval of the new face of the company.

Over the last five years, the 37-year-old has revolutionized the industry by creating All Elite Wrestling, returned to WWE amid tremendous fanfare, suffered serious injury and earned a shot at Roman Reigns by winning the men's Royal Rumble match.

It has been an arduous journey to the top for The American Nightmare, but years of hard work and dedication have led him here. Ending The Tribal Chief's historic reign and igniting a new era for WWE will be an impressive way to cap off The Show of Shows.

Determined to capture the one prize that eluded his father, Dusty, Rhodes will have his moment in the sun and stand head and shoulders above all as the central figure in the story of WrestleMania 39.

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