WWE Can Still Fix Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns, Gunther 'Mania Feud, More Quick Takes

The Road to WrestleMania 40 may be off to a shaky start for WWE, but there's still plenty of time for it to correct course, particularly when it comes to the situation surrounding the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

Following the polarizing ending to Friday's SmackDown, all signs point to WWE booking Roman Reigns vs. The Rock for the title at 'Mania. Cody Rhodes wouldn't "finish the story" at the event in that case, but online outrage could and should convince the company to change plans.

That would also effect what the World Heavyweight Championship match ends up being. If Rhodes doesn't use his Royal Rumble title shot on Seth Rollins as expected and finds an alternate route back to Reigns, The Visionary will need a new 'Mania-worthy contender.

Enter Gunther, who already put Rollins on notice prior to the Rumble. Despite being the current intercontinental champion, he makes more sense than anyone to not only vie for the prestigious prize at The Show of Shows but also to walk out with two titles in tow.

This installment of Quick Takes will tackle how WWE can arrive at both of these bouts, how All Elite Wrestling's top heel faction has quickly cooled off and ensuring it nails its next big signing, and more.

How WWE Can Best Rectify the Rock, Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes Title Picture

Cody Rhodes was made to look foolish in his SmackDown segment with The Rock and Roman Reigns by stepping aside for The Great One and essentially handing him the WrestleMania main event he has been working toward for the last year.

Rock vs. Reigns is, undoubtedly, a bigger attraction than the rematch between The Tribal Chief and Rhodes, but shifting the focus from The American Nightmare to Rock so suddenly will do more to hurt than help WWE in the long term.

The company can ill afford to ruin the goodwill it has built with its audience since Triple H assumed creative control, but thankfully, time remains for it to right this wrong.

Thursday's Las Vegas press conference will likely be where Rock vs. Reigns will be made official for WrestleMania 40, but WWE can just as easily announce it for Elimination Chamber, SummerSlam or WrestleMania 41 one year in advance upon realizing that now is not the time for that marquee match.

Although Rhodes clearly indicated on SmackDown he doesn't intend to face Reigns at the event, he can be talked out of it in storyline by his peers on Monday's Raw, before being endorsed by Rock during the press conference. Rock vs. Reigns should not come at the expense of a story WWE has waited an entire year to pay off.

Going the Triple Threat route wouldn't be as effective, nor would having Reigns defend against both men across two nights of WrestleMania.

Rock vs. Reigns is best saved for down the road, and it isn't too late for WWE to get back on the right track toward Rhodes finally finishing his story.

Undisputed Kingdom Has Already Lost Much of Its Momentum

AEW had a hot angle on its hands at the turn of the year when Adam Cole revealed himself as The Devil and as the leader of The Undisputed Kingdom with Roderick Strong, Wardlow, Matt Taven and Mike Bennett.

Cole still being out injured and MJF's absence have greatly hindered the group's momentum as many expected and prevented them from being a bigger focal point on the program.

With Wardlow not doing anything of note and Taven and Bennett's ROH World Tag Team Championship having little value to the AEW audience, the only thing Undisputed Kingdom has had going as of late is Strong setting his sights on Orange Cassidy's AEW International Championship.

The stable has potential on paper, but the follow-up has been nearly nonexistent and has rendered the group irrelevant far quicker than anyone could have expected.

Considering it's still early on in its run, Undisputed Kingdom can bounce back with better booking and, once Cole is cleared to compete again, ideally recapturing the heat it had when it first formed and becoming a force to be reckoned with once more.

Naomi, Tiffany Stratton and Bayley Breathe New Life into SmackDown Women's Division

Damage CTRL has dominated the SmackDown women's division for the better part of the past year, and although it's been the centerpiece of some solid storylines and excellent matches, it was high time for a shakeup of some sort and for the reset button to be hit.

WWE managed to do just that in one episode of the blue brand on Friday night.

The returning Naomi and NXT's Tiffany Stratton were announced as the newest members of the roster. Stratton beat Michin in her in-ring debut and faced off with Bianca Belair backstage in what could well be leading to a major WrestleMania 40 match between them.

Meanwhile, Naomi is fresh off an incredibly impressive run in TNA and is another notable addition to the SmackDown women's scene. She's a two-time SmackDown women's champion, can lend credibility to anyone she works with and is a perennial fan favorite.

On that same show, Bayley cemented her split from Damage CTRL and chose to challenge Iyo Sky for the WWE Women's Championship at The Show of Shows. That feud alone injects excitement into the title picture and gives The Role Model a fresh coat of paint as a character.

With Jade Cargill also teasing signing with SmackDown, the pieces are in place for the blue brand to have one of its strongest women's divisions ever.

Mercedes Moné Can Be Immediately Established as One of AEW's Biggest Signings to Date

AEW president Tony Khan's "major announcements" on Dynamite can entail almost anything, but it's fairly certain this upcoming one will pertain to the rumored arrival of Mercedes Moné, one of the most sought-after free agents in recent wrestling history.

Andrew Zarian of Mat Men Pro Wrestling Podcast (h/t WrestlePurists) heavily implied last week that the March 13 edition of Dynamite will be announced as emanating from Boston, where Moné is billed from and where she will debut for the promotion.

AEW took a similar approach by having CM Punk debut in Chicago in August 2021 without confirming he'd be there ahead of time, resulting in one of AEW's greatest moments to date. Moné is a huge star in her own right and building up anticipation for her first appearance will only enforce that.

It's also an encouraging sign that the company would feature the former Sasha Banks weekly and prominently. The women's division has been picking up steam gradually this year and incorporating Moné into the mix could take it to the next level.

With March 13 coming 10 days after Revolution, it's possible Moné will waste no time in entering AEW Women's World Championship contention, but regardless of whatever she has in store, it's wise of Khan and Co. to do everything possible to send the message that she'll be a blockbuster acquisition.

Gunther Is Seth Rollins' Best Possible Opponent with CM Punk Injured

CM Punk's injury clearly caused a seismic shift in the plans for WrestleMania 40, and he and Seth Rollins will have to wait to settle their score for another time.

The sole saving grace of the situation is that WWE's roster is stacked to the point where there's no need to break glass in case of emergency and call upon another part-timer to replace The Best in the World.

In choosing from the current crop of talent, there are more than enough appealing options, with Gunther being chief among them. He's been booked like an unstoppable force, never ceases to deliver in the ring and has yet to be pinned on the main roster.

The only reservation fans may have about crowning The Ring General at 'Mania is his status as intercontinental champion. If he did win, he'd be the perfect person to defend both belts simultaneously based on how he's been handled so far.

No one has walked out of WrestleMania as both a world and intercontinental champion since The Ultimate Warrior in 1990, so that alone would make it a historic feat.

Rollins has conquered everyone else of note on the Raw roster, and Gunther has no obvious opponent for the event with Brock Lesnar reportedly out of WWE's creative plans. Cody Rhodes is bound to get the spot, but the Austrian would be the far more compelling candidate.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.