WWE Can't Play It Safe With Cody Rhodes Winning at Elimination Chamber

Cody Rhodes is the very definition of playing it safe in pro wrestling.

Unfortunately for Rhodes, that's the last thing WWE can afford to do at Elimination Chamber.

There's a very good argument that Rhodes might be the most boring possible option as the winner of the men's Elimination Chamber match in Chicago.

Just look at the current list of wrestlers in it:

• Cody Rhodes
• LA Knight
• Randy Orton
• Je'Von Evans
• TBD (2)

Knight feels long, long overdue for a big win and moment. Like, to the point things have started to feel disrespectful. Orton could easily get a John Cena-like run as he possibly heads to retirement soon. Je'Von Evans is a next big thing candidate and the immediate boost would be fun to see.

Rhodes? Not so much.

WWE's Cody Rhodes problem

Rhodes is boring. He's got a must-have niche hammered down: Popular with kids and a cookie-cutter babyface.

But we could veer into Cena-lite conversations pretty quickly. For every super-memorable tweener thing Rhodes has done, like wrestling with the torn pec, there are hundreds of forgettable things. Remember his random tag-team title win with Jey Uso? Thought so.

There's also a pretty consistent storytelling pitfall with Rhodes. The Rock and part-timers roughed up his WrestleMania stuff. But even the still-unexplained betrayal at the hands of Brock Lesnar sticks out. 

Rhodes winning the chamber would lead to…another match with Drew McIntyre. A match done over and over. It's a Raw-level match at this point, not a 'Mania showdown. McIntyre himself doesn't even want it.

During a recent episode of his podcast, Rhodes waxed poetic about liking the challenge of being a babyface in today's entertainment landscape. But his winning the chamber could have fans forcing him into a guy they root again, and the exact type of heel he shouldn't want to be.

Rhodes should draw inspiration from someone like Roman Reigns, who has continually evolved to great success. He's certainly talented enough to do similar.

So which wrestler should win Elimination Chamber?

LA Knight, of course.

Orton will get his big run in due time. If he's not ready now, he's not ready. 

Speaking of not ready, neither is Evans. He's just 21 years old. He projects to be a dominant force in the main-event scene for a long time. The fact he's already here with the big names is a testament to his status already and a loss won't hurt him.

We could hypothetically talk about the other "TBD" spots, but it feels like WWE won't miss the chance to get Jey Uso in the mix. But please…no more "running it back." Please.

If Uso earned his big title run by getting so organically over with fans, Knight has more than earned his. He's been all over the big spots for WWE as needed, feuding with all types of people and getting some unforgettable near-misses.

All the while, Knight's relationship with fans hasn't diminished. If anything, it has enhanced further through the weird behind-the-scenes footage of him with Triple H on WWE Unreal.

Knight winning would clear the way for other fun stuff at 'Mania, too. Think, a much-needed war between Rhodes and Orton, more than anything else.

Years ago, WWE rewarded McIntyre for carrying the promotion on his back during the weird audience-less pandemic era. It rewarded Uso for splitting off as a solo act.

Now? No need to play safe: It's Knight's time.