WWE's Focus on Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns Is Hurting Everyone Else

WWE's current lull period has exposed the company's overreliance on its top stars and lack of direction for the future. 

Even the most casual fan can tell who the top dog is in World Wrestling Entertainment. For better or worse, the global juggernaut's ability to anoint someone as the industry's biggest star has been one of its strengths since its golden era. 

To that end, Hulk Hogan, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, John Cena, and Roman Reigns reached unparalleled heights as the face of the brand. Once the machine gets behind someone, the company puts everything into making sure that Superstar is the most important individual on the roster.

It's impossible to argue with the results, but there is inevitably a cost to this approach. That subsequent star power often makes it difficult for others to emerge into anything more than bit players, even if their talent and reception are undeniable.

There is only one top star, and everyone else will pale in comparison because WWE continuously emphasizes this no matter what. This rigid practice led many to reject Cena at his peak and to dismiss Reigns' ascent in its infancy.

More to the point, this has made the product too predictable at times, and it has become harder to buy into anyone outside of its current crop of established main eventers. The most recent premium live event, Clash in Italy, struggled because of this.

The event was formulaic because no one believed Reigns or Cody Rhodes would lose. Most savvy fans can see the plateau for the following Superstars as long as the focus remains on the two main champions:

• LA Knight
• Jacob Fatu
• Bron Breakker 
• Oba Femi
• Gunther

LA Knight 

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LA Knight has become a fan favorite since his unexpected breakout run in 2023. Ever since, he has emerged as an annual pick to win the men's Money in the Bank ladder or Royal Rumble match.

Knight remains popular, but he's not any closer to the world title win that many predicted he would achieve. Considering the online response and live reactions, you would think that would be a priority for WWE.

Still, the former United States champion has been essentially running in place for the last two years. It's too soon to say his moment has passed, but the clock is ticking. Every year, it gets harder to believe the company will ever see him as anything more than a midcarder. 

Jacob Fatu

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Jacob Fatu was white hot coming out of WrestleMania 42, and his feud with Reigns successfully elevated him into a credible contender. Unfortunately, it was incredibly obvious that he wouldn't win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship yet. 

It's much too soon for The Tribal Chief to drop the title, and the company is already setting up a showdown with Seth Rollins. At least, the stipulation of their last encounter at Clash in Italy ensured Fatu would stay in the main storyline on Raw.

However, it was tough to watch him fall in line and kneel to Reigns, as it diminished much of the momentum he had gained as a singles competitor. This story is far from over, but it's a clear example of how the company takes few risks.

Fatu also had great chemistry with Rhodes and a legitimate claim to a title shot after he defeated Drew McIntyre. It's a shame we didn't get to see how that matchup would have played out, but The Samoan Werewolf probably would've lost for the same reason.

Bron Breakker 

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Bron Breakker's direction since he ousted Rollins from The Vision and staked his claim to the world title has been so bizarre. It has been seven months since the 28-year-old attacked his mentor, but he doesn't have much to show for it. 

CM Punk won Rollins' vacant title and delivered a stellar WrestleMania main event with Reigns. Breakker didn't even make this year's card after a disappointing early exit from the men's Royal Rumble match.

Yes, he defeated Rollins at Backlash, but it's clear who will eventually move on to face Reigns later this year. In fact, his crowning moment felt more probable in The Tribal Chief's absence, but it's harder to determine where he fits into the current main event scene.

Oba Femi 

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Oba Femi shocked the world in the most memorable WrestleMania debut in recent memory. Although he's a favorite to win the King of the Ring tournament, it's baffling that WWE didn't do anything interesting with him in the weeks following his win over Brock Lesnar. 

The Ruler didn't even use the bragging rights he earned to call out the world champions or enter a meaningful feud. Instead, he started a short-lived open challenge before Lesnar returned for revenge.

This is really the crux of the issue because he couldn't believably challenge either Rhodes or Reigns when it's clear WWE isn't ready to focus on anyone else.

Femi defeated one of the most dominant Superstars in the company's history, but there was an immediate ceiling on his trajectory.

Gunther 

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There is no getting around it: WWE completely squandered the heat Gunther generated as "The Career Killer." The Austrian successfully retired Goldberg, John Cena and AJ Styles by the end of January. 

One would think that would make him an immediate threat to both world champions, but he was a last-minute addition to this year's WrestleMania card. Even worse, his loss to Rhodes at Clash in Italy made him look like any other run-of-the-mill challenger.

Beating The American Nightmare in Europe would have reminded everyone that Gunther, much like Thanos, is inevitable. Instead, WWE opted for another safe finish that would keep this feud going when it desperately needed to try something new.