In a recent edition of the Wrestling with Freddie podcast, former WWE writer Freddie Prinze Jr. expressed his thoughts on the Triple H-led creative team’s booking of Cody Rhodes at Survivor Series: WarGames 2024. According to Prinze Jr., the team made a major mistake by not featuring the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes on the card for the company’s biggest event. He believes that the champion should always be represented on premium live events, citing the example of John Cena, who was a staple on every pay-per-view during his era of dominance.
Prinze Jr. recalled that during Cena’s time, fans knew that the 16-time World Champion would always be part of the company’s biggest shows. He couldn’t think of a single pay-per-view event that Cena wasn’t on, and implied that Rhodes’ absence from Survivor Series was a significant mistake. The former writer acknowledged that he might be wrong, but his personal opinion is that the champ should always be representing the brand, especially on high-profile events.
This criticism comes as Cody Rhodes is currently embroiled in a heated feud with Kevin Owens. The two superstars recently went into a war of words on SmackDown, with Rhodes challenging KO to a fight. However, instead of facing each other at Survivor Series, the match has been delayed until Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 14, 2024.
Some fans may argue that the decision to hold off on the match was a smart move, giving the company more time to build up the feud and create a more impactful payoff. However, Prinze Jr.’s comments suggest that the lack of Rhodes at Survivor Series was a missed opportunity to showcase the champion and add to the event’s overall significance.
It’s worth noting that Prinze Jr.’s opinions might not reflect the actual plans of the creative team. Triple H and the WWE may have had legitimate reasons for not featuring Rhodes at Survivor Series, although it’s unclear what those reasons might be.
The debate surrounding Rhodes’ absence from Survivor Series has sparked an interesting discussion about the role of the champion in the company’s biggest events. Some fans might agree with Prinze Jr.’s assessment that the champ should always be on the card, while others might disagree, pointing out that there are valid reasons for holding off on certain matches.
As the situation continues to unfold, fans will be eager to see how the feud between Rhodes and Owens plays out in the coming weeks. Will Cody Rhodes reclaim his status as a main event fixture, or will Kevin Owens continue to rise to the occasion and take the Undisputed WWE Championship off his hands? Only time will tell.
