3 things Cody Rhodes must learn from his previous mistakes against Roman Reigns

Last night at the Royal Rumble Premium Live Event, Cody Rhodes won the marquee battle royal, which saw him become only the fourth superstar ever to win the match in consecutive years.

All signs now point to WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia, with Cody Rhodes determined to right the wrongs from his match at The Show of Shows last year, which saw him fail to capture the Undisputed WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in the main event.

With Cody seemingly set to challenge The Tribal Chief once again, we are going to take a look at three things Rhodes must do differently in his rematch with Roman Reigns.

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#3 - Cody Rhodes enlists some ringside help

For 1,245 days and counting, Roman Reigns has ruled as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion. One person who has been by his side for almost his entire run with the belt has been Paul Heyman.

The Wiseman has established himself as one of the greatest managers in pro wrestling history, having also worked with top stars like Brock Lesnar and CM Punk.

During Reigns and Cody's first match last year, Heyman, while not getting physically involved, was certainly an emotional distraction for Rhodes.

If Rhodes is to defeat Reigns at WrestleMania 40, he may look to enlist a manager of his own. One person who has been by his side for many big moments in his career is Diamond Dallas Page.

Following Rhodes' loss to Roman at Mania 39 last year, DDP spoke to TMZ Sports, stating how proud he was of Cody.

"When you're really over ... When it's done right [and] when the people are behind it, it doesn't matter who wins or loses. He went and made AEW. Came back to here [WWE]. They were so happy to have him back because they knew what a talent he was. I couldn't be any prouder of the cat. Very emotional for me."

The Hall of Famer was the first to congratulate The American Nightmare last night after he won the Royal Rumble as he hugged Cody on the ramp. Therefore, Rhodes may look to ask his friend to join him as his ringside manager for Mania 40.

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#2 - The American Nightmare cannot get in his own head

Last year's showdown at WrestleMania 39 between Rhodes and Reigns was not only Cody's first world title match in WWE – it was also his first Mania main event. Such a position can make even the most experienced performer nervous.

In what was undoubtedly the biggest match of his pro wrestling career, the bright lights may have gotten too big for The American Nightmare that night in Los Angeles.

Speaking to BT Sport's Ariel Helwani last year, Cody Rhodes stated that he struggled to cope with his loss against Reigns. He also declared that his story with Roman and the world title was not yet over.

"No. The story is unfinished. It is. I wanted to move and try to get back to finishing it. That’s where I was at. I quickly didn’t get over it, it’s not a pain you get over, but I quickly was able to ‘chin up’ and move on to the next thing. Coming to Raw was really tough for me, from a character standpoint and a human standpoint. Very tough."

Having carried the flag for World Wrestling Entertainment over these past 12 months, as well as having main-evented multiple Premium Live Events, Cody Rhodes may finally be ready to take the belt off of Roman Reigns.

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#1 - Cody Rhodes must keep an eye on Solo Sikoa

One common thread in Roman Reigns' title defenses in recent years has been the outside interference from his cousin Solo Sikoa, with The Enforcer of The Bloodline having physically aided The Tribal Chief in retaining his title.

During a recent interview with Busted Open Radio, Cody Rhodes hinted that Solo and other external factors were definitely a big reason behind his loss to Roman last year.

"The way the match unfolded and the year I have, it feels like it has to be at WrestleMania. It just seems like it's coming full circle. Everything can change." Rhodes added: "This is a rematch. I feel like the rematch needs to take place where the original match took place. Just my gut. Is there a world where it doesn't happen there, sure, perhaps, but in my lay down at night and go to sleep dreams, it would be at WrestleMania, especially since I love Philadelphia."

Whether Cody Rhodes enlists some external help or not, he will certainly have to remain more aware and vigilant of Solo Sikoa than he was last time.