3 Ways Roman Reigns could acceptably defeat Cody Rhodes at WWE WrestleMania XL

WWE WrestleMania XL is just over four weeks away, and storylines for the event are building a head of steam. All four world championship matches are confirmed, with more clashes set to be added, starting with the Intercontinental Title match on RAW next week. The focal feud is Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins versus The Bloodline, with The American Nightmare widely expected to "finish his story."

What if he doesn't, though? What if Rhodes falls short yet again, extending Roman Reigns' historic reign beyond 1316 days? How can The Tribal Chief keep his reign of a lifetime going without losing the fans' interest and undoing all the hard work of the past three-and-a-half years?

Here are three ways Roman Reigns can acceptably defeat Cody Rhodes at WWE WrestleMania XL

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#3: Jacob Fatu debuts at WWE WrestleMania XL to join The Bloodline

Jacob Fatu is one of the most in-demand free agents in all of professional wrestling today. The Samoan Werewolf is also a real-life member of The Bloodline, as seen on The Rock's family tree presentation at the WrestleMania XL Kickoff press event. He was also seen at the 2024 WWE Royal Rumble cheering on his family.

All this has led to great speculation about Fatu potentially joining the company and debuting at The Show of Shows. The star could be the ace up The Bloodline's sleeve, especially if Roman Reigns and The Rock lose to Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins on Night One. Just like Solo Sikoa's Clash at the Castle debut breathed new life into the faction, Fatu's arrival could massively renew fan interest.

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#2: The Rock interferes at WWE WrestleMania XL, setting up a feud against Cody Rhodes

At WWE Elimination Chamber 2024, Cody Rhodes challenged The Rock to a match anywhere and anytime after weeks of fiery verbal exchanges. The following week, The Brahma Bull rejected his challenge, instead proposing a tag team match with implications for Rhodes' match against Roman Reigns.

This might have been done to accommodate The Great One's ring rust by not thrusting him straight into a big-time singles bout. After the blockbuster tag team match, however, The Brahma Bull could be ready to do battle with The American Nightmare. Should Reigns retain, a singles feud between The Rock and Cody Rhodes could be a good way to keep the fans onside with the story.

This could be set up by having The People's Champion intervene, using his power as a board member to screw The American Nightmare out of finishing his story.

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#1: A Seth Rollins heel turn could be the key to extending Roman Reigns' reign at WWE WrestleMania XL

While The Rock has dominated the headlines, Seth Rollins has been WWE's secret weapon in the buildup to Cody Rhodes versus Roman Reigns II. The World Heavyweight Champion is no stranger to both men, having been a friend and rival to both in high-profile situations. This history could come into play at WrestleMania XL, especially considering The Visionary's record against both.

Rollins has a superior record in big matches against Reigns, yet has never seemed to crack the formula to defeating Rhodes. If The Visionary happens to lose the World Heavyweight Title to Drew McIntyre earlier during Night Two, his eye could turn towards the Undisputed WWE Universal Title.

Betraying his former rival, whom he could never beat, in favor of the brother who could never beat him in exchange for a title shot could be an extremely compelling story for the five-time world champion. Most likely, it would be an outcome the fans would accept or even welcome.