Cody Rhodes may have won the title, but only one man was truly responsible for Roman Reigns' downfall at WrestleMania 40

Cody Rhodes made history this weekend by dethroning Roman Reigns and ending the latter's 1300+ day reign as champion, but it wasn't The American Nightmare who truly defeated The Tribal Chief. As it turns out, it was a ghost from Roman's past that put the final nail in the coffin.

Roman Reigns's historic run as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion began in August 2020 after he returned as a heel from a brief hiatus. During his run as champion, he defeated the likes of Brock Lesnar, Edge, Randy Orton, John Cena, even Cody Rhodes in their first clash, and much more. All the stars lost to The Head of the Table, but not his former ally Seth Rollins.

Seth Rollins lived up to The Architect moniker

Rollins, Reigns, and Jon Moxley (formerly Dean Ambrose) made their debut on the main roster together in 2012 as The Shield. However, the dominant trio's run ended when Rollins betrayed The Hounds of Justice in 2014. All three members have since achieved success in the sport, but the betrayal has always haunted Reigns.

It could even be said that the ending of Rhodes and Reigns began in 2022 when Rollins faced his former partner at that year's Royal Rumble PLE. The Architect made his entrance through the crowd with The Shield's music and gear. Roman may have retained the title that night, but he lost the match via disqualification. This was The Head of the Table's first loss since becoming the champion.

In 2024, Seth told Cody he would be his shield, and he sure was. Rollins knew that the disbandment of The Shield triggered something in Reigns, and Seth used it to their advantage. As a result, Roman finally got his revenge on The Visionary, but the latter and Cody Rhodes got the last laugh. All in all, Seth Rollins is truly The Architect.

Was Roman Reigns on board with WWE breaking up The Shield?

Seth, Roman, and Jon (FKA Dean) of The Shield

The Hounds of Justice was one of the most successful groups in recent history, and their breakup caught many fans by surprise. As it turns out, even the former Undisputed Champion wasn't a big fan of the group parting ways.

In Roman's Biography: WWE Legends episode, The Tribal Chief revealed that he never wanted to break up The Shield and also did not want to have a run as a face. However, he felt he couldn't say no and deny the request as he was only young and still on the rise at the time and didn't have any backups.

What is next for Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes after WrestleMania XL?

As the new Undisputed Champion of WWE, Cody Rhodes would have an eventful time in the following months meeting new challengers. As for Roman Reigns, Triple H stated that the superstar has a "whole new story" that will "blow people's minds."

It would be interesting to see what happens next with Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes' future in WWE.