Cody Rhodes regrets not having 43-year-old star join his celebration at WrestleMania: Exploring their close relationship

Cody Rhodes dethroning Roman Reigns at WWE WrestleMania XL was the beginning of a new era in the Stamford-based promotion. The paradigm shift in energy, power, and dominance oozed through the arena after The American Nightmare pinned The Tribal Chief in the middle of the ring.

Several superstars, such as Randy Orton, Sami Zayn, and LA Knight, arrived in the ring to celebrate The American Nightmare's victory. Furthermore, Triple H and Rhodes' family entered the squared circle to join the joyous moment. However, there is one superstar that Cody Rhodes wishes was present to celebrate the historic moment. The superstar in question is Shawn Spears.

Shawn Spears and Cody Rhodes started their journey at the same time at Ohio Valley Wrestling as a tag team (when Rhodes was Cody Runnels). The duo also worked together in Tony Khan's promotion. Moreover, Spears started his AEW journey with a devastating chair shot to Rhodes' head in June 2019.

During an appearance on The Babyfaces Podcast, the Undisputed WWE Champion opened up about Spears' impact on his career. The American Nightmare revealed that Spears was the one who helped him navigate through and learn when they started together in 2006. Cody added that he didn't have fundamental experience, and Spears guided him throughout.

"Shawn [Spears] was there to lead me through it. He does not get enough credit from me for how special he is. He is the only person that I regret. I didn’t have [him] in the ring after WrestleMania 'cause I saw him that day, and we just took a picture together, and he was just like he always was," Cody said.

After spending four years in AEW, Shawn Spears returned to WWE on the February 27, 2024, episode of NXT.

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Cody Rhodes' next title defense is in Saudi Arabia

Since winning the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania XL, The American Nightmare has defended his title once on television. The 38-year-old defeated AJ Styles at Backlash 2024 to retain his title.

Following his successful defense in France, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis announced United States Champion Logan Paul as Cody's next challenger for the King and Queen of the Ring PLE.

Initially, it was assumed that both titles would be on the line during Cody Rhodes vs. Logan Paul. However, The Maverick managed to pull tricks during the contract signing segment on last week's SmackDown. The social media star teared up the original contract, claiming he never intended to defend his title. Paul's litigator came up with a new contract that stated that the US Title would not be up for grabs in Saudi Arabia.

After cutting a fiery promo, The American Nightmare accepted the new contract, confirming that only the Undisputed WWE Championship will be on the line when he locks horns with Logan Paul at the King and Queen of the Ring PLE this weekend.