Different hardware, change of arsenal, new stories? - 3 things Cody Rhodes desperately needs to change in his WWE Championship reign

Cody Rhodes has changed the trajectory of the Undisputed WWE Championship since winning it at WrestleMania XL. While he has been an active champion, there are still some areas in his reign that could improve.

Cody Rhodes ended Roman Reigns' more than 1000 days reign as Undisputed WWE Champion at WrestleMania XL, and he has certainly been on a workhorse of a run, unlike The Orignal Tribal Chief. The American Nightmare consistently defends the title and has faced the likes of Solo Sikoa, AJ Styles, and most recently, Kevin Owens. While some fans are happy with how his reign is going, some feel it has been lackluster.

For this list, we will look at three things Cody Rhodes needs to change in his WWE Championship reign.

---

#3. Cody Rhodes needs to change the usage of the Cross Rhodes

Cody had been using the Cross Rhodes as a finisher before leaving WWE and when he returned. At WrestleMania XL, he showcased a new variation wherein he would deliver it three times, which was enough to pin down Roman Reigns for a full three count. However, The American Nightmare has made this variation less special.

Nowadays, Rhodes uses the Triple Cross Rhodes more commonly. What made the Cross Rhodes Trinity necessary was because he was facing The Head of the Table, now the finisher looks common and feels less special when being used.

---

#2. Change the look of the Undisputed WWE Championship

Cody had many plans in store when talking about the possibility of being the World Champion, and among them was his plan to change the look of the belt to possibly the Winged Eagle design like in the 1980s. However, that has yet to happen.

Rhodes changing the belt to the Winged Eagle style could benefit him as the champion. Roman held the title since 2022 and last year, was given an entirely new one, the one Cody currently holds. Changing the look could make fans associate the belt more with The American Nightmare and give him more of a "big deal champion."

---

#1. Better storylines and feud formation

A lot of fans enjoyed Cody's recent match with Kevin Owens at Bash in Berlin, but some weren't the biggest fans of the lead-up and how the clash came about. As many may remember, The Prizefighter was simply picked by Cody and Nick Aldis to be the next challenger for the gold.

Cody Rhodes' next challengers should not be picked simply because they are friends and develop a more complex and interesting feud that fans will enjoy watching.