Former WWE Champion acknowledges Cody Rhodes following major WWE win

Cody Rhodes won the Men's Royal Rumble Match at the recently concluded premium live event. Amid a wave of excitement from fans, the 38-year-old received acknowledgment by 16-time WWE World Champion John Cena.

The American Nightmare created history by becoming only the fourth man ever to win the Royal Rumble Match two years in a row. The other three greats to do so are Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. The latter was the last person to achieve the feat when he won the Rumble in 1997 and 1998.

Following the former AEW star's historic win, WWE legend John Cena took to Instagram to acknowledge the rare accomplishment. The leader of the Cenation posted a picture of Cody Rhodes, which he often does following significant events without adding any caption.

You can check John Cena's Instagram post below:

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WWE Hall of Famer had picked Cody Rhodes as his favorite to win the Royal Rumble Match

During his appearance on WWE's The Bump, Mick Foley picked Cody Rhodes as his favorite to win the Rumble in 2024. The veteran wrestler also praised The American Nightmare for earning people's respect despite losing to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39.

"I would love to see Cody [Rhodes] back in the main event picture. I really would. I think that's the perfect ending to his story. I know that the fans were bitterly disappointed when Cody did not defeat Roman [Reigns] last year. But he went out on his own and he earned something more important than that WWE Title. He earned the respect of all the naysayers," Mick Foley said.

Mick Foley added:

"I mean, Brock Lesnar would put you through the ringer and when Brock shook his hand, unexpectedly, he meant it. He is not a back patter. He is not a feel-good people person. And he really respected Cody for surviving that. And the fans respected it. So now, they are even more ready for Cody to claim that ultimate prize."

With Rhodes having won the Rumble for the second year in a row, he is most likely to choose Roman Reigns as his opponent at WrestleMania 40, setting up a rematch of last year's main event. It will be interesting to see if Cody can force a different result this time around to complete his story.

Will Cody Rhodes complete his story at WrestleMania 40? Sound off in the comments section below.