Cody Rhodes suffered a shocking loss at the Grandest Stage of Them All when he failed to defeat Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title. Fans were left in disbelief at the result, with some believing that WrestleMania 39 would have been the perfect time to crown a new champion. However, Road Dogg, the WWE Senior Vice President of Live Events, has argued on his Oh You Didn't Know podcast that Cody Rhodes lacked the adversity required to deserve such an honor. Rhodes had no roadblocks to overcome since his return to WWE, having gone straight to the Rumble and then to the champion. Road Dogg defended the decision, saying if you tell the story and go, "The end," close the book. Then, "Okay, now we gotta start over," I just feel like this was just a chapter closing." Triple H, during the post-show press conference, praised Rhodes' performance and stated that he earned his place at the top of the business as a performer, athlete, businessman, and as a man.