Cody Rhodes made a triumphant return to the ring at the 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble, as fans immediately became elated after seeing him and then some. Rhodes would end up winning the whole thing as well.
The American Nightmare is one of the biggest babyfaces in the company right now. Rhodes has had strong merchandise sales since returning to WWE in 2022, and those numbers have only increased since his return at the Royal Rumble.
According to PW Insider, Rhodes is really moving merchandise that is targeted at younger fans. It was noted that WWE officials are “incredibly impressed” with how much appealing Rhodes is in terms of his ability to sell merchandise to younger fans.
Cody Rhodes is getting high internal marks and high numbers for items that are targeted at kids. It was added that there is a feeling within WWE that Rhodes is someone who has crossover appeal across multiple generations, with adults and children really liking him. There’s also the feeling that WWE is onto “something special” with Rhodes, and that they can use him to make a ton of money and establish him as a top star.
There has been lots of internal talk lately about how Rhodes has become someone quite popular with the younger audiences, which is a major positive for WWE. The American Nightmare is set to face off against Roman Reigns for the Undisputed Universal Title at WrestleMania 39, so we’ll have to see how that match will turn out.
H/T to Wrestling Headlines
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