How many times has Cody Rhodes defended his Undisputed WWE title?

(Courtesy : WWE)
‘The American Nightmare’ won the Undisputed title at WrestleMania 40
‘The American Nightmare’ Cody Rhodes created history when he defeated Roman Reigns at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA in April. Rhodes shattered Reigns’ 1316 days reign as he picked up the win in their clash at WrestleMania 40.
The win not only meant that Cody was the new champion but he also became the new face of the company. Since his victory against Reigns, the American Nightmare has established himself as one of the top stars in the promotion and has headlined multiple PLEs.
The American Nightmare has completed 255 days as the Undisputed WWE Champion since capturing the title in early April. Rhodes has made it clear that he wants to be a workhorse champion who wants to make every town and every show.
Rhodes has lived up to his promise, successfully defending the title seven times on WWE TV and PLEs. However, his total defenses rise to 53 when including dark matches and house shows.
He first defended his title against AJ Styles at WWE Backlash 2024 PLE which was held at the LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu, Lyon, France. Out of his seven title defenses, only one was made on WWE TV.
The American Nightmare made his sixth title defense against Solo Sikoa in a steel cage match during the 09/13/24 episode of Friday Night SmackDown. The 09/13 episode was held at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, USA.
Cody Rhodes is the third-longest reigning Undisputed WWE Champion
The American Nightmare has cemented his place as the third-longest reigning Undisputed WWE Champion, behind only Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar.
As mentioned earlier, ‘The OTC’ Roman Reigns is at the top of the list with his 1,316-day reign, while Brock Lesnar is second with a title reign of 503 days. Reigns’ 1316 days reign is one of the most dominant title reigns in the promotion’s history.
Rhodes recently defended his title against Kevin Owens in the return of the iconic Saturday Night’s Main Event which was held on December 14 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island, New York.
The event featured four title matches along with a grudge match between Sami Zayn and Drew McIntyre. Rhodes defeated Owens in the main event to successfully defend his title for the seventh time.
However, he was brutally assaulted by Owens as he landed a devastating package piledriver after the show went off the air. The champion was stretchered out of the arena due to the attack.
Cody Rhodes’ title defenses
| S.No | Event | Opponent | Stipulation | Winner |
| 1 | WWE Backlash 2024 | AJ Styles | Singles match (Undisputed WWE Championship) | Cody Rhodes |
| 2 | WWE King And Queen Of The Ring 2024 | Logan Paul | Singles match (Undisputed WWE Championship) | Cody Rhodes |
| 3 | WWE Clash At The Castle 2024 | AJ Styles | I Quit match (Undisputed WWE Championship) | Cody Rhodes |
| 4 | WWE SummerSlam 2024 | Solo Sikoa | Bloodline Rules match (Undisputed WWE Championship) | Cody Rhodes |
| 5 | WWE Bash In Berlin | Kevin Owens | Singles match (Undisputed WWE Championship) | Cody Rhodes |
| 6 | WWE SmackDown 09/13 | Solo Sikoa | Steel Cage match (Undisputed WWE Championship) | Cody Rhodes |
| 7 | Saturday Night’s Main Event | Kevin Owens | Singles match (Undisputed WWE Championship) | Cody Rhodes |
| 8 | WWE Royal Rumble 2025 | Kevin Owens | Ladder Match (Undisputed WWE Championship) | Cody Rhodes |
| 9 | WWE WrestleMania 41 | John Cena | Singles match (Undisputed WWE Championship) | John Cena |
Rhodes’ activity while being the Undisputed champion shows his work ethic of being a fighting champion. He will likely continue his feud with Owens upon his return from injury. The two stars will likely clash once again for the title in the future following Cody’s return.
Rhodes battled the 16-time WWE World Champion John Cena in his ninth title defense as Cena looked to win the title and break the tie with Ric Flair to become the 17-time WWE World Champion. With a little help from Travis Scott, Cena pinned Rhodes to end his title reign at 378 days and become the new Undisputed Champion.
Has the American Nightmare lived up to your expectations as the Undisputed WWE Champion? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.
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Abhijit Singh is a budding sports journalist with over three years of experience in the field, and a photographer capturing stories through his lens since 2018. With a background in philosophy and political science, he brings a thoughtful, analytical edge to his reporting where every word is guided by curiosity and intent. Whether he's capturing the emotion of a moment or unpacking the deeper narratives within the game, Abhijit’s work is rooted in insight and passion. When he’s not covering sports, he’s often exploring new ideas through reading, traveling or just procrastinating.
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