Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes: Who is Most Important to WWE's Future?

The two biggest babyfaces in WWE are Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns.

While The American Nightmare holds the Undisputed WWE Championship that he won from The Head of the Table, many still talk about Reigns as the top man in WWE.

Every era has one clear top star, from Hulk Hogan to John Cena. However, each top man has a No. 2 who can take his place when it matters most, such as "Macho Man" Randy Savage or Randy Orton.

Both men are integral to the success of WWE, but who is number one and number two? Who is more vital to WWE's future?

Statistics

Age: 39

First match: August 2010

Main roster in-ring debut: December 2012

Honors and achievements: 4x WWE champion, 2x universal champion, 1x United States champion, 1x intercontinental champion, 1x WWE tag team champion.

1x Royal Rumble winner, 28th Triple Crown champion and 17th Grand Slam champion, 4th-longest world championship reign in WWE history (1,316 days), 9x main-evented WrestleMania (most ever).

Impact

No modern wrestler has reached greater success than Reigns. His accomplishments are genuinely strong enough to compare even to Cena and Orton.

He was designated as the heir apparent to Cena, and The Head of the Table has done everything necessary to eclipse even the 16-time world champion.

Despite all his success, though, Reigns has never been better than right now. His nuanced performance in and out of the ring has redefined WWE at a level no one else can match.

A change in WWE leadership kept The Tribal Chief strong all the way to WrestleMania 40 where he passed the torch to Rhodes.

However, Reigns only seems more popular without the Undisputed WWE Championship. His current feud with Solo Sikoa and The Bloodline is the hottest angle on SmackDown.

Even if he never won the title again, his accomplishments stand next to the all-time greats, and he earned them through tough times that have created one of WWE's greatest stars.

Statistics

Age: 39

First match: May 2006

Main roster in-ring debut: June 2007

Honors and achievements: 1x WWE champion, 1x universal champion, 2x intercontinental champion, 4x Raw tag team champion, 1x SmackDown tag team champion, 3x world tag team champion.

2x back-to-back Royal Rumble winner, 34th Triple Crown champion.

Impact

Rhodes was never supposed to be the top man in WWE. His first run in the company until 2016 was more lows than highs, but he was an accomplished tag team wrestler.

The American Nightmare wanted to be more, though, and he left WWE with a plan to prove himself as a true top name. He was a founding member of All Elite Wrestling, WWE's primary modern competition.

His work rebuilding his image allowed him to sign a lucrative contract in 2022 with WWE before debuting as an instant main event act.

In the next two years, he won two men's Royal Rumble matches and ended the longest world title reign in the modern era in what will stand as one of the greatest WrestleMania main events of all time.

While he may not have the longevity of Reigns, Rhodes did something even more remarkable in the past two years: He rewrote the trajectory of his entire career.

Every true top star in WWE history has been picked out by company management and pushed from the outset as a big name. Rhodes built himself and forced WWE to see him as a true ace.

The stories of Reigns and Rhodes differ in many ways, but they also had similar journeys to success.

Both were always good in-ring workers but struggled to put everything together to be a universally beloved star. The Head of the Table needed the fans' investment, while The American Nightmare needed management buy-in.

Both had to step back and evolve their characters before they could take the lead in building a new generation.

Reigns had a major head start, but both have been vital to the business over the past two years. Rhodes holds the world title now while the two are certainly the most popular men in the business.

At the end of the day, though, Reigns remains WWE's No. 1 priority. He is the man who will always headline when he is around. He is the star of the show on SmackDown since his return despite Rhodes holding the top prize.

The American Nightmare has great stories left to tell with stars like Randy Orton, but Reigns has more angles set including reuniting with Jey Uso and Sami Zayn to battle Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa.

The Bloodline story is the defining angle of the modern era and is only truly at its greatest with The Original Tribal Chief at its head.

Reigns is the face of WWE. He is the man whose story will always be primary, and the company will rely on him to keep carrying this generation for years to come.

Winner: Roman Reigns

If Reigns is the absolute No. 1, Rhodes is still a strong No. 2.

In fact, WWE has not had a stronger number two since The Rock stood next to "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

The Attitude Era was carried first by Austin's feud with Mr. McMahon, but The Brahma Bull was always there to keep stories fresh. He even took the lead role when Austin was out hurt.

Even if Rhodes will only be WWE's top star when Reigns is out, he is vital on a stacked roster. So many others will try to step up to his role, but no one can fill it like The American Nightmare.

There is no professional wrestler in the world who would not take being the next Rock in the business. In fact, such a role is likely to lead to him facing The Final Boss at WrestleMania for two years in a row.

That role allows him to have the hottest runs in the business on occasion. Even if Rhodes is already 39 years old, he has plenty more to offer the business, solidifying what is quickly shaping up to be a Hall of Fame career.

Both Reigns and Rhodes are standing in key roles to build one of the hottest eras in WWE's history. Until the next generation truly steps up to supplant them, they will continue to lead the way.