Cody Rhodes’ recent victory to claim the Undisputed WWE Championship on SmackDown sparked significant negative reactions on social media, with a video of his win accumulating over 100,000 dislikes on YouTube, ranking among the most disliked WWE clips ever uploaded. Alongside this, wrestling community feedback highlighted that the SmackDown episode earned a low 2.3 rating on Cagematch, marking it as one of the poorest-reviewed WWE shows on that platform.
AI Error Confuses WWE SmackDown with AEW Dynamite
In summarizing the response to the show, X’s AI, known as Grok, mistakenly referred to the event as an AEW Dynamite episode instead of the actual WWE SmackDown. The error was clearly shown in the AI-generated headline:
AEW Dynamite Episode Receives Low Cagematch Rating After Cody Rhodes Wins Title
This misidentification further amplified frustrations among the wrestling fanbase who were already reacting to the mixed reception of Rhodes’ title win.
Fan Criticism and Defenses Surround the Show’s Reception
Fans expressed a wide range of reactions to the reported low rating, with many attributing the negative reviews to dissatisfaction with Rhodes’ triumph rather than the show’s content. Comments reflecting this sentiment included accusations that the rating was not a genuine representation of quality but rather driven by a subset of critical reviewers:
“It was a mediocre show that got review bombed because people were unhappy that Cody won. It’d otherwise get like a 5” – Unnamed Fan
“Because Cagematch and its 20 or so virgins who voted on it said so. Yup, the fed is done 😆” – Unnamed Fan
“Accounts using Cagematch as a source are not credible themselves and should be called out whenever they do so. Same as people using F**k Face Meltzer’s star ratings as gospel.” – Unnamed Fan
Criticism also arose toward the wrestling internet community (IWC) and the value of fan ratings from platforms like Cagematch, with some suggesting that these reviews do not accurately reflect the broader audience’s views or the show’s commercial success. Other comments underscored skepticism about the relevance of such rating sites:
“Only nerds and virgins go on Cagematch lol” – Unnamed Fan
“Normal people don’t have the time of day for stuff like Cage Match. Should be alarming if you get rated high there ‘Oh no, we’re attracting the wrong demographic….We’re going to lose our deodorant & hygiene product ads!'” – Unnamed Fan
“reporting on fan ratings like it means anything other than bots/trolls putting their thumb on the scale is f**king m*ronic.” – Unnamed Fan
Some also emphasized that metrics like gate attendance and merchandise sales remain the critical indicators of success for WWE events, beyond fan rating systems:
“But how was the gate and merch sales? Those are the only 2 important metrics” – Unnamed Fan
Impact and Future Considerations for WWE Following the Controversy
The widespread backlash against Cody Rhodes’ championship win, coupled with misleading AI summaries, has fueled ongoing tension among WWE’s fanbase and critics. While fan ratings on Cagematch have drawn substantial skepticism due to potential bias or coordinated review bombing, the conversation highlights a divide between hardcore wrestling communities and casual viewers. Moving forward, WWE’s response to the criticism, particularly in how it manages digital narratives and fan engagement, will be crucial in maintaining its audience and addressing dissatisfaction within segments of its following.
