Paul Heyman believes Cody Rhodes is a bigger star after WWE WrestleMania 39

Paul Heyman believes that Cody Rhodes came away from WrestleMania 39 a bigger star than he went in as. 

Rhodes was defeated by Roman Reigns at the event in a match most figured he was likely to win. However, Heyman recently told Ariel Helwani that he believes fans are now more passionate toward Rhodes than they were before. He also compared Roman's title run to the Undertaker's streak. 

Heyman said:

I like the fact that everyone walks in now thinking this is the last title defense. And I experienced this before with something I had a hand in ending, which was the Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania. And every year, you sat there and you said, 'Oh no, this is it' and during the match, the audience is actually anticipating and salivating for this to be the moment that they get to witness the historical three count on the Undertaker to which the streak would finally end. And then, of course, when Undertaker would defend the streak, they'd sit there, 'oh yeah, I don't want to see this' and they can't wait for the next chapter and then it finally ended and the audience was shocked because they thought they would see it, they thought they would see it, they thought they would, no, they didn't get to see it. And this was year after year after year and then they finally got to see it.

I think that's the same thing with Roman Reigns' title defenses now. You hope this is the one, you think this is the one, you're sure this is the one. You watch the match happening and you know this is the one and then it turns out not to be the one. 'Oh man, I can't wait to see the next chapter.' 

Heyman believes that Rhodes' story would have nowhere to go if he won the title at WrestleMania 39. He said the story now is about Cody's comeback and redemption. 

Heyman continued:

The response tonight to Cody Rhodes, which was louder than the response last week to Cody Rhodes, which was a response more passionate tonight for Cody Rhodes, which was a response of an audience that believes in Cody Rhodes this week more than they did last week when they hung their hopes into dreams on him and he didn't disappoint them, we disappointed them. We took that away from Cody Rhodes. Roman Reigns took that away from Cody Rhodes and the audience. They blame Roman Reigns for it and they appreciate how close Cody came and they know, now, they know the next time Cody Rhodes steps in the ring with Roman Reigns, this will be the one. That's the business, that's the business at it's very best. That's promotion at its very best, that's storytelling at its very best. 

That's what you want, a challenger to come out a bigger star than he would have been if he had won the championship because then where do you go from there? What's the story to tell? Now you know the story, it's Cody's redemption. He's coming back from what was just taken from him, from the defeat he suffered that he didn't deserve to have inflicted upon him. 

Heyman would continue to say that fans thought it was the right moment for Roman to be defeated in Montreal at Elimination Chamber, and in Wales at Clash at the Castle. He said he also heard the same thing about last year's SummerSlam and John Cena going for his 17th world title. Making fans believe that each title defense is the last is just good business, he says. 

"That's the promotional business," Heyman concluded.