On April 20, 2025, Rhodes' first reign with the Undisputed WWE Championship ended. He held it for 378 days after beating Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 for it. The loss was thanks in large part to rapper Travis Scott, who interfered in the match. He helped Cena win by distracting Rhodes. It furthered the growing feud between Rhodes and Scott.

On his Notsam Wrestling podcast, WWE analyst Sam Roberts discussed Cody Rhodes' WrestleMania loss and his future after dropping the championship. He expressed his desire to see The American Nightmare go away for a while before returning "triumphantly."