So… What do you guys want to talk about?... That is how Cody Rhodes will return when he gets given a microphone. With Cody more or less confirmed as a signed WWE Superstar and is presumably facing Seth Rollins at Wrestlemania (Though rumours abound that Shane McMahon is also returning at WrestleMania…), I have compiled a list of five wrestlers who aren’t Seth Rollins for Cody to face on his return to the WWE. We’re assuming that Cody Rhodes will return as the “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes and not Stardust too.
#5 Randy Orton or Matt Riddle: Yes I know this technically is two wrestlers, but RKBro is one of the most entertaining things on RAW right now, with Randy legitimately having a blast tagging with his former Tag Team Champion Partner, Riddle. Randy and Cody have a lot of history, from the time Cody was in “The Legacy”, which didn’t end too well… So there is some tension there, of course, Cody could challenge Randy only for Riddle to interject, bringing fresh matches into the company that desperately needs them. Could “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes face Randy Orton in the near future? Randy has the distinction of being Dusty’s last ever match too.
#4 Finn Balor: Another fresh match for this list, Finn was still in NXT when Cody left WWE. Now with the old Cody, this match would be nowhere near as good as it could be now after Cody has had years of different wrestling styles he’s collided with while out of WWE, notably in ROH, NJPW and of course AEW. Few Bullet Club members there too which will undoubtedly make this a much better match, the reason for the match is somewhat simple. “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes wants the United States championship, and who is better than the “American Nightmare” himself, the man with a Neck tattoo that spouts Red, White and Blue, Cody Rhodes. A Championship with a strange storied lineage, you could arguably say that his father Dusty Rhodes has held. Sort-of. The match would be fantastic, and it’s incredibly hard for Finn to have a bad match, so I could see this being a fantastic match if they were allowed to go all out. “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes Vs. “The Demon” Finn Balor? Sign me up.
#3 Bron Breakerrr: Ok, I’m sure you’re wondering why Bron? Well for one, Bron is literally one of the only things remotely worth watching on NXT and is being booked to near perfection (By some miracle) the only criticism is the fact they won’t let commentary mention who his father is… Or even Uncle. Now the story behind this match is simple, they are both second-generation stars, yet only one is allowed to be talked about by the commentary team, so having a match between a Grandson of a Plumber and the son of a Dog-Faced Gremlin (and being the nephew of a well-known mathematician) Bron would be a suplexing machine in their match and Cody would be the high flyer in this situation, indeed, this is a generational match that would potentially tear the house down. “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes Vs. Bron Breakerrr has every right to be on any main event show across America – if booked correctly.
#2 Drew McIntyre: Drew was the MVP of the Pandemic Era in WWE, carrying the promotion as WWE Champion, though they recently made a few missteps with him (Sorry Corbin & Moss) he’s still a star to the fans and will most likely face Roman for the title after beating Lesnar (Unless Brock wins, then he’ll face him instead). Cody and Drew haven’t wrestled each other since 2014, and they were both completely different wrestlers back then, so imagine how great they would be wrestling now? Both left WWE for greener pastures, and it worked out well for them both. Let’s get these former Tag Team Champions in the ring together. Drew being the monster heel would work best here, with Cody crawling from beneath as they fight and pound each other? “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes Vs. Scottish Warrior Drew McIntyre. If not on the main event, this could be your IC/US Championship feud for 6 months.
#1 Roman Reigns: The Head of the Table, tops another list. What reasons do I need to say, Roman is the face of the company, The Tribal Chief. What better way to establish Cody as not only a man to face off against Roman, fresh in the eyes of the fans but maybe even beats the Tribal Chief for the Universal Championship and re-establish him as a top star in the eyes of everyone. The match would be great, Roman is a fantastic Heel, and Cody is a great babyface, despite what the reactions in AEW would tell you. Roman had a habit of facing wrestlers with long historical feuds, and The Wild Samoans had a fair few matches with Dusty & Patterson in the early 80s. I’m sure Paul Heyman would tell us all about it, if the “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes turned up.