Cody Rhodes will hopefully be making his WWE comeback in early 2023, as the company embarks on the road to WrestleMania.

The “American Nightmare” has been out of action since sustaining a gruesome torn pec while training prior to his Hell in a Cell match with Seth “Freakin’” Rollins back in June. Who could forget Rhodes’ revealing his severely discoloured body and then gutting it out in one of the most courageous performances in WWE history?

This only added to his heroic return to the company following six years spent on the independent scene and with AEW.

Having only feuded with Rollins upon return, there is so much more for Cody to do with WWE and with wrestlers he either shares a history with or has never met in the ring. Let’s take a look at a few of the standout options.

GiveMeSport takes you through 10 possible feuds for Cody Rhodes…


10. Edge

Edge Cody Rhodes

Edge Cody Rhodes

The Rated-R superstar is someone that Cody has barely interacted with over the course of his career, which seems odd given his alliance with Randy Orton for a time, a career rival of Edge. With Edge’s career winding down, this could be their final chance to share the ring.


9. Finn Balor

Balor is another wrestler whom Cody has never faced off against. He was only moved to the main roster after Cody had left the company in 2016, having been in NXT prior to that. With Balor being the leader of Judgement Day, could his attempts to recruit another Bullet Club alumnus lead to a feud between the pair?


8. Kevin Owens  

KO and Cody have wrestled one another, but only while the latter worked under the much-maligned Stardust gimmick. With both men now being bona fide main eventers, and each having a long history with the Young Bucks and Triple H amongst others, the in-ring and on-mic battles would be phenomenal.

7. Drew McIntyre

Cody Rhodes Drew McIntyre

Cody Rhodes Drew McIntyre

Cody and Drew have a history, having been WWE Tag Team Champions in mid-2010 during a brief partnership. Since then, both men have left WWE, changed their gimmicks, found success elsewhere and returned to become big stars. Tapping into this would make for a great rivalry.


6. Seth Rollins

“If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” Their trilogy was a highlight of WWE this year, with Seth going out of his way to make Cody as big a star as possible upon his return. Hell in a Cell is usually a definitive ending spot for feuds but there is definitely more juice here, especially if one of them captures a World Title in the coming year.


5. Randy Orton

Cody Rhodes Randy Orton

Cody Rhodes Randy Orton

This is a friendship and rivalry that must be explored in the next year or so, when both men have recovered from their current injuries. The formative years of Cody’s career were spent with Orton in Legacy, either side of a rivalry. They met in a triple threat match at WrestleMania 26 alongside Ted DiBiase but have yet to have a true singles feud.


4. Bray Wyatt

If Orton was his mentor, then Bray was his protégé. Well, at least in NXT while he was working under the ring name of Husky Harris. Following both men’s return to the company and Wyatt’s battles with his past demons, a feud with the “American Nightmare” would be a treat for wrestling fans.


3. John Cena

One of our listed potential opponents for Cena at WrestleMania 39, a feud between this pair would be sure to be one of the biggest matches on next year’s card. Cody became Cena-esque in AEW, receiving weekly polarising reactions. The promos would be great, the showmanship would be even better.


2. Stone Cold Steve Austin

The only bigger legend that Rhodes could face at ‘Mania this year than Cena is the Texas Rattlesnake. Cody being a known historian of the game and Austin’s own relationship with his father Dusty would make for a mouth-watering programme between the pair.


1. Roman Reigns

Cody Rhodes Roman Reigns

Cody Rhodes Roman Reigns

Who else could top this list? Reigns is the No.1 star in WWE, the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion and the guy Cody will want to knock off his perch to solidify his status in the company and the wrestling industry. With his stated goal being to become the Champion his father never was in WWE, a feud with Reigns at some point seems certain. Could a Royal Rumble win lead to a mega Title match?