The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes took down The Bloodline under their own rules at WrestleMania 40 to become the new Undisputed WWE Champion and etched his name in the history books by becoming the man who ended a historic four-year-long title reign set by Roman Reigns much to the delight of the WWE Universe.
Since then, WWE fans have buzzing with excitement for many dream matches that they could see as Rhodes is finally the champion. At WWE Backlash France, WWE Universe witnessed a dream match between The Phenomenal One AJ Styles, and Cody Rhodes that delivered in all aspects.
However, in a hypothetical situation as part of fantasy booking, let us take a look at 5 Cody Rhodes dream matches across different eras:
1. Stone Cold Steve Austin
WWE Universe loves to book fantasy dream matches between the WWE Superstars from different eras. But only a few of them could match the collective level of buzz that a match between the WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin and the new Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes could make, which if happens will sell out arenas all across the globe.
Cody Rhodes has stated multiple times that he has looked up to The Texas RattleSnake, and he is the guy who set the bar for his generation of wrestlers. So a match between these two larger-than-life superstars will be one to watch should it happen considering Austin did make his return to wrestling in 2022.
2. The Rock
The Rock made his spectacular return to WWE this year and quickly aligned himself with his cousin, Roman Reigns to take down Cody Rhodes’ dreams of becoming the new Undisputed WWE Champion. Many WWE Fans have been waiting for this eventual clash between The Rock and Cody Rhodes which is inevitable at this stage considering their epic rivalry on the road to WrestleMania 40.
The original plans called for The Rock to return to have a blockbuster dream match with Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 40. However, a major fan backlash forced WWE to change their creative plans leading The Rock to develop this resentment for Cody Rhodes afterward. Witnessing the events that happened and The Rock making it clear that he would come back for Rhodes on the RAW after WrestleMania 40, a dream clash between the duo looks inevitable.
3. John Cena
John Cena is arguably the most popular and remarkable WWE superstar of all time in the world. His stacked resume and undying connection with the WWE Universe transcend the borders of sports and entertainment making Cena a global name.
Moreover, one WWE Superstar from this generation who is surely following up Cena’s footsteps is The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes. Rhodes has become a popular name amongst the WWE Universe much like John Cena. So, a match between these two megastars will be a box-office showdown and could possibly happen before John Cena hangs up his boots as he plans to do in a few years.
4. The Undertaker
The Undertaker is one of the most legendary figures in the history of the WWE, imbued with mystical abilities, captivating skills, and preternatural in-ring skills. The Phenom is regarded as one of the greatest icons to ever step into this business and no list of respected WWE legends would be complete with the addition of him.
The Deadman was last seen on WWE television programming when he came to the aid of The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40 to take out The Rock from the equation. Cody Rhodes has expressed his desire to compete in a ring with The Deadman on many different occasions and a match with The Phenom would have been a dream come true for both Rhodes and the WWE Universe, should Undertaker decide to return for a one-off match.
5. Shawn Michaels
The Heart Break Kid Shawn Michaels is hailed as one the best in-ring performers and legendary WWE superstars in the history of WWE. Nowadays away from in-ring action, Michaels still finds himself associated with the business as he is shaping up the young upstarts in NXT as Senior Vice President.
Multiple comparisons have been made between The American Nightmare and Mr. WrestleMania for their relatable connection with the WWE fans, their in-ring styles, methodologies, and similar size. Therefore, a generational match between the greatest in-ring performer of the past era, HBK, and one of the most over and technically sound performers of this era, Cody Rhodes would have been nothing short of an instant classic.
What are your thoughts on these dream matches for Cody Rhodes from various ages? Share your thoughts in the comments!