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Cody Rhodes is a wrestler who finds himself in a very unusual situation right now. Currently, the TNT Champion is wrestling without an official contract with AEW, meaning that he is technically a free agent. In other words, if Rhodes wanted to wrestle for another organization -- WWE, for example -- he feasibly could. And if that scenario were to happen, there would be no shortage of WWE talent for Rhodes to face.
Since leaving WWE in 2016, Cody Rhodes has had a long journey through the world of pro wrestling. Reinventing himself on the independent circuit, the American Nightmare vastly improved his in-ring work and promo skills. He would join Bullet Club, briefly acting as the faction's leader, before joining the stable's splinter group, The Elite.
It was in 2019 that Rhodes, alongside his fellow members of The Elite and Tony Khan, unveiled their plans to start AEW. Since then, Rhodes has effectively been one of the main stars in the new wrestling company, competing against AEW's top performers and winning the TNT Championship multiple times.
However, with the possibility that Rhodes is now essentially free to sign with or wrestle for any company he chooses, there has been some speculation he could possibly return to WWE.
Here are a few matches we'd love to see if Cody Rhodes returns to WWE sometime soon.
#5. Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens
A Rhodes versus Kevin Owens match was one fans were expecting to see by now. Owens had heavily teased the possibility of signing with AEW in the past. However, those rumors were eventually squashed when Owens resigned with WWE in December of last year.
If Rhodes were to return to WWE, it'd be interesting to see him face Owens at some point. Both wrestlers have somewhat similar careers, with Owens getting his start on the indie scene, and Rhodes essentially reinventing himself in those same promotions. The two performers are also at the peak of their in-ring abilities, regularly main eventing their respective shows. Now that Owens has decided to stay with WWE, it would be fascinating to see what a match between the two would look like.
#4. Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins
Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins have somewhat of a past in WWE. When Rollins first debuted as part of The Shield, one of their initial major rivalries was against Rhodes and his brother, Goldust. The feud eventually culminated in several matches for the WWE Tag Team Championship, which saw the brothers capture and retain the belts against the Hounds of Justice.
Shortly before Rhodes left WWE, Rollins was beginning his steady climb to main event status in the company. At the time, however, Rhodes himself was firmly in the lower midcard as Stardust. Nowadays, both wrestlers can be seen as being at their best, having captured or competed for their respective promotions' main championships several times. If Rhodes were to return, the potential for a singles competition against The Visionary would be something fans have long waited to see.
#3. Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
Ever since Brock Lesnar reemerged in WWE back in 2012, he's been one of the most dominant wrestlers in the company. A multi-time WWE champion, he's been the wrestler other performers have to face in order to climb to the top of the organization.
As seen with Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Drew McIntyre, it's a common staple in WWE that a wrestler who is receiving a major push faces Lesnar. Given that Cody is one of the main stars in AEW, a possible encounter with Lesnar would be a dream match in the making. In AEW, Rhodes has already faced similarly-billed unstoppable monsters like Malakai Black and won. Whether he'd be able to put away the Beast Incarnate, however, remains a question fans would love to see answered one day.
#2. Cody Rhodes vs. Edge
A potential showdown between Cody Rhodes and Edge is something that would've been inconceivable five years ago. When Edge first retired in 2011, it seemed there was no hope of him ever returning to the ring. Upon his comeback in 2020, however, fans were delighted to see the Rated R Superstar back in action. The potential for Edge to face old rivals as well as new talent who had risen to the top of WWE was almost too thrilling to comprehend.
The same year as Edge's first retirement, Rhodes underwent his first major push in WWE, holding the Intercontinental Championship in a 230 day-reign. Rhodes would also go on to achieve major success outside WWE, becoming a capable, main event level performer in his own right. With Edge now able to wrestle again, it would no doubt be fascinating to see what a match between the two would be like.
#1. Cody Rhodes vs. Big E
Big E is a wrestler who has only recently begun capturing the success he has always been capable of achieving in WWE. A longtime member of the fan-favorite New Day, Big E finally got the singles push he deserved in 2021, winning the WWE Championship from Bobby Lashley. Though his reign was relatively short, Big E made for a fantastic and popular world champion in WWE.
As Big E was a member of the New Day around the time Rhodes was leaving, their paths unfortunately never crossed. However, with the possibility of Rhodes wrestling for WWE again, a match between the two isn't entirely out of the cards. A feud that sees Big E take on a now veteran performer like Rhodes would certainly make for an incredibly entertaining and highly physical matchup.
