WrestleMania season is here, and the WWE Universe has been completely and totally enthralled by The Bloodline saga. The ongoing thread, which has been going on for years now, has arguably reached the climax.
The Rock joined Roman Reigns, Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa, and Paul Heyman in the group. Meanwhile, Cody Rhodes won the Men's Royal Rumble Match and hopes to dethrone Reigns of his prestigious gold at the biggest event of the year.
Before that can happen, however, Cody and Roman will be going face-to-face on Friday Night SmackDown tonight. This is the first time the pair have been together in the ring with nobody else around, with the exception of the audience in quite some time.
That, of course, is if one is to believe The Bloodline will live up to their promise to stay away. Knowing that they're liars, Cody will likely have and need backup. This article will look at a handful of performers who could have his back on the blue brand tonight.
Below are five WWE stars Cody Rhodes must have as backup for his SmackDown confrontation with Roman Reigns this week.
#5. LA Knight won't have AJ Styles to deal with
LA Knight is a success story unlike many others. Vince McMahon didn't see the potential in Knight and made him a manager of the Maximum Male Models. Triple H changed that, and Knight became insanely over.
The Megastar is currently in a rivalry with AJ Styles, which has been building for months. When AJ was injured by The Bloodline and taken off of WWE television, Knight took AJ's spot, and Styles grew bitter about it. Now, the resentment has the two on the Road to WrestleMania.
While Knight wants to get his hands on Styles, The Phenomenal One claims he won't be at SmackDown. If LA needs to get his anger out, helping Cody Rhodes and targeting The Bloodline, whom he already hates, makes a lot of sense. The Megastar and The American Nightmare could work well together.
#4. Julius Creed & #3. Brutus Creed, RAW's exciting tag team has shown unity with Cody Rhodes in the past
The Creed Brothers are a popular tag team that first started on WWE NXT. The pair won the coveted NXT Tag Team Titles and joined the main roster late last year. Now, the two super athletes are part of Monday Night RAW's roster.
Unfortunately, Brutus Creed and Julius Creed suffered a heartbreaking loss on Monday Night RAW. The pair battled the fellow babyface duo of DIY on the red brand. The Creeds lost, which means DIY will be moving on to WWE WrestleMania, while Julius and Brutus will be watching from catering.
Despite that, the two can stay in the mix by having Cody's back. The Creed Brothers and Rhodes have shown a united front on Monday Night RAW in the past, so it would make sense for Cody to bring the two to SmackDown as backup. Could the talented athletes take it to Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa if necessary?
#2. Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes have a long-time relationship together in WWE
Randy Orton is a veteran of the ring. He first debuted on WWE's main roster all the way back in 2002. Over the next 22 years, Randy would become a 14-time World Champion. While many feared he'd be forced to retire following back surgery, he is back and better than ever.
The Viper has a chance to capture WWE gold at WrestleMania. He will be challenging for the United States Championship in a Triple Threat Match. This comes following his pursuit of Logan Paul, thanks to The Maverick's sucker punch at Elimination Chamber Perth.
Still, Orton has made it clear he hates The Bloodline. Beyond that, he used to be stablemates with Cody Rhodes in a faction called Legacy. Given their friendship, if anybody would stand by Rhodes' side, it would be The Viper. Plus, he'd jump at the chance to take another crack at Roman, Solo, and Jimmy.
#1. Kevin Owens has a history with The Bloodline
Kevin Owens is a future WWE Hall of Famer. He won the NXT Championship almost immediately upon joining the brand. From there, he became the United States Champion, Intercontinental Champion, and Universal Champion, and he even held tag team gold.
While Randy Orton is challenging Logan Paul for the United States Championship at WrestleMania, he won't be the only WWE star doing so. The title bout is actually a Triple-Threat Match that also includes The Prizefighter.
Much like both Orton and Knight, Kevin Owens has a long history with The Bloodline. He and Cody also united a bit on RAW, even if Owens' stubborn attitude got in the way sometimes. Regardless, Kevin would likely have Cody's back if necessary.
