44-year-old must cost Cody Rhodes in potential WWE title rematch and join AJ Styles

AJ Styles looks to be headed for a rematch with Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship. He couldn't get the job done at Backlash in his first title match against Rhodes, but he could call upon a familiar face for help.

Shinsuke Nakamura has been pretty anonymous for several months on WWE TV. The King of Strong Style has lacked direction, even during Triple H's regime. His last relevant feud was against Cody Rhodes, and he may feel they have unfinished business.

Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson may be expected to help AJ Styles prevail if he needs assistance. The O.C. faction has been inconsistent as a group, but the tag team attended their leader's fake retirement on SmackDown last week.

The former two-time WWE Champion swerved Cody Rhodes by hinting at retirement. He left the champion floored with a brutal attack and made a statement of his title intentions.

The Face that Runs the Place is a clever tactician and could be conjuring up a plan to dethrone The American Nightmare. Shinsuke Nakamura could shockingly interfere and ensure his former foe becomes the Undisputed WWE Champion.

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AJ Styles could struggle to beat Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes one-on-one

Cody Rhodes has been on quite the roll since winning the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania XL. He hasn't lost a single match, including non-title outings on SmackDown and RAW.

AJ Styles thrust himself into the world title picture by winning a tournament to determine Rhodes' first challenger. He defeated LA Knight in the final and turned his attention to the two-time Royal Rumble winner at Backlash.

The two put on a masterpiece in Lyon, France, and wowed fans with their compatibility in the ring. This was in vain for AJ Styles, as he failed to win the title, but reports indicate a rematch is coming at Clash at the Castle, per WON's Dave Meltzer.

The 47-year-old may feel that getting assistance is the only way to defeat the champion. He could recruit Shinsuke Nakamura and form an alliance, or even add him to The O.C. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson may decide to permanently reconcile with their leader.

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Shinsuke Nakamura will get revenge on the Undisputed WWE Champion

Shinsuke Nakamura feuded with Cody Rhodes at the start of 2024. He was obsessed with beating the former AEW executive, which led to some entertaining backstage vignettes.

The three-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion failed to beat Rhodes throughout the rivalry. It was perhaps the best presentation of the Japanese star on the main roster, but constant losses gave fans little investment in him.

Shinsuke Nakamura could try to get revenge on Rhodes for his downward spiral after their feud. He may feel that costing Cody the title makes up for his lack of opportunities, as he hasn't even made an in-ring appearance since being drafted to SmackDown.

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Shinsuke Nakamura could propel himself into the title picture

Shinsuke Nakamura has struggled to reach expectations on the main roster. He felt like a bonafide megastar when he debuted in NXT in 2016 but he's not become the main event talent many anticipated.

This could be an opportunity for Nakamura to push himself into the main event picture with two stars he knows well. He also has a history with AJ Styles as they fought for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34, which led to the Japanese star turning heel.

Cody Rhodes has somewhat lacked challengers since winning the Undisputed WWE Championship. SmackDown has a ton of babyface superstars, which is problematic. Shinsuke Nakamura could create a triple-threat scenario per an agreement with AJ Styles to dethrone Rhodes.