5 best opponents for Cody Rhodes if he made a WWE return 

Just a couple of years ago the wrestling world was shocked and many of us were saddened to hear of the departure of Cody Rhodes from WWE. After a decade-long run, Cody was ready to expand his horizons beyond the confines of the WWE Universe and personally, I completely understand why.

Cody is someone who obviously descends from wrestling royalty. Wrestling is his blood and there is nothing else he was placed on this earth to do. After all, he is the son of The American Dream. With that said, someone as talented as Cody deserves much more, creatively, than an exhausted "Stardust" run. Simply put, Cody had hit a gigantic brick wall, from a creative standpoint, and it appeared as if his creative ideas were falling upon deaf ears. That, in itself, was enough to make anyone want to look for the nearest exit, especially when they have the skills that Cody had.

Since his departure, Cody has taken his career to tremendous new heights. Not only has he aligned himself with The Bullet Club, but he has gone to any and every promotion with open doors, and in most cases, he has shot straight to the top of their respective roster. However, it was his most recent feat that has truly set him apart from the rest of the field. At the All In pay-per-view, Cody defeated Nick Aldis and became the new NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion. This was by far the most emotional win in Cody's career as he now wears the same title that the all-time greats, including his father, once held.

I honestly do not see Cody coming back to the WWE anytime soon. In fact, he has been fairly vocal about this topic and has made it clear that he is happy as-is. But with that in mind, stranger things have happened and in the crazy world of professional wrestling, anything is possible. If Cody were to make a stunning return, which WWE Superstar would make the most sense to have him face off against? In this column, we take a look at the 5 WWE Superstars who would be the most appealing as an opponent for Cody, if hell froze over and he did return.

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#5 Ricochet

I can picture the potential 5-star matches now.

Ricochet is hands-down one of the most exciting new stars on any roster. Throughout his career, he has kept fans on the edge of their seats with his countless 5-star matches. He has been a consistent source of top-tier performances and that is exactly why he was such an attractive signee for WWE officials.

Since his arrival, Ricochet has adapted perfectly to doing things the WWE way. Currently, he is at the top of the NXT roster as the North American Champion. While the Yellow Squad has a completely stacked and loaded roster, Ricochet is one of the premier stars. Despite his limited time with the company, Ricochet has already proved himself worthy of making a jump to the main roster. With that said, a feud between Ricochet and Cody Rhodes would be a "Dream" come true.

#4 Adam Cole

It's Adam Cole BAY-BAY!

This potential match-up may not be one that many fans have put much thought into, but if you take a step back and look at both of these stars credentials, you'll find that they both have a lot in common.

Adam Cole has taken the NXT roster by storm and given the overall success of not only Cole individually, but The Undisputed Era as well, Adam's remaining days in Orlando is likely very limited.

It's still important to note that we are not at all suggesting that Cody is currently seeking a WWE return. Instead, we are simply entertaining the idea that maybe...just maybe, Cody will get that desire to return and take care of some unfinished business and I cannot think of many WWE Superstars that can offer a match-up quite as attractive as what we could have right here.

#3 Shinsuke Nakamura

The Artist...Shinsuke Nakamura.

Shinsuke Nakamura was always one of those top-level international stars that you wanted to one day see in a WWE ring, but for whatever reason, you just knew it was nearly impossible to pry him away from the grips of Japanese wrestling. However, in early 2016, rumors started to fly and before we knew it, photos began to emerge which showed Nakamura standing with Triple H in front of a WWE logo. Yes, the unthinkable had happened...WWE had signed the mega-star.

After signing with the company, there were still those who doubted Nakamura. Many cited the strong language barrier as a potential hindrance, but those concerns were quickly laid to rest once WWE officials and fans alike witnessed first-hand just how good he was and how well he had transitioned into doing things "the WWE way." Maybe one day we can get that elusive dream match between Cody and Nakamura. Hopefully, the script finds a way to bring Cody home so we can see this one in the friendly confines of a WWE ring...stranger things have occurred!

#2 Finn Balor

Balor and Cody have travelled similar roads!

There is so much that Cody and Finn Balor have in common, it would truly be a shame if we never get the opportunity to see this one materialize. Finn and Cody are both now Bullet Club royalty and while they have taken different routes, they have both stomped across some of the same historic wrestling promotions and towns.

Finn is now one of WWE's premier Superstars. Meanwhile, Cody is currently exploring some of Finn's former territories. It would be incredible to see these two meet up in the very near future, but that may be all but impossible, considering their current situations. But as mentioned earlier, it's certainly good to dream and having a match where Finn Balor potentially challenged Cody for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship...that would be one for the ages. Not mention what it would do in regards to restoring the legacy of the famed "10 pounds of Gold." However, it's not the NWA, Ring of Honor or NJPW that we are discussing today. We are talking about the possibility of a Cody Rhodes return and who would make the most sense as a top-level, main-event calibre opponent and Finn Balor certainly fit those credentials.

#1 AJ Styles

Everything he does is...PHENOMENAL!

After months of intense rumors and speculation, WWE finally landed "the big fish," when AJ Styles made his WWE debut as the #3 entrant in the 2016 Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Styles hit the ground running upon arrival, shooting directly to the top of the roster, which is where he still resides, rightfully so.

Styles and Cody also have a lot in common, with The Bullet Club affiliation being one similarity that really stands out. Since leaving WWE, Cody has truly morphed into a completely new Superstar, with random shades of a younger AJ Styles, back when AJ was competing in Japan.

As mentioned earlier, we all know Cody is in a really good place right now and considering the recent success of his ALL IN pay-per-view event, Cody probably isn't going anywhere, anytime soon. But with that said, this article is essentially centred around dream matches and a contest featuring Cody Rhodes taking on AJ Styles definitely qualifies as a "dream match."