5 things that could happen upon Cody Rhodes’ return at WWE Royal Rumble 2023

Cody Rhodes shocked the pro-wrestling world in 2022 when he returned to WWE during Night One of WrestleMania 38. As soon as his entrance music was played, this created a massive pop among the crowd in attendance, and he even went on to win his match against Seth Rollins.

Everything was smooth sailing until the pectoral muscle tear that he suffered ahead of his Hell in a Cell match last year. Albeit a torn muscle, The American Nightmare went on with the match and came out as the victor.

Rhodes was sidelined for the rest of 2022 but is scheduled to make a comeback at this year’s Royal Rumble. To that end, fans are musing about what could go down upon his return.

#5. Cody Rhodes winning the Royal Rumble match

The promotional visuals of this year’s Royal Rumble have pretty much spoiled Cody Rhodes’ return and participation in the upcoming 30-man match. While it remains true that all of them have the potential to win it, Rhodes is highly favored to win the upcoming brawl.

Aside from The Rock, The American Nightmare is also rumored to be pitted against Roman Reigns at this year’s WrestleMania. Winning the Rumble will surely raise speculation that he could be fighting The Tribal Chief at The Showcase of the Immortals.

As for The Rock, it is still up in the air if he is available for the next WrestleMania.

#4. Rhodes vs. Rollins IV

Cody Rhodes has been in a feud with Seth Rollins since his return in 2022, and both have been in three epic fights in that year alone. Both WWE Superstars will be competitors at this year’s Royal Rumble, and the rivalry between them could probably be reignited during the match.

Their third encounter inside the ring during Hell in a Cell was highly praised by both fans and critics, that it was given a five-star rating at the time. Such a reception should call for another face-off inside the squared circle.

Such a feud is definitely far from over, as fans might recall that during an episode of RAW following their Hell in a Cell match, Rollins would blindside Rhodes by hitting him from behind with a sledgehammer.

#3. Setting him up for a triple-threat match

Another avenue WWE might take is for Cody Rhodes to take on both Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns for a triple-threat match.

Rhodes made his intentions clear in a recent clip. It may well seem that the WWE Superstar could either be expressing his desire to have another match against The Visionary or taking away one of Roman Reigns’ championships.

The promotion might grant both of these by putting him, Rollins, and Reigns in such a match. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone as he would finally settle the score between him and Rollins and have this title shot against The Bloodline’s Tribal Chief.

For those unaware, Cody’s legendary father – Dusty Rhodes, has never won a WWE Championship. His return to the Stamford-based company would finally quench that thirst for gold if he captures either one of those belts.

#2. Cody Rhodes getting involved in a new storyline

There are a plethora of things that could happen in a Royal Rumble match. One of which is creating a new storyline for WWE Superstars, and this could happen to Cody Rhodes.

The promotion might set aside a fourth clash between The American Nightmare and The Visionary as they might deem it a bit too much already. With that in mind, he could be pitted against another Superstar that is also a competitor at the Royal Rumble.

There is a possible feud between him and Brock Lesnar, but The Beast Incarnate is currently at odds with Bobby Lashley. The All Mighty is also a viable opponent since they have a common foe in Rollins.

#1. Paving the road for a heel turn

This may be a long shot, but it could happen at Royal Rumble.

Since his momentous return, Cody Rhodes has been billed as a babyface which was well-received by the fans. However, WWE’s Creative could make an angle for Rhodes that would eventually turn him into a heel, and this might kick off during this year’s Royal Rumble.

Given how things are going, though, WWE is likely to stick with him being a good guy alongside the company’s other faces like Drew McIntyre and Bray Wyatt.