Cody Rhodes to get removed from King of the Ring due to debuting megastar’s attack? Exploring the possibility

Cody Rhodes is on a quest to regain his Undisputed WWE Championship since returning to WWE at Saturday Night's Main Event last month. After pinning John Cena at Money in the Bank, Rhodes will look to qualify for the King of the Ring Tournament on this week's SmackDown. However, the shocking debut of a megastar could halt the 39-year-old's plans.

Cody Rhodes name-dropped Kai Cenat on last week's SmackDown while cutting a promo on John Cena. The American Nightmare's remarks have not sat well with the social media star, who has demanded an apology from Rhodes. The 23-year-old megastar called out the former Undisputed WWE Champion and vowed he would be coming for him the next time he is at a WWE show.

"Cody, if I march my way back to the motherf*cking ring, the next time I see you, I’m beating your a**, bro! I've got to get an apology, something. If I ever go back to another WWE event, Cody, I’m calling you out! When I see you, I’m hopping in the ring. That’s it. That’s all I’m gonna say. They don’t want me in this ring, bro," Cenat said.

Considering the increasing celebrity involvement in the Stamford-based promotion lately, WWE can pull this off to plant the seeds for a high-profile program. Kai Cenat could appear on SmackDown and attack Cody Rhodes during the KOTR qualifier to set up a blockbuster match at Night of Champions.

It would make sense, considering Kai Cenat's connection to John Cena. The social media star had The Franchise Player as a guest on his livestream last year. Cenat is a massive fan of Cena and was heavily disappointed when The Cenation Leader failed to win the Royal Rumble Match earlier this year.

WWE could integrate this real-life connection to a storyline and have Kai come out during Cody Rhodes' match on SmackDown. Rhodes will face Damian Priest, Andrade, and Shinsuke Nakamura in a Fatal Four-Way bout to qualify for the King of the Ring semi-finals. During the contest, Cenat could come out and launch an attack on The American Nightmare, effectively taking him out of the match.

John Cena could be revealed as the mastermind behind this, as Rhodes is a favorite to win the tournament. Since winning KOTR could give Rhodes a title shot against Cena at SummerSlam, taking him out in the first round would ensure the 17-time champion's title is safe for the time being.

This could even lead to a match between Cody Rhodes and Kai Cenat at Night of Champions. Saudi Arabia shows usually feature high-profile stars, and it could be the perfect event for Kai Cenat's debut match in the Stamford-based promotion. That said, it is just speculation for now.

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Cody Rhodes heaped praise on WWE Superstar Rhea Ripley

While chatting with Damian Priest on the What Do You Want To Talk About? podcast, Cody Rhodes gave massive props to Rhea Ripley. Rhodes described how The Eradicator inspired him to do better.

“She’s also one who makes me want to compete — not in a stab-you-in-the-back type of way, but like, ‘Let’s go. You’re cruising? Cool. I want to be on your level. Let’s go. Every time she’s on the screen, it’s those moments of like, Jeez, man. What a star. What a star." Rhodes said. [H/T: Ringside News]

Rhodes already has a pinfall victory against John Cena, and winning King of the Ring would take him one step closer to reclaiming what he lost. But will he be able to do it? It will be interesting to see if The American Nightmare can qualify for the King of the Ring semi-final on SmackDown.