Cody Rhodes to lose WWE King of the Ring tournament after real-life friend betrays him? Exploring the possibility 

Cody Rhodes will compete in the first round of the WWE King of the Ring tournament on SmackDown against Damian Priest, Andrade, and Shinsuke Nakamura. It is Cody's maiden chance to win the tournament and earn a title shot at SummerSlam against John Cena.

So far, Sami Zayn has qualified for the semi-finals of the tournament, and there are speculations that the Honorary Uce and Cody Rhodes might end up as finalists of the mega event at WWE Night of Champions on June 28, 2025. However, The American Nightmare could face a setback at the PLE because of a friend turning on him.

Jey Uso could end up costing Cody Rhodes his King of the Ring prize at Night of Champions. The Yeet Master lost the World Heavyweight Championship to his arch-rival Gunther this week on RAW. The loss was monumental, as nobody expected Jey to pass out to Gunther's submission lock.

A day prior, Jey had squared off against John Cena and Logan Paul while teaming up with Cody Rhodes at WWE Money in the Bank PLE. Although the duo won the match, it left Jey exhausted before an extremely important match on WWE RAW. Jey could turn on Cody Rhodes at Night of Champions, pinning the blame on him for losing the World Heavyweight Title. He might say that it was Rhodes who got Jey into a non-title match before a crucial title match on RAW.

The 39-year-old superstar looked completely devastated after the loss at the hands of Gunther on RAW, and out of desperation, he could use this ruse to turn on Cody. That would also bring Cody and Jey to a crossroads, and they could clash against each other at SummerSlam.

It could also lead to the heel turn of Sami Zayn, whom the Yeet Master could help pin Cody at Night of Champions.

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Former WWE employee reveals likely reason for Jey Uso's loss on RAW

Ex-WWE employee Tommy Carlucci addressed Jey's title loss on RAW, saying that the likely reason WWE might have handed back the title to Gunther was basically because he carried it well.

"You know what? I think I’d like to see Jey chase him now again. I mean, it’s another storyline that they rehashed over and over. But I think Gunther really carries the belt really well, and I think that’s why they made that change." (H/T: TJRWrestling)

After the loss, Jey apologized to the fans and also to his son. However, he also had words of praise for Gunther and said that the Austrian star is one of the best athletes, and at the end of the day, he has respect for the man.

It remains to be seen what Jey's next plan of action will be following the title loss. Will he go after the Imperium leader again, or will he turn on Cody Rhodes? We'll get the answer soon.