WWE legend on Cody Rhodes possibly returning at Backlash

Cody Rhodes has not appeared on television since losing the Undisputed WWE Championship to John Cena at WrestleMania 41 on April 20. Bully Ray, aka Bubba Ray Dudley, thinks The American Nightmare's return should be further delayed.

Cena's first title defense will take place against Randy Orton at Backlash on May 10. Ahead of the event, fans have been speculating that Rhodes could make his first WWE appearance in 20 days at the show.

Bully Ray said on Busted Open that Cody Rhodes would benefit from a lengthy time away from WWE programming. If that happens, he believes the 39-year-old would be treated as a hero upon his return.

"Gotta keep Cody Rhodes away from everything for a while," Bully Ray said. "If you're gonna be late, be really late mentality. If you're gonna keep him away, keep him away long enough that the day you bring him back, we're just so happy to see him. 'Oh my God, it's Cody. Thank God, where have you been?' As opposed to bringing him back next week, and it's like, 'Dude, what the f**k?'" [From 27:40 onwards]

Look who just shut down all of Tony Khan's critics! More HERE.

Despite being a babyface, Rhodes received boos from large sections of fans at WrestleMania 41. The crowd also reacted negatively toward him on the final edition of SmackDown before the event.

Bully Ray reflects on Cody Rhodes' title reign

In 2024, Cody Rhodes defeated Roman Reigns at WrestleMania XL to win the Undisputed WWE Championship. He defended the title against AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Logan Paul, and Solo Sikoa before losing it to John Cena.

From a storyline perspective, Bully Ray believes Rhodes' year-long reign with the gold could have been more interesting. However, he also admitted that WWE's higher-ups were unlikely to create a story as compelling as the WrestleMania XL angle with The Rock and Reigns.

"It was underwhelming because you just came out of WrestleMania against Roman and Rock," Bully Ray continued. "What heel can they possibly throw at you that's going to be at the level of The Rock and Roman, especially after what The Rock did to you? You know, left you bloody in the rain, yada yada. There was no heel on tap between 40 and 41 to do that with Cody because the WWE doesn't allow their heels to get to that level, at least in my eyes." [From 30:50 onwards]

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In the same episode, Bully Ray picked a winner between John Cena and Randy Orton at Backlash.

Please credit Busted Open and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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Edited by Danny Hart