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Cody Rhodes is one of the favorites to win the Royal Rumble next year, but even if he does emerge victorious, Vince Russo has suggested an idea involving CM Punk that could draw a lot of heat, even possibly leading to QT Marshall's WWE return.
As discussed on the last episode of Writing with Russo, the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion suggested a storyline where CM Punk was appointed the head of WWE's disciplinary committee and how it could make the former AEW star one of the biggest heels in the business.
Inspired by the angle, Vince Russo explained how Cody Rhodes could be roped into the story to make him a more sympathetic babyface. Vince Russo began by stating that Rhodes could be taken out by a heel next week on RAW, forcing him to miss weeks of TV due to injury until he returns at Royal Rumble and wins the men's match.
Just when Cody would be celebrating getting another shot at Roman Reigns' title, the new disciplinary committee head, CM Punk, would come out and prevent him from making it to 'Mania.
As you can view below, Vince Russo explained how WWE could use CM Punk to make Cody's journey to WrestleMania even more impactful and unique:
"Can you imagine? Cody comes back and wins the Royal Rumble, okay? The next night on RAW, the head of the disciplinary committee comes here. 'Wait a minute? Your doctor may have cleared you to wrestle, not my doctor!' Bro, then you have him get examined by Punk's doctor, and he's not cleared to wrestle and won't be cleared to wrestle for 30 days. Bro, you can build up so much good stuff." [From 10:27 to 10:58]
Check out the video below:
Vince Russo said that Cody Rhodes' frustrations would reach a boiling point as he would need the support of his friends to tackle CM Punk and his legal counsel.
Russo felt Cody looking out for reinforcements could lead to former AEW star QT Marshall, who recently left AEW, appearing for WWE. Marshall previously worked for WWE between 2013 and 2017 and is a close pal of Cody Rhodes outside the ring.
"And then, in the meantime, bro, Cody's friends step up," Russo continued, "So, now you've got Sami Zayn. Now you've got Orton and Jey Uso. Bro, then you can bring in QT Marshall. Now you're buying some time, bro." [From 12:16 to 12:35]
WWE has already planted the seeds for a potential angle between CM Punk and Cody Rhodes
It's well-documented that the relationship between Cody Rhodes and CM Punk goes way back to their first WWE stints. The popular stars later reunited in AEW, where Rhodes was an Executive Vice President while Punk returned to wrestling after many years.
Despite being in All Elite Wrestling for a few months, they never feuded as Cody eventually found his way back to WWE. Fast forward to Survivor Series, and CM Punk also followed suit.
As seen on this week's SmackDown, the former AEW stars came face-to-face in a backstage segment that was all about making them the prime favorites to win the Royal Rumble.
Both men are after the most coveted prize in wrestling, and they might seemingly cross paths in WWE someday. For now, things seem to be cordial between the two, but the situation could get tense as Royal Rumble edges close.
Who should win the Rumble? Sound off in the comments section below.
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A WWE Hall of Famer called out AEW fans HERE
