Controversial star to return after 8 years and cost Cody Rhodes at WWE Night of Champions? Shocking twist explored
Cody Rhodes is headed to WWE Night of Champions to compete in the King of the Ring Tournament final against Randy Orton. While The American Nightmare is just one step away from getting his rematch against Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena, his opportunity could be taken away, courtesy of a controversial star's return to the Stamford-based promotion after eight years.
The speculation arose after the latest episode of What Do You Wanna Talk About? with Cody Rhodes, which featured Kevin Owens as a special guest. While talking about former WWE stars overcharging independent promoters after leaving the Stamford-based company, Ryback's name allegedly came up. Although the name was censored, fans were quick to connect the dots. The 43-year-old, who was a part of the global juggernaut from 2004 to 2016, has landed in several controversies over the years due to his public disputes with other wrestlers and his outspoken criticism of WWE.
This caught the attention of Ryback, who took to X to respond. Interestingly, while addressing the matter, the former Intercontinental Champion revealed that he has made peace with WWE and was close to being medically cleared to compete. While the post has been deleted, this sparked a discourse among fans about whether this was intentionally done to plant the seeds of Ryback's return to the Stamford-based promotion after eight years.
Following up on this, if Ryback makes his return, he may target Cody Rhodes. It could happen as soon as this Saturday at Night of Champions during The American Nightmare's clash with The Viper for the coveted crown. The erstwhile Big Guy could cost Rhodes the match to kickstart a heated rivalry. This would allow Randy Orton to pick up the victory and earn the chance to win his 15th world title against John Cena at SummerSlam.
That said, it is worth noting that the scenario mentioned above is only based on speculation. In the latest update on the situation, Ryback claimed that he had a conversation with Kevin Owens, who clarified that the controversial star was not referenced in the video, making this angle unlikely to happen.
You can check out Ryback's post below:
As of this writing, there are no reports of Ryback returning to WWE.
Cody Rhodes gives a potential timeline of his heel turn
Cody Rhodes is currently one of the top babyfaces in the Stamford-based promotion. The American Nightmare has not gone through any character change since returning to WWE in 2022. The speculation of Cody turning heel has been going on since his time in AEW, but has yet to come to fruition.
While speaking to Kay Adams at Fanatics Fest, The American Nightmare revealed how much time he has left as a good guy before he eventually turns to the dark side.
“I think you have a good solid year, maybe even three years, because I am not changing until I’m changed, if that makes any sense," Cody said. [H/T: TJR Wrestling]
Fans have been waiting to see Cody Rhodes turn heel for a while now, and with The American Nightmare revealing the potential timeframe, it will be interesting to see how it plays out.
