Cody Rhodes to retire WWE icon, Brandi Rhodes returning as heel manager?

Contents

#4. Drew McIntyre can settle his scores with Cody Rhodes #3. Retiring a former Universal Champion #2. The American Nightmare could turn heel #1. Brandi Rhodes could return as a heel manager

WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes lost the Undisputed WWE Championship to John Cena on the second night of WrestleMania 41. The American Nightmare had almost seized victory on two occasions. However, there was no referee to count his pinfalls against Cena. Without the title anymore, here are four ways the Stamford-based promotion can keep Rhodes relevant.

#4. Drew McIntyre can settle his scores with Cody Rhodes

Drew McIntyre has been one of WWE’s most dominating superstars with a high singles victory rate in the last few years. The Scottish Warrior was screwed by CM Punk multiple times throughout the last 12 months, but he kept coming back and found himself just one step away from the world championship. The last one of these attempts was a successful entry in the 2025 Elimination Chamber.

Notably, Cody Rhodes had mocked Drew McIntyre ahead of the premium live event by not paying him the same respect as the other competitors. The Scottish Psychopath was visibly annoyed, but couldn’t touch Rhodes back then. Now, after burying Damian Priest, who, according to McIntyre, leeched off Punk’s handiwork each time he got screwed, the Scotsman could target The American Nightmare. A clash with a fellow top star would keep the former Undisputed WWE Champion afloat.

#3. Retiring a former Universal Champion

Bill Goldberg will be retiring from professional wrestling for good this year. The 58-year-old is undergoing training to deliver a power-packed retirement match for the fans. So far, however, the Hall of Famer’s final opponent and the event where he would face him haven’t been finalized. Interestingly, Cody Rhodes could be the one to retire the former Universal Champion.

Back at the Bad Blood PLE in October 2024, Goldberg was insulted by Gunther while he was enjoying the event with his family from the stands. The Ring General also went personal, questioning the legend’s son if he was a good dad. Da Man crossed the barricade and almost got in the ring with Gunther, but the security officials neutralized the situation.

Just a month later, at the 2024 Crown Jewel PLE in November, Cody Rhodes defeated The Ring General to become the inaugural Men’s Crown Jewel Champion. Thus, while Bill Goldberg has heat with the Austrian superstar, he could choose to fight the better man for his retirement match. Retiring the Hall of Famer would also propel him enough to get back at John Cena.

#2. The American Nightmare could turn heel

Cody Rhodes is inarguably one of the most popular babyfaces across the globe. Speaking to Chris Van Vliet on his Insight podcast last year, The American Nightmare said that he doesn’t see himself turning heel. Moreover, he also refused to be the bad guy during his time in AEW and told the Jacksonville-based promotion’s fans that he couldn’t turn heel because of the love of fans.

Now, however, Rhodes has been hit with a strong dose of reality. Not only did he lose the Undisputed WWE Title because he wanted to stay good, but he also received some boos from fans on this week’s episode of RAW. Even John Cena called out the WWE Universe for booing and ditching Rhodes the moment he dropped the championship, exposing the hypocrisy of the fans.

The Cenation Leader has been telling The American Nightmare about the true nature of fans for several weeks now. Thus, there is a chance that Rhodes falls to Cena’s words and turns heel as well.

#1. Brandi Rhodes could return as a heel manager

Brandi Rhodes is the real-life wife of Cody Rhodes. She left WWE back in 2016 along with The American Nightmare and was also there with him in the AEW, from where the couple departed together as well. She was last seen in WWE at WrestleMania 41 when she came and was part of the WWE Universe to cheer her husband against Cena in Las Vegas.

Now that her husband is finding himself in troubled waters once again, she could return and turn heel with him. Moreover, she could also work as The American Nightmare’s new manager and help him take out other wrestlers to get back to the top spot. It would be interesting to see what lies ahead for the former Undisputed WWE Champ.

About the author

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alt=”Ankit Singh” height=”72″ width=”72″>

Ankit Singh is a WWE Features writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. His educational background in psychology helps him gain insight into several storyline twists in pro wrestling. Ankit has been a fan of the industry since childhood; the on-screen action gives him an adrenaline rush and led him to pursue a career in content writing. He has nearly three years of experience in the industry, working for organizations like Essentially Sports and NB Media as a news writer, editor, and scriptwriter.

Ankit started following pro wrestling in high school. At the time, Edge (aka Cope) was making waves as part of his World Heavyweight Title feud with Alberto Del Rio. He grew up watching modern-day greats such as Sheamus, Randy Orton, and John Cena. The Shield was the top faction in WWE in 2012-13, and its breakup storyline made Ankit a lifelong fan of the sport. Orton and Seth Rollins are Ankit’s favorite wrestlers in the men’s division. He admires The Viper’s character work, in-ring skills, and longevity. Meanwhile, he looks up to The Visionary because the latter is a complete wrestler, in his opinion. Ankit likes Liv Morgan’s heel gimmick and promo skills in the women’s division. He was also fond of AJ Lee’s presentation and microphone skills in the PG Era.

Besides pro wrestling, Ankit likes to watch anime, play video games, and discover new music.

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