Cody Rhodes' second tenure with the WWE hasn't disappointed in the slightest.
The American Nightmare made his long-awaited and highly-anticipated WWE return at day one of WrestleMania 38 following a three-year stint in AEW. The third-generation superstar was revealed as Seth Rollins' mystery opponent, and Rhodes went on to defeat The Architect in a critically-acclaimed match via pinfall.
Even though it's early, Rhodes has never been this over in the WWE Universe. Once his feud with Rollins is complete (the two will square off again at HIAC on June 5), you can bet The American Nightmare will be locked in on championship gold.
It only feels like a matter of time until Rhodes gets a feud with Roman Reigns, the top star in the company right now. Like Rhodes, the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion is in the midst of his greatest singles run ever in WWE. As such, it's no wonder that the 36-year-old Cody views himself and The Tribal Chief as the two best in the business right now.
During an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Rhodes said "I think I’m the best wrestler in the world," adding that he sees it "by a large margin." But when Rhodes was asked if he's better than Reigns, the former stated that they'll have to face off to determine that.
"I can’t answer that question until we’re in the ring," Rhodes said. "The difference between the two best wrestlers in the world is that one has both titles to prove it. The WWE championship is the biggest title in the game. That’s never been in dispute, and that’s not a knock on any title anywhere else. The way to define the best in the world is the one holding the belt, and that’s Roman Reigns."
Rhodes has yet to lose a single match since returning to WWE. As previously noted, he and Rollins will square off yet again at WWE's next pay-per-view. The American Nightmare already defeated the former WWE and Universal Champion at WrestleMania and the subsequent WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view.
Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns Will Likely Have To Wait
As previously noted, Drew McIntyre is reportedly slated to be Reigns' next challenger for the title, and that will supposedly be at Money in the Bank 2022 on July 2. Unless WWE plans to end the McIntyre-Reigns program quickly after MITB, Rhodes may have to wait a while until he gets the opportunity to dethrone the longest-reigning Universal Champion in history.
Plans can always change, of course. And with Cody's popularity in WWE going through the roof, Vince McMahon may decide to pit him against Reigns sooner rather than later.
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