3 likely opponents for Cody Rhodes at WWE Clash at the Castle: Scotland
At King and Queen of the Ring this past Saturday, Cody Rhodes provided his adoring fans with another heartfelt moment when he retained his Undisputed WWE Championship against the United States Champion, Logan Paul.
In what was an extremely hard-fought contest which saw Logan trying to use as many underhanded tactics as he could, The American Nightmare was able to hold onto the title he fought so greatly to win.
With Logan Paul now in Rhodes' rearview mirror, we are going to take a look at three WWE Superstars who could potentially be Cody's challenger at the next premium live event, Clash At The Castle: Scotland, which is set to go down in Glasgow, Scotland on Saturday, June 15, 2024.
#3 - A young WWE star gets another shot at the champion
After the recent draft, many of NXT's best and brightest were granted their desired call-ups to the main roster. One of those performers was the former NXT Champion, Carmelo Hayes.
The 29-year-old took no time in making an impression on the WWE Universe after he was drafted to SmackDown as he immediately challenged Cody Rhodes on his first night as a member of the roster.
While he did not pick up the win in the non-title affair against The American Nightmare, Melo certainly showed that he could hang in the ring with the best that the company had to offer.
Following his match with Rhodes, Hayes stated in an interview on WWE's The Bump that if he'd avoided one or two mistakes he would have been able to defeat the champion.
"I’m feeling like I see what I could have did to beat Cody Rhodes after I watched the match back. There’s a couple of slip-ups that we could have fixed up, and I might have had him when I had him in that CrossRhodes. Then he tried to catch me with the Cody Cutter in mid-air, but he was just too slow, and I’m too fast. But all of that removed, I feel like I’m just so ready to put the rest of the SmackDown roster on notice," declared Hayes.
Seemingly full of confidence after his loss, do not be surprised if Melo emerges as the next challenger for Cody as he once again tries to show why he is 'HIM.'
#2 - A former United States Champion aims for the top
One of the most surprising wrestling resurgences in recent months has been the rejuvenation of Baron Corbin's career. The former United States Champion had struggled to find a gimmick on the main roster that stuck with him constantly, falling over one hurdle after another.
However, after choosing to move back to NXT last year, the lone wolf found his voice again as he teamed up with Bron Breakker. The pair would go on to become a fan-favorite duo as they would capture the NXT Tag Team Championship.
The two stars might have ended up on the same brand with Corbin being drafted to SmackDown, but with Breakker being picked by RAW, the pair are clearly on different paths now.
Working solo once again would be a great way for him to be taken seriously by the main roster crowd and what better way than to face Rhodes in Scotland, where he would undoubtedly be treated with a great reception from a passionate Scottish crowd.
Like many of the current roster members, Corbin is a big admirer of Cody's iconic father Dusty Rhodes. During a recent interview on the Johnny Dare Morning Show, Corbin spoke about his appreciation for The American Dream.
"He's one of the greatest human beings in the entire world. Cody is not in front of me and can't hear this. His dad is unreal. Spending the time I spent with him was something special," said Corbin.
#1 - The Megastar goes for gold once more
While Cody Rhodes is certainly the number one babyface on WWE SmackDown, the second spot is arguably held by The Megastar LA Knight. Over the past year, the 41-year-old has formed a bond with the WWE Universe like no other, generating incredible reactions no matter the arena.
Despite both being loved by WWE fans, Cody Rhodes recently stated during the Backlash post-show press conference why he would like to go one-on-one with LA Knight.
"LA Knight is somebody that I look at because, I get it, ‘it’s two good guys.’ I understand that. There is a flavour there. There is something about it. When you have that fever, you want to know. ‘I’m the man.’ ‘No, I’m the man.’ All that macho toxic alpha stuff that I still have a bit of, I suppose," admitted Rhodes.
Like many of WWE's other recent international shows, the crowd in Glasgow is expected to be electric, if so who better to face Cody Rhodes than a star who is almost as equally as popular as him?