38-year-old WWE star could target Roman Reigns for a huge rematch after SummerSlam 2023, according to X-Pac
Roman Reigns could be in serious trouble if a major WWE RAW star gets to challenge him one more time. This challenger might be Cody Rhodes at some point, judging by online speculation and reports. Multi-time Hall of Famer X-Pac discussed the possibility not too long ago.
At the recently concluded SummerSlam event, Rhodes and Reigns emerged victorious from high-profile matches. While The Tribal Chief retained his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship by defeating Jey Uso, The American Nightmare survived Brock Lesnar in an intense battle.
On Sony Sports Network's Extraaa Dhamaal show, X-Pac was asked about Rhodes' future in the company after SummerSlam 2023. He responded:
"Go back to Roman Reigns pretty soon, at least by WrestleMania [next year]." X-Pac continued, "I think he's [Cody Rhodes] on his way back to Roman; I just gotta be honest with you."
At WrestleMania 39 this year, Rhodes lost to Reigns in one of the main events of the two-night show. The match kept viewers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. However, many believed that the long-awaited title change should have been booked right then.
While not an immediate possibility, X-Pac believes a rematch between the two men could see Rhodes finally dethroning Reigns:
"Maybe it will be his time [to become the champion] then. People always wanted it to be his time at WrestleMania [this year]. It just wasn't. Sometime between now and next WrestleMania, maybe it will be Cody's time."
WWE legend X-Pac's honest opinions on Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes
As Roman Reigns has been dominant for over 1000 days, critics often debate whether he should lose his gold sooner rather than later.
After SummerSlam 2023, X-Pac gave his take on the topic:
"I'll be honest with you; I'm not in a hurry to see him [Roman Reigns] lose it [the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship]. He's the man! When you have somebody of that caliber, you want them carrying your championship around."
While Roman Reigns has undoubtedly been WWE's top dog for years, Cody Rhodes' journey to becoming a major star was more complex. The American Nightmare left World Wrestling Entertainment in 2016 and went on to earn success in various other promotions.
The version of Rhodes we see now in WWE is partly a result of his experiences outside the company. X-Pac had nothing but praise for the 38-year-old:
"I'm so happy for Cody. He took a huge risk by leaving WWE. I had so much respect for him for doing that and coming back the way he did. You just love to see it."
X-Pac also discussed if Brock Lesnar really passed the torch to Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam. You can read more about it here.
Should Cody Rhodes be the one who finally dethrones Roman Reigns? Sound off in the comments section below.
Please credit Extraaa Dhamaal and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.