So, the Cody Rhodes era is officially underway. The American Nightmare made his first successful defense of the Undisputed WWE Championship by defeating AJ Styles in front of a raucous crowd in Lyon, France at Backlash. The former AEW star picked up the gold in an all-time great WrestleMania main event against Roman Reigns. His first defense was an impressive showcase, despite the eventual outcome being somewhat of a foregone conclusion.
Now attention immediately turns to what's next for the newly minted champion. Throughout the summer, Rhodes is expected to come face-to-face with the Bloodline once again, with Reigns no doubt getting a rematch after his stellar 1,316-day reign. The Rock is also expected to challenge for the title at some point over the next 12 months, as well.
But, with Reigns and The Rock expected to face off against each other in the main event of WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas next year, who will Rhodes be left to battle it out with?
Gunther
One man who has been a cornerstone of Monday Night Raw over the last 18 months is Gunther. The Ring General dropped his intercontinental title to Sami Zayn at WrestleMania after a record-breaking 666-day reign, but he is still projected to have a big year. Popular odds comparison site Oddschecker show him as a 7/1 contender to win the Money in the Bank briefcase this summer. The website has much more than just odds. If you check your state promotions on Oddschecker, you'll notice offers such as a bonus bet of $500 with BetRiver, which could be used to back the Austrian to secure the briefcase on July 6th.
Should he fail to do that, Gunther may still find a way to clash with the American nightmare at the Showcase of the Immortals. Gunther has been eliminated from the last two Royal Rumble matches by Rhodes, who went on to win both of them and headline WrestleMania twice against Roman Reigns. If Rhodes is still the champion come next May, he won't be involved in the Rumble, which could perhaps clear the way for Gunther's crowning moment.
Randy Orton
The favorite to land the coveted spot against Rhodes on the Grandest Stage of Them All is Randy Orton. The duo have a storied history, with Orton bringing the current Undisputed Champion onto
the main roster as part of the Legacy faction, alongside himself and Ted DIBiase Jr. The trio were a major success back in 2009 and catapulted Orton to championship glory.
But the Viper and his understudy have never had the chance to work opposite each other as opponents in a one-on-one program. That could all change next year. Although the pair have been positioned as allies ever since Orton's return from fusion surgery last fall, even teaming up to defeat the Judgment Day in a War Game match at Survivor Series, the 14-time champion has said many times in the past: "never trust a viper."
Randy Orton is one of the WWE's all-time great heels. He has betrayed countless superstars and allies over the years. Right now, Orton is currently working as a babyface and is garnering great reactions from the crowd, but witnessing him betraying Rhodes at some point down the line isn't beyond the realms of possibility.
Should that happen, it would climax at WrestleMania 41 and perhaps headline night one of the show. With the veteran currently stuck on 14 world title reigns - two short of the record - don't be surprised to see Orton walk out victorious, perhaps taking him one step closer to becoming the greatest WWE champion of all time.
