Will Cody Rhodes Appear on SmackDown Tonight?

Since losing to John Cena at WrestleMania 41, many have speculated just when we see Cody Rhodes again. Per WWE’s event details, we will see the “American Nightmare” tonight on SmackDown. Unlike Roman Reigns last year, the dethroned champion will be right back in action in Fort Worth less than a week after his loss.

WWE events are always subject to change; however, Cody Rhodes has prided himself on showing up for his fans.

There is always the chance of WWE just not updating their event details to reflect true booking. Also, after what we learned from The Rock’s interview on the Pat McAfee Show this week, could Rhodes be listed just to boost ticket sales?

Or has the backlash of WrestleMania 41 put the WWE in a position where they can’t afford Rhodes missing any time?

Will Rhodes be in Fort Worth?

Cody Rhodes will most likely be on SmackDown tonight. Rhodes will address his loss, his fans, and what comes next. Will we see Rhodes call out Cena for a rematch? Unlikely, since Randy Orton has seemingly taken the championship opportunity against Cena for Backlash. Will we see Cody turn his back on the fans? Absolutely not, a heel turn at this point would be meaningless.

The question becomes, what will we see from the “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes tonight?

The Chase Begins Again

The night after Rhodes’ loss at WrestleMania 39, he returned to WWE Raw to face Roman Reigns. What started as a tag team match quickly spun into an all-out assault on Rhodes by a returning Brock Lesnar. This feud took Rhodes out of the championship chase until SummerSlam.

Why is this important? Rhodes understands the business; he understands that the babyface chasing the championship is superior to the babyface champion. The fans want a sympathetic hero to cheer for as he scrambles to the top. Rhodes will get “distracted” tonight to take his eyes away from Cena. This will allow Cena and Orton time to feud, and whoever may be on the short list of opponents for Cena’s last run.

The WWE could capitalize on Drew McIntyre’s win at WrestleMania by beginning a feud between him and Rhodes. The two superstars that left the WWE to better themselves elsewhere and returned megastars could finally lock up in an extended feud. Drew has shown the ability to carry a main event program without a championship, which could be just what Rhodes needs.

The creative team could also have Rhodes veer into smaller feuds with the likes of Carmelo Hayes, Andrade, or a possible NXT call-up Ethan Page. These mini feuds could keep Rhodes occupied in the short time to May’s WWE Backlash. There are plenty of stories the WWE could build that would be believable for Rhodes to engage in on his way back to the main event.

Aleister Black?

For weeks leading into WrestleMania 41 we have seen smoky promotional videos that many have tied to Aleister Black. With Rusev returning Monday and the high aspirations WWE has for Black being back in the company, it only makes sense for Black to pop up tonight on SmackDown.

What does that have to do with Cody Rhodes? Well, we’ve seen Aleister Black debut in a company and immediately attack Rhodes before. Could we see a retreading of the story these two told in AEW? The top brass in WWE has been clear on their desire to make Black a main event player in the company. What better way to do that than with a feud opposite the “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes?

More than likely, WWE will want to start Black off with a lesser feud. Also, the story these two were involved in in AEW fell flat. However, if WWE wants to swing for a home run on night one of Black’s new run, have him attack Cody Rhodes. What better way to let your fans know, “this guy is a big deal”, than to have Cody Rhodes cut a promo in the center of the ring, only to be attacked by Aleister Black?

Cody Rhodes Won’t Go Away

All speculation aside, unlike in years past, we will not see the disappearance of a losing world champion following WrestleMania. Cody Rhodes loves this business. Cody Rhodes knows the fans want to see him every week. As the workhorse of the WWE, expect to see Rhodes begin his climb back to the top.