Everyone wants to know what’s next for Cody Rhodes after he retained the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42. Among the curious is the USA Network, home of Friday Night SmackDown, which stars “The American Nightmare.”
“After WrestleMania, anybody could want a chance at the belt,” read a post Wednesday from USA on X. It included a photo of Rhodes with the question, “Who is next for Cody Rhodes?”
On the surface, it looks like standard promotion to hype the show. In today’s era of worked shoots, though, with everyone wondering what’s real or unreal, it can also be read as USA executives promoting SmackDown while publicly nudging WWE to clarify what comes next for its top act.
There lies the problem.
Randy Orton, whom Rhodes defeated at Mania, reportedly had back issues before the show, which WWE announcers referenced during the match. After Rhodes won, Orton kicked him in the face, leaving the champ with a nasty black eye.
The finish suggested their feud would continue, but Orton’s condition and the severity of Rhodes’ injury remain unclear, putting a rematch on hold.
Last Friday, Rhodes issued a challenge to anyone willing to step up, saying he was “easy to find, but hard to beat.”
Looking at SmackDown’s roster, no one has enough momentum or availability to realistically challenge him. Sami Zayn and United States Champion Trick Williams are tied up with each other. Beyond them, options are thin.
Meanwhile, on Raw, Oba Femi issued an open challenge, saying WWE’s top champions are either busy or avoiding open challenges.
Hmm.
Two men are looking for a fight. One is a champion willing to face anyone, the other believes top titleholders are unavailable or unwilling.
Problem solved, right? Not exactly.
Rhodes versus Femi feels unlikely after Femi teased a fight with Roman Reigns during the WrestleMania post-show. A day later, Jacob Fatu bolted to Mondays to chase bigger stakes against the OTC.
Intentional or not, the situation makes Rhodes look like an undesirable champion as he all but holds up a sign: “Will Defend Title For Fans!”
Who’s next for Rhodes is indeed anyone’s guess. But if USA Network is asking, regardless of its intention, WWE should offer an answer soon to keep fans and its broadcast partner happy.
