WWE purposely delaying Cody Rhodes' return - reports

Cody Rhodes has reportedly signed his contract to return to WWE almost two weeks ago, so why haven't we seen him on RAW or SmackDown?

According to Dave Meltzer on a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, this delay is by design. The company is currently planning on holding back The American Nightmare's WWE return until WrestleMania itself. Meltzer went on to compare the return to what The Hardy Boyz did back at WrestleMania 33.

"Every impression I have is that he’s doing the Hardys thing where you show up on the day of the show," said Meltzer. "I mean he could show up tomorrow. We got two Raw’s left. Like The Hardys when they showed up on the day of the show at WrestleMania. I know that that’s been talked about."

Will Cody Rhodes find what he's looking for with a WWE return?

Cody Rhodes initially departed WWE in May of 2016 after the company wouldn't use him in the manner he felt he should be portrayed. This exit turned into a six-year journey where The American Nightmare traveled the world to prove to his former employer that he is a draw in professional wrestling.

Despite his status as one of the founding members of All Elite Wrestling, Rhodes is the first big name to jump from AEW back to WWE. Moving forward, fans are curious to see if he'll be happier in WWE. In the short-term future, Rhodes is reportedly set to take on Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 38.

What do you make of Meltzer's comments? Do you agree with WWE delaying Cody Rhodes' big return until WrestleMania 38? Or should they bring him to RAW early to build the match ahead of time? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.

Thanks to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription of this radio show.