4-time world champion needs to return as Cody Rhodes' first challenger for the WWE Championship at Backlash 2024

Cody Rhodes may have finished his story at WrestleMania XL by defeating Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Championship, but that only means a new saga is set to begin. The American Nightmare has several challengers in line to face him, but one could be making his way soon to stake his claim.

On this week's RAW after WrestleMania, Cody Rhodes opened the show by addressing his major win this weekend and welcoming fans to the show. One WWE star who immediately made his presence known was The Rock, who stated that while the champion may have defeated Roman Reigns, he has yet to finish his story with The Final Boss. However, another star that could contend for The American Nightmare is Sheamus.

On this week's RAW episode, The Celtic Warrior's return was advertised after months of absence from WWE television. The former world champion would be motivated to insert himself into the main event scene again.

As of this writing, Sheamus is still a SmackDown star, though a WWE Draft is in the works in the next few weeks. Still, Cody has promised to defend the title on both brands, especially since the Undisputed Universal Championship is native to the blue brand.

The American Nightmare would need credible opponents to solidify his reign as the Undisputed Champion, and The Celtic Warrior seems to be a perfect choice. Both wrestlers have contrasting in-ring styles, which could make for an exciting mashup.

---

Does Sheamus believe Cody Rhodes has stepped out of Dusty Rhodes' shadow?

Cody Rhodes was confronted by The Rock on RAW this week [Image Source: WWE.com]

WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes has played a huge role—directly and indirectly—in his son Cody Rhodes' rise to the top of the table in the Stamford-based promotion. While many still compare both stars to each other, Sheamus has a different take on it.

During an episode of his YouTube show Celtic Warrior Workouts, Sheamus said Cody had stepped out of his dad's shadow. The Celtic Warrior added that The American Nightmare had carved out his legacy.

---

What did Sheamus say about his return to WWE?

The former WWE Champion appeared at a Premier League Fan Fest, where he briefly talked about his future in the company. The talented wrestler predicted that big things were coming this year.

It would be interesting to see if Cody Rhodes will cross paths with Sheamus after the latter returns to WWE TV.