Former world champion to come out of retirement, Heartbreaking announcement? - 4 things Cody Rhodes can do on WWE SmackDown this week

WWE Friday Night SmackDown is set to air tomorrow on YouTube before the company enters a brand new era. With RAW and NXT now off the USA Network, SmackDown is the only show left on the television channel.

SmackDown is officially moving from two hours to a three-hour show. Naturally, this means a lot more time will be dedicated to certain talents.

One star who has been getting plenty of television is Cody Rhodes. The American Nightmare is the world champion and top babyface on the brand, but he is also engaged in a bitter feud with Kevin Owens.

The American Nightmare will appear on SmackDown this week. But what will he do on the show? This article will take a look at four things Rhodes may do on the blue brand on Friday.

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#4 He could demand to wrestle Kevin Owens sooner than Royal Rumble 2025

WWE's next premium live event is around a month away. The sports entertainment juggernaut will host Royal Rumble 2025 live from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana on February.

Besides the two Royal Rumble matches, only one other bout has been confirmed for the show. Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens will fight for the Undisputed WWE Championship in a Ladder match.

Given that the show is a month away, Cody Rhodes may not want to wait. He may show up on SmackDown tomorrow and demand the match happen sooner. This could be on an episode of the blue show, the upcoming Saturday Night's Main Event special, or even the January 6 edition of RAW.

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#3 Cody Rhodes could attack The Prizefighter on WWE SmackDown

WWE Friday Night SmackDown last week featured an interesting segment. Nick Aldis wanted Kevin Owens to relinquish the Winged Eagle world championship belt that he hasn't earned. Owens refused, which led to Cody Rhodes showing up.

The American Nightmare was clearly hurt from the Package Piledriver Kevin delivered a few weeks before. Despite being in pain, they booked the aforementioned Royal Rumble match. Owens then knocked Rhodes over and proceeded to stomp his neck repeatedly.

Cody has likely been fuming over the past week and WWE officials will no doubt have to keep an eye on him. Come SmackDown tomorrow, the world champion could attack Kevin, be it in the ring or backstage. The two brawling is in the cards after everything that happened, but it is also incredibly risky given the state of Cody's neck.

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#2 He could reveal he has to give up his title due to injury

Cody Rhodes attacking Kevin Owens would be an exciting option, but there could be a less fun alternative too. There is a chance Cody appears on SmackDown and is forced to vacate the Undisputed WWE Championship due to injury.

Not only did Cody suffer from the Package Piledriver after the return edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, but Owens repeatedly stomped the neck last week. The other victim of a Piledriver from Kevin was Randy Orton and the WWE legend has been out of action ever since.

Cody might be facing a similar situation. As much as it would pain him, Rhodes may need to give up the title and his upcoming match with The Prizefighter. If he heals up, he could eventually return and face Kevin provided the Canadian star is still champion by then.

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#1 Cody might try to convince Nick Aldis to come out of retirement

Nick Aldis is the WWE SmackDown general manager, but what fans might not realize is he's also an accomplished wrestler. He was a top champion in TNA Wrestling and in the National Wrestling Alliance for years.

Unfortunately, Aldis appears to be semi-retired thanks to his role as the SmackDown general manager. That could change come SmackDown, as the Undisputed WWE Champion may try to convince Nick to put on the boots once more.

Kevin Owens shockingly pushed Nick into Cody on SmackDown last week. Putting hands on an official could lead to suspension or termination, but Aldis is a pro wrestler at heart.

As a result, he might put the boots and elbow pads on and challenge Kevin Owens to a one-on-one match, perhaps on the following week's SmackDown. From there, Nick could either become a full-time competitor or stick to his role as an authority figure moving forward.