46-year-old veteran vows to dethrone Cody Rhodes and reclaim his WWE spot

In a fiery statement, a 46-year-old veteran issued a major warning to Cody Rhodes and declared that it's his chance to prove that he's still the top dog in WWE.

AJ Styles will be facing The American Nightmare for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Ever since The Phenomenal One returned from injury, he has expressed that he hated being on the sidelines and away from the main event spot.

Despite losing to LA Knight at WrestleMania XL, the 46-year-old star has not missed a step. He pinned the former Million Dollar Champion to punch his ticket to Backlash France and face Rhodes for the WWE Title.

The two men were involved in a decent contract signing segment on the Blue brand last week. However, after the 38-year-old star picked up a win over Carmeko Hayes in the main event of SmackDown, The Phenomenal One sneaked up from behind to seemingly attack his Backlash opponent before extending his hand as a sign of respect.

In an interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, AJ Styles spoke about climbing the mountaintop to prove he's still the top guy in WWE.

"It’s my opportunity to show I can still be the guy, make sure everybody looks great, and make it entertaining. That’s not added pressure. It’s exciting. I know the fans are going to be nuts. I’m going to get those butterflies. That energy, I’m excited just thinking about it," he said.

The Phenomenal One also promised to claim Cody Rhodes' Undisputed WWE Championship at Backlash France on May 4, 2024. The 46-year-old veteran added:

"We’re two guys who will do whatever it takes to win. You can watch a UFC or a WWE fight, but a big difference is the UFC fighters usually shake hands after the fight. I hope that Cody offers me that same respect when I take his WWE championship." [H/T: Sports Illustrated]

Cody Rhodes has a three-word message for AJ Styles before their WWE match

As mentioned by the former Bullet Club member, he and Cody Rhodes have traveled the same road in their pro wrestling journey but never crossed paths.

However, the 2024 Backlash is the big stage where the two men will finally compete inside the squared circle for the very first time. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Cody Rhodes hyped up his upcoming title match against AJ Styles.

Check out the 38-year-old WWE star's tweet below:

"First Time Ever," he wrote.

On this week's edition of Friday Night SmackDown, The American Nightmare and The Phenomenal One will come face-to-face seemingly for a promo battle before their WWE Championship match.