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Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has moved past Roman Reigns since WrestleMania XL, but has he really? The truth is, he is still in the shadow of a 1,316-day title reign that set the bar in the wrestling industry.
As the man who put the kibosh on it, Cody has a long way to go before making his own run with the belt stand out. But one thing is for certain: in order to get there, he needs a strong adversary. The American Nightmare believes Drew McIntyre is someone he needs to work with.
Speaking on the Busted Open Podcast, Rhodes was asked to describe the kind of adversity he requires at this point. The champion has already put away AJ Styles in a first-time-ever contest in Lyon, France, and is due to defend the belt against United States Champion Logan Paul in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
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Cody pointed to how the Tribal Chief's matches had a familiar ring to them, with recurring shenanigans involving The Bloodline. While it made for a spectacle, Rhodes claimed that his title defenses would be different in terms of the kind of matches he presented. As for the right opponent, he first gave props to AJ Styles:
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"I don't know how long all this will last. But AJ is probably a really great example. First-time-ever situations are always a blessing. He's probably a really great example of somebody who I would like to test my mettle against," Cody Rhodes said. "And I'll give you another one, because he snuck a win over me, and I've only lost less than five times in WWE. But that was Drew McIntyre."
The American Nightmare was referring to the February 19 episode of Monday Night RAW, in which The Bloodline cost him a match against Drew McIntyre.
"I feel that Drew McIntyre sincerely believes he's a better wrestler than me, a better athlete. I'm not even going to say, 'I don't like Drew.' [A better performer?] I just, I would love to be in there with Drew one more time. Just to find out. There's a lot of that in my mind. I want to find out."
Meanwhile, Drew McIntyre is out with an elbow injury but is expected back in time for Clash at the Castle: Scotland, scheduled to emanate from the OVO Hydro in Glasgow on June 15. The Scottish Warrior has declared his dream match on his home turf.
Drew McIntyre picked up a rare win over Cody Rhodes in WWE
When it comes to The American Nightmare's WWE career, it is obviously split into two parts. There is his first stint, which culminated in 2016. Upon returning in 2022, Cody Rhodes was destined to be a featured star in the main event scene, so he rarely lost a match. Aside from Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, it was Drew McIntyre who managed to do it.
McIntyre and Rhodes have history in WWE, having held the WWE Tag Team Championship together during their first stint with the company. They were dubbed "The Dashing Ones."
If you use any of the quotes, please credit the original source and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.
