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Cody Rhodes established himself as the face of WWE earlier this year as he ended Roman Reigns' historic title run at WrestleMania 40. The American Nightmare has been recognized for his amazing run over the last year as he is ranked #1 in this year's Pro Wrestling Illustrated top 500 wrestlers list.
Rhodes returned to the global juggernaut in 2022 with a lot of hype behind him. He was immediately hot-shotted to the top as he defeated Seth Rollins in three straight matches. The former AEW EVP has lost just a handful of bouts since his return. He cemented himself at the top at this year's WrestleMania after defeating Roman Reigns and ending his 1316-day title reign.
The Undisputed WWE Champion has made a significant jump this year as he topped the 2024 PWI list for the top 500 pro wrestlers after being ranked #10 last year. AEW's Swerve Strickland, who is ranked #2 in the list, reacted to Rhodes' achievement.
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Cody Rhodes will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship on SmackDown
Cody Rhodes has once again found himself at war with The Bloodline, this time with Solo Sikoa leading the heel faction. The duo faced off at SummerSlam this year, where The American Nightmare was able to retain his title with assistance from Roman Reigns.
However, Solo has come back for the gold after taking out the Original Tribal Chief and will challenge Rhodes once again for the Undisputed WWE Championship. This week on the Season Premiere of SmackDown on USA Network, the two stars will collide in a Steel Cage match. The bout was made official by blue brand's General Manager Nick Aldis, who didn't not want to see Bloodline interfere with the rematch.
Cody Rhodes has defended the title against many top stars since dethroning Roman Reigns earlier this year. The American Nightmare's most recent title defense came at Bash in Berlin where he defeated Kevin Owens.
While Reigns is currently occupied with The Bloodline, he also declared his intentions to reclaim the gold upon his return at SummerSlam and a third match between the two looks inevitable down the line.
