Roman Reigns' ongoing World Championship reign is one for the ages, and while WWE has a plan in place, fans have no clue when and how it will all end! While the company has a few credible names who could dethrone The Tribal Chief, Ric Flair backed Cody Rhodes to get the honor.
The American Nightmare has been sidelined with an injury since Hell in a Cell, where he wrestled with a torn right pectoral tendon. Rhodes is expected to be back on the road to WrestleMania 39, and many fans would love to see him challenge Roman Reigns for the title.
The Rock might be the rumored favorite to face Reigns at WrestleMania Hollywood in 2023, but Ric Flair felt The Great One could reject the offer to return.
The Nature Boy stated that Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns should be the match to book if Dwayne Johnson isn't available for 'Mania. Here's what the 16-time world champion revealed on his To Be The Man podcast:
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"If the Rock happens, that's great. If it doesn't, I would like it to be Cody Rhodes. [He wants Cody to beat Roman] Yes." [From 8:03 to 8:20]
Ric Flair also briefly spoke about Cody's highly-acclaimed feud with Seth Rollins, which spawned some of the year's best matches. The WWE Hall of Famer specifically praised Rollins for putting Rhodes over in the best possible way.
"I thought those matches that Cody had with Seth Rollins were off the hook. And Seth really did a good job getting him over," Flair continued. [From 8:21 to 8:39]
Cody Rhodes provides an update on his recovery and WWE status
The former AEW star was in the middle of a massive push on RAW when he suffered an untimely injury leading up to his HIAC match against Seth Rollins.
Rhodes is still considered a top star within WWE and will be treated well from a booking standpoint once he's fit to wrestle again. However, the 37-year-old star has not experienced an entirely smooth rehabilitation, as he recently revealed on Twitter:
"How's pt going?" It's fn' awful. Everyday we dig into the muscle, then I scream, half the time I spot a tear flowing. It's a near impossible task getting a bodypart that had been shredded to 100%…or Hell even 90%. But on the worst of days I have the best reason to not tap out."
A surprise return at Royal Rumble still sounds like a realistic possibility for Cody, but what happens after that is what fans are most interested to know.
Should Cody Rhodes go over Roman Reigns at next year's WrestleMania? Sound off in the comments section below.
If any of the above quotes have been used, please credit the To Be The Man podcast and give H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.