5 Best Cody Rhodes Feuds, Since Returning in 2022

(2022-Present) Cody Rhodes was just another wrestler in his WWE run in the 2010s. Then he made a career in AEW where he started to shine. After a couple of years in there ,Cody turned into a huge star and returned to WWE where his legacy started. He has had incredible matches since his return and incredible feuds…

#5 AJ Styles

Two great matches, including a classic, cemented this feud as a great one

The phenomenal one and his hated enemy, Rhodes had a great feud after WrestleMania 40. Cody Rhodes had just won his first WWE Championship in an incredible match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 and was looking to prove himself as a fighting champion at Backlash. Boy what a fight that was (9.25/10), the crowd was red hot, the technical work was great and the storyline, awesome. They continued their feud into Clash at the Castle and did not disappoint there either (8.5/10).

#4 John Cena

Cena and Rhodes have had awesome promos

The whole feud started off with The Rock wanting Cody’s soul (The Rock was playing mind games). The Rock wanted Cody to join him and have EVERYTHING he wanted, but Cody said “No” and was loyal to the fans at Elimination Chamber 2025. Then The Rock gave the signal and Cena surprisingly turned heel and DESTROYED Rhodes with multiple blows and shots to the head. The pair would later have perhaps the best promo of all time at this one Raw, and again, had a promo just as good as the last one. Cena eventually one his 17th World Title at WrestleMania 41 in a great match (8/10).

#3 Kevin Owens

The feud was actually heated and Kevin Owens did INSANE as a heel

Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes started off as nice friends at Bash In Berlin in a great match (7.75/10). They later moved on as enemies and had a HEATED battle at Saturday Night Main Event ( 7/10) match for the classic, Winged Eagle Championship Belt. Kevin Owen’s gimmick was this unhinged madman who just snapped, he pinned Cody for well over a 3 count at Saturday, but there was no ref. Owen’s continued to taunt Cody on the mic, and actually was VERY convincing. They concluded their trio of matches with an amazing ladder match at Royal Rumble 2025, where Rhodes won the standout feud. (8/10 match)

#2 Roman Reigns

Two great WrestleMania matches, one of them a CLASSIC

Roman Reigns was a great WWE and Universal champion for over 1,300 days, with his great reign and all, Roman needed an opponent for WrestleMania 39, and 40. The perfect option was Cody Rhodes. The American Nightmare’s gimmick was that he would finally win a WWE Championship, after his father, the legendary Dusty Rhodes failed to win the title. They fought in a hard battled WAR at WrestleMania 39 in the main event, in which Roman won in a great booking decision from WWE. Cody got his rematch at WrestleMania 40, Sunday in the main event in an instant classic, where Cody finished the story by winning the gold. But that’s not all in the feud, the mic work was instrumental and The Rock’s interference provided the extra punch it needed.

#1 Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins was the perfect heel for a returning Cody Rhodes

Seth Rollins was the best Cody Rhodes rival in Cody’s career OR since returning. Their trio of classics were some of the best in history, and both did a phenomenal job on the microphone. Let’s talk about their matches… you’ve got their match at Wrestlemania 38 which was AWESOME (8/10). Then we’ve got their match after Wrestlemania 38 at Backlash 2022 which exceeded expectations for having two awesome matches in a row together. AND THEN (SOO many great matches) there is Cody Rhodes Vs. Seth Rollins at Hell In a Cell 2022 which was one of the best matches EVER in wrestling history when Cody Rhodes had a torn pectoral AND bicep muscle (shown in picture)! And in between all those classics, the mic work was incredible and the storyline, unmatched.