Cody Rhodes and the 5 WWE Stars Who Could Dethrone Roman Reigns in 2023

We're about three weeks removed from WrestleMania 39, and it's hard to believe we're still trying to figure out who will finally defeat Roman Reigns.

Nevertheless, here we are after The Tribal Chief retained the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship and toppled the believable threat to his reign. It was a confounding outcome that sparked endless debates online and reactions from stars all over the industry.

Stone Cold Steve Austin recently praised the main event and the finish of night one of The Greatest Spectacle in Sports Entertainment. During his interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, the Texas Rattlesnake said, "To me, you can't take that belt off Roman right now. You want to get it to Cody somehow, someway, some time—but now's not the time."

So, when is the right time for someone to step up and wrest the world titles away from Reigns? The Head of the Table has been champion for 962 days. He has bested three Royal Rumble winners and survived two Money in the Bank briefcase holders.

What more can WWE do with this run? It seems like fans and critics have been having this same conversation for long enough. Surely you've read some iteration of this article over the past three years as we attempt to find the superstar who will outsmart The Bloodline and earn WWE's top prize.

These are five stars who could dethrone one of the most dominant champions of our generation.

Shinsuke Nakamura

Our first entry is a dark horse, but Shinsuke Nakamura could be a great choice for the next world champion.

The Japanese star is one of those wrestlers who inexplicably remains popular no matter how long he has been off television or how poorly WWE books him. Fans still love his entrance, and The King of Strong Style still has unmatched charisma.

His historic match against The Great Muta at Pro Wrestling Noah The New Year proved that he still has so much to offer. It was a pleasant surprise to see Nakamura incorporate the robe he wore at the event into his presentation when he returned to the blue brand.

On the latest episode of SmackDown, Nakamura came back "recharged and rebooted" and set his sights on winning a world title. Although WWE missed the opportunity to capitalize on his Royal Rumble win in 2018, it's not too late to crown its first Japanese world champion.

Bobby Lashley

There were few superstars as hot as Bobby Lashley coming out of The Showcase of the Immortals last year

For the first time since his return to WWE in 2018, the former United States champion received raucous reactions as a babyface. As such, it's baffling to see where he ended up a year later.

Lashley helped to revitalize the U.S. title, and his current feud with Bronson Reed has been promising. However, his year-long rivalry with Brock Lesnar came to an anti-climactic conclusion at Elimination Chamber, and he surprisingly didn't have a match at WrestleMania 39.

The All Mighty belongs in the main event scene, and he has yet to have a definitive feud with Roman Reigns. In fact, the 46-year-old defeated him at Extreme Rules in 2018 just to lose in their number one contender's match on the July 23 episode of Raw.

WWE reportedly scrapped plans to reform The Hurt Business, but there's still a chance that he could challenge The Tribal Chief with the help of some friends.

Jey Uso

From a storytelling perspective, Jey Uso makes the most sense as the man to finally unseat The Head of the Table.

After all, it all started with the Samoan star in 2020. He was the Reign's first challenger and has been his right-hand man since the end of their program at Hell in a Cell.

Uso is also in the best shape of his career, and he has experienced the most character development throughout his time with The Bloodline. One could argue that no one else has benefited more from working with The Tribal Chief during his reign of terror.

It may be hard to buy into him as a long-term champion because viewers have only seen him as a tag team wrestler for so long. Nevertheless, defeating his cousin and having a respectable run before he succumbs to the pressure that turned Reigns into a monster is a riveting story.

Gunther

Judging by his triumphant stint with the Intercontinental Championship, WWE clearly sees Gunther as a future main eventer.

The Ring General was also a standout in this year's men's Royal Rumble match, setting a new record for the longest time spent in the iconic battle royal. This iteration's Iron Man was the first entrant, and the final superstar Cody Rhodes eliminated to win.

The Austrian star successfully defended his title against Drew McIntyre and Sheamus at WrestleMania 39 in one of the best matches of the weekend. His performance under the bright lights at Sofi Stadium confirmed that it's only a matter of time before he moves up to the world title picture.

Gunther is ready for a more prominent role, and Reigns could use some fresh opponents. Even more, Imperium evens the odds against The Bloodline, giving the 35-year-old an advantage others don't have.

Seth Rollins

We recently spoke in depth about Seth Rollins' current position with WWE.

The 36-year-old is one of the most popular superstars in the company. It's time to give him another shot as the top babyface and reignite his rivalry with Roman Reigns.

The Visionary has the most legitimate claim to a rematch because The Tribal Chief technically never beat him. Instead, Reigns won via disqualification at Royal Rumble in 2022, and his Shield stablemate didn't get another chance to humble him.

It would probably be more exciting to see someone new like Cody Rhodes or Gunther defeat The Head of the Table. Still, Rollins is arguably more in-demand than he has been in a long time, and there is plenty of interest in another showdown with Reigns.

Cody Rhodes

The Cody Rhodes push has admittedly lost some luster after a disappointing defeat at WrestleMania 39, but he still seems like the guy to beat the final boss.

It's unclear how The American Nightmare will finish the story or how WWE can possibly create a better moment than a Cinderella win at Sofi Stadium. Nevertheless, he's still a safe bet and the best option to dethrone Reigns.

Yes, it's difficult to remain optimistic about his chance after such a deflating outcome and a humiliating beatdown on the Raw after Mania. After all, we've seen this scenario.

Still, Rhodes would be a perfect fit as the next face of the company. That's what continues to separate him from the pack.