Ranking WWE Superstars Most Likely To Dethrone Cody Rhodes

During his run with the Undisputed WWE Championship, Cody Rhodes has been put in marquee moments and matches, but his reign feels like it is missing something compared to the previous run of Roman Reigns.

The American Nightmare should lose the title sooner rather than later, but which Superstar earns the honor of dethroning the champion is up for debate.

While Reigns taking back the gold is possible, The Rock is still lurking, and a former friend such as Randy Orton could strike at any moment.

Here are the top options to take the world title off Rhodes.

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1. The Rock

The Rock is the biggest star in WWE, transcending wrestling and bringing mainstream media attention to the company every time he's on television.

With the move to Netflix in January and WrestleMania season around the corner, WWE needs a major shot in the arm.

Instead of entering the most important period in the company's history with Rhodes on top, he should lose the world title to The Final Boss at the Royal Rumble on February 1.

The Rock beating The American Nightmare would give WWE a significant boost in viewership and general excitement from lapsed fans. The time would be ideal, as Netflix numbers would likely increase, and there would be more buzz around WrestleMania 41.

Not only would Johnson's win add excitement to the product at a crucial time, but it would also set the stage for Reigns to challenge his cousin for the world title on Night 2 of the April premium live event.

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2. Roman Reigns

If The Rock isn't the man to take the Undisputed WWE Championship from Rhodes, then the next logical possibility is Reigns winning back the title he lost last year in Philadelphia.

While Rhodes has been tasked with carrying WWE's main event scene while both The Rock and Reigns took advantage of their part-time schedules, the product on a week-to-week basis has not been as enjoyable without the Bloodline's top two players.

Triple H and WWE Creative should let Rhodes successfully defend his world title during the build to WrestleMania 41, but Reigns should eventually become the No. 1 contender and get his match on The Grandest Stage of Them All in Las Vegas on April 19-20.

In front of a raucous crowd at the Allegiant Stadium, Rhodes should put forth his best effort but come up short, giving the company a new champion.

Eventually, Reigns and The Rock can have their championship match farther down the line.

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3. Randy Orton

Rhodes has storyline ties to The Rock and Reigns, making dropping the title to them most likely. With that said, if WWE wants to go in a different direction, the best possible option would be Randy Orton.

Orton and Rhodes also have a storied history, joining forces in 2008 as The Legacy with Ted DeBiase Jr. and finding themselves toe-to-toe ever since. The longtime friends have enough material to make a feud between them intensely personal.

In recent years, The Viper has been one of the best heels in all of professional wrestling, forcing WWE to turn him into a tweener due to the positive crowd reactions even when he's doing dastardly deeds.

If WWE decides to book The Rock against Reigns for control of The Bloodline at WrestleMania, that match doesn't need the world title. That would leave Rhodes free to defend his championship against a foe worthy of the stage, and Orton is the perfect challenger.

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