Booking Cody Rhodes at WWE WrestleMania 38 After Shocking AEW Exit

All Elite Wrestling Executive Vice President Cody and Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes, key figures in the creation of wrestling's hottest promotion, are out after failing to come to terms on a new contract with the company.

CEO, President, General Manager and Head of Creative Tony Khan revealed the Rhodes' departure Tuesday morning via AEW social media accounts.

Immediately following the bombshell announcement, discussion turned to The American Nightmare rejoining the company that introduced him to a worldwide audience in the first place: WWE.

WrestleVotes reported Tuesday that Rhodes is fully expected to join the company.

With WrestleMania 38 looming and a company seeking to draw a record-breaking audience to AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Rhodes is the perfect star to help bolster the card and drum up genuine excitement, anticipation and intrigue for wrestling's most prestigious event.

But who would be a perfect dance partner for the second-generation star on The Grandest Stage of Them All?

Seth Rollins

Without any other clear and obvious opponents lined up at this point, The Visionary would be the perfect match for an incoming Rhodes.

Not only do the in-ring styles in question mesh perfectly, so do the characters.

Rhodes would be welcomed back in grand fashion, the proverbial red carpet rolled out for him. Much like he did with Edge, Rollins would take exception to being passed over once again and revert to mind games. Imagine the former WWE champion stepping through the curtain in a Goldust- or Stardust-inspired blazer? What if he rocked a black suit with yellow polka dots, just really toying with the psyche of Rhodes?

Not only would the story and match work, the idea that Rhodes was being brought back and placed in a program with one of the company's biggest stars announces to the WWE Universe that this is not the same guy who left back in 2016 for greener pastures. He is a star, should be considered as much and will be put in a position to work with them.

AJ Styles

Styles, like Rhodes, will forever be tied to a company that provided a real alternative to the WWE product. With no other program currently obvious for The Phenomenal One, a feud that pits two revolutionary performers against each other on the grand stage is one with a ton of meat on the bone.

Let them cut promos about finding success elsewhere and building legacies for themselves but having the unwavering hunger to prove themselves in wrestling's biggest company.

The match will sell itself, and the in-ring work will support it.

Maybe not the flashiest match, but Rhodes vs. Styles would have every opportunity to steal a WrestleMania card that will be jam-packed with stars and championship clashes.

Drew McIntyre

The third option, while almost certainly ensuring a great match, is a bit of a Catch-22.

McIntyre does not have any clear and present WrestleMania programs available to him once he blows through Madcap Moss at Elimination Chamber. He would make a great opponent for Rhodes, another one of those stars who had success in WWE but left to discover himself elsewhere before returning a bigger star and better wrestler than before.

That they are former tag team champions together only helps fuel the story.

McIntyre is also likely to challenge Roman Reigns after WrestleMania, which makes a match for Rhodes increasingly difficult.

Surely, WWE is not going to book The American Nightmare to lose in his first major match. Conversely, it is not going to slate McIntyre to lose when he is going to play such a pivotal part of storylines moving forward.

Rhodes' sudden introduction to plans will certainly alter things. Maybe that delays McIntyre's run and opens him up for a match he would certainly not win.

Either way, it is an option for WWE if it opts not to roll with Rollins or Styles as the first opponents for Rhodes on his potential reentry to the company.

Prediction: Rhodes feuds with Rollins in high-profile, main event-worthy WrestleMania blockbuster