3 next challengers for Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes after Drew McIntyre

Cody Rhodes defeated Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Saturday Night's Main Event (SNME). This was a second straight loss for McIntyre at the hands of Cody, after Wrestlepalooza.

The American Nightmare, however, employed an 'illegal' move to win the match. Cody gave a DDT to Drew McIntyre on the title belt, which McIntyre brought in to attack Cody. Many fans wondered if this was the beginning of Cody's heel turn.

Be that as it may, Cody still has the gold around his waist, and in this week's episode of SmackDown, he may see a new challenger for his title. In this listicle, we will list three superstars who could challenge him ahead of Survivor Series: WarGames.

#3 Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke Nakamura recently returned to WWE after a long hiatus on SmackDown three weeks back, and squared off against Sami Zayn for the United States Championship. However, a returning Tama Tonga spoiled the party for the Japanese superstar. He was once again deprived of a title win.

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The company can have Cody face Nakamura in a title match, since he has indicated his retirement. The 45-year-old superstar has never won a title since his debut in 2017. Maybe the company can give him a short but impactful stint as a WWE Champion before he finally signs off. The creative team could book a face-off between Nakamura and Cody Rhodes this week on SmackDown.

#2 Randy Orton

The WWE Universe has long wanted a rivalry between these two superstars. However, the creative team, headed by Triple H, hasn't pulled the trigger yet. The two did clash at the King of the Ring final earlier this year, but that was just a match without any compelling storyline.

Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes share a history. Cody was once a protégé of Apex Predator. This was in 2008, when Cody was new to the business and was learning the craft under Orton. However, times have changed now.

Cody Rhodes is the face of the company, while Orton is in the last leg of his WWE career. A very compelling storyline with some amazing twists and turns is something the fans would love to see between these two legends. So, this week, we can expect Randy Orton to return and challenge Cody for the title match at Survivor Series: WarGames this month.

#1 Former WWE Champion, Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar can also return this week on SmackDown to issue a challenge to Cody Rhodes. These two also have a history. Cody hammered Lesnar at SummerSlam two years ago, after The Beast turned on him.

Since then, they haven't seen each other inside a wrestling ring. Lesnar, though, returned at SummerSlam 2025, after Cody's match with Cena, and he straightaway went after Cena. After the bout with Cena, he hasn't been around.

Moreover, Brock Lesnar is also the only superstar who has extremely good chances of removing Cody Rhodes as the WWE Champion.

Edited by Mohammad Bilal