Ever since Randy Orton turned heel and attacked his WWE WrestleMania 42 opponent, Cody Rhodes has found himself on the backfoot in their feud.
Now that he is back following that beatdown, Rhodes seems like a man on a mission, wanting to enact revenge on “The Legend Killer.”
With Orton seemingly revealing his mystery caller on the April 3 edition of SmackDown, Rhodes could form a stable that can counteract his rival’s new ally ahead of Mania.
Here are seven WWE stars to potentially join a new Cody Rhodes faction against Randy Orton.
7. Matt Cardona
On the March 20 edition of Friday Night SmackDown, Randy Orton was confronted by Matt Cardona in regards to his actions towards Cody Rhodes, which led to “The Viper” insulting his former friend and attacking him.
Later in the show, Orton feigned an apology and then proceeded to viciously attack Cardona, ending with Pillmanizing his arm with a steel chair.
The following week, Orton defeated Cardona and caused more damage to his injured arm in the process.
If anyone wants to get vengeance on “The Viper” as much as “The American Nightmare,” it would be Matt Cardona, making him the ideal first recruit for a potential Rhodes-led faction.
6. Joe Hendry
Back at WWE WrestleMania 41, Joe Hendry made a surprise appearance to be Randy Orton’s opponent, but came up short.
Now, Hendry finds himself at the top of WWE NXT as the reigning NXT Champion heading into the Stand & Deliver premium live event.
Hendry is also someone who has known Cody Rhodes for over a decade now and appreciates his journey to reach the mountaintop of WWE.
If “The American Nightmare” looks to the NXT roster, he would be hard-pressed to find anyone better to join his potential stable than Joe Hendry right now.
5. Jelly Roll
Dating back to WWE SummerSlam 2025, Randy Orton formed a friendship and partnership with country music star Jelly Roll.
This led to Jelly trying to talk some reason to Orton during his brutal and bloody beatdown on Cody Rhodes on the March 13 episode of Friday Night SmackDown.
The following week on the March 20 SmackDown, Jelly once again tried to talk some sense into Orton and offer his advice on making things right with Matt Cardona. However, Orton proceeded to attack Cardona and then hit a RKO on Jelly on the March 27 Friday Night SmackDown.
After this attack on the Grammy Award winner, Jelly may not have another option, but to join forces with Rhodes against Orton ahead of WrestleMania 42.
Click the next page button below for more
4. Carmelo Hayes
When Carmelo Hayes made his WWE main roster debut, he had his first match against Cody Rhodes.
This bout against “The American Nightmare” formed a friendship and bond between the two men that has seen Rhodes offer advice to Hayes.
Recently, Sami Zayn defeated Hayes to win the United States Championship on the March 27 episode of Friday Night SmackDown.
Looking to rebound from this loss, Melo could join forces with Rhodes in his potential new group to regain his momentum after dropping the US Title.
3. Shawn Spears
If Cody Rhodes is going to form his own faction, he would be wise to call upon those that he trusts the most throughout his career.
Looking at the entire WWE roster, there is no one who has known Cody as long or as well as NXT’s Shawn Spears.
While Spears is currently the leader of The Culling stable, it would be smart for him to look to his friend Rhodes as an opportunity to move up to the WWE main roster once again.
Spears becoming a veteran voice in this potential new unit led by Cody Rhodes would be fitting and mixing some of his past with his present as well as the future.
Click the next page button below for more
2. Ricky Saints
Another WWE NXT star who is close, personal friends with Cody Rhodes over the past few years is Ricky Saints.
Forming a closer friendship following Saints’ AEW debut against him, Rhodes became a close confidant who has helped Ricky’s career in many ways.
Since signing with WWE, Saints has established himself as one of the top stars on the NXT brand and feels like he is just one opportunity away from making his mark on the main roster.
Rhodes opening the door for Saints to get called up to the WWE main roster would make a ton of sense and make him the future star of his possible stable.
1. Royce Keys
At WWE Royal Rumble 2026, Royce Keys made his debut with the company as an entrant in the Men’s Royal Rumble Match.
While Keys had a strong effort in the bout, the former AEW star has not been seen on WWE television in the two months since the event.
During his time in All Elite Wrestling, the former Powerhouse Hobbs formed a friendship with Cody Rhodes that saw “The American Nightmare” help him in his career.
Now that they are back in the same company, Rhodes could once again help Keys by giving him the chance to earn a prominent spot on WWE TV alongside him in this new faction.
To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!
Comments.
Loading comments…