What Cody Rhodes has accomplished would have seemed impossible when he left WWE in 2016. He became a world champion, beat Roman Reigns at WrestleMania and came to be regarded as the top babyface of his generation.
Rhodes has now signed a new contract and is set to finish his career with WWE. That raises an interesting question about what The American Nightmare still has left to accomplish.
Winning more world titles is not necessarily the answer. Rhodes still has opportunities that could change how his WWE run is remembered.
With that in mind, here are five of them, chosen for the impact they could have on his legacy and, above all, on WWE’s future.
Win the United States Championship and Become a Grand Slam Champion
Rhodes is a three-time Undisputed WWE Champion and a two-time Intercontinental Champion, and he has won tag team titles with different partners. Yet one accomplishment is still missing from his résumé.
The American Nightmare has never won the United States Championship, the one title he needs to meet the traditional requirements of a Grand Slam Champion.
A return to the midcard would be an intriguing move for Rhodes, especially now that Trick Williams, one of the top recent breakout stars from NXT, holds the title. There is a risk to that idea, though. Having a former world champion chase the United States Championship just to round out his collection could make the title look like a lesser prize.
WWE would need to build a feud in which Rhodes has a real reason to want the title, against a champion capable of calling his status into question. It would be a chance for him to elevate a division that helped carry him during his first run with the company.
Return to the Tag Team Division With a Next-Generation Partner
Rhodes’ career would not have taken the same path without his partnership with his brother, Goldust. In October 2013, the brothers beat Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns at Battleground to keep their jobs with WWE. Eight days later, they won the WWE Tag Team Championship by beating The Shield again.
It was one of the first times Rhodes built an emotional connection with fans without relying solely on his individual talent. It would be interesting to see him do it again, this time in the role Goldust once filled.
WWE could team him with a young talent still looking for a spot on the main roster and keep the pairing together for the long term. The tag team titles would not need to come right away. The point would be to create a team fans genuinely want to follow.
Put the Stardust Story to Rest for Good
Stardust remains a sore spot in Rhodes’ career. In May 2016, he left WWE after spending months trying to convince the creative team to drop the character. At the time, he believed his career in the company was at a dead end.
Speaking on the Chad Dukes Wrestling Show, Rhodes said people within the company even told him no one was interested in working with him, something that helped drive his decision to leave.
Ten years on, Rhodes is in a completely different place. The same man who had to beg for a character change is now one of WWE’s top names. There is a far better way to close the book on Stardust, though, than just bringing the character back for one night.
Rhodes could anchor a feud with someone going through creative struggles similar to the ones he faced in 2016. Doing so would turn his negative experience with the company into something more concrete and human, showing that he has not forgotten what he went through as Stardust.
End the Feud With Randy Orton and Finally Turn Heel
Randy Orton remains one of the most important figures in Rhodes’ career.
Orton and Rhodes were both part of Legacy back when Rhodes was still starting out in WWE. Nearly two decades later, they met in the main event of WrestleMania 42, where Rhodes beat his former mentor to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship.
The rivalry did not end there, however. In September 2026, Orton beat Rhodes at Sunday Night’s Main Event with the help of a low blow, taking advantage of The American Nightmare’s hesitation to deliver a punt.
WWE has been playing up Rhodes’ struggle to cross certain lines. The ideal payoff would be Rhodes finally beating Orton in brutal fashion and launching a new, much more ruthless run as a heel.
Make a New Star With a Clean, Decisive Loss
This should be Rhodes’ top priority before he retires.
A recent rundown of Rhodes’ results from June to October 2026 showed four significant losses. They came at Night of Champions, SummerSlam and Sunday Night’s Main Event, as well as in the October 2 qualifier for the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
Three of those four losses involved outside interference or illegal moves tied directly to the finish. The exception was Night of Champions, where Sami Zayn won the title in a Triple Threat Match.
That reflects an understandable concern on WWE’s part about protecting Rhodes’ image, even when he has to lose. There comes a point, though, when that kind of protection is no longer necessary.
One option would be a feud with Je’Von Evans, who competed in his first Royal Rumble match in 2026 and earned a spot in the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. A clean win for Evans over Rhodes at a major premium live event could take his career to an entirely different level.
Beating Roman Reigns was Rhodes’ crowning moment. Before his career is over, he should hand that same kind of opportunity to someone still trying to reach the top.