Former WWE Champion explains why he'd love to wrestle Cody Rhodes (Exclusive)

Cody Rhodes is one of WWE's biggest draws today. The American Nightmare cemented himself as the top guy by beating Roman Reigns at WrestleMania XL. He has since taken on a host of challengers, such as AJ Styles, Solo Sikoa, Logan Paul, and Kevin Owens.

If he had been active, WWE Hall of Famer JBL would have loved to take on The American Nightmare. Meanwhile, Kevin Owens is next in line to challenge for the Undisputed WWE Championship. The match is set for Saturday Night's Main Event broadcast on NBC in December. Owens previously unsuccessfully challenged Rhodes for the title at Bash in Berlin.

Their complex relationship extends beyond the confines of the squared circle. It is well-documented that Cody's late father, Dusty Rhodes, mentored Owens when he started in WWE. The American Dream was even referenced during their feud. It appears Owens isn't the only one who brought the late Hall of Famer into the mix.

John 'Bradshaw' Layfield was asked about possibly having a comeback match during a recent edition of Live Q&A on Backstage Pass. While the Hall of Famer ruled out a potential in-ring return, he picked Cody Rhodes as a fantasy match-up because of his ties to Dusty.

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"Good question. Good question. To answer the first one, probably not. I don't know. There are (certainly) no plans.... If you're choosing an opponent, there's no doubt about it. I'd choose Cody Rhodes. Because (of) the ties to Dusty. I tag teamed with Dusty's old tag team partner Dick Murdoch. I saw Cody come in; he was on JBL and Cole Show."

However, he then clarified that it was just his fantasy booking.

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"I love Cody. I think he's fantastic. And believe me, there are no plans (as far as comeback goes)... I'm not foreshadowing anything. I'm just fantasy booking on my part. If (WWE) were to call an old man to come, which they are not going to do, by the way, it'd be Cody Rhodes," stated JBL [40:45 onwards]

JBL stepped away from active in-ring competition following an embarrassing loss to Rey Mysterio at WrestleMania 25. The former WWE Champion would make a one-off return at the Royal Rumble 2014 before hanging up his shoes for good. His last televised appearance occurred on the January 16, 2024, episode of NXT.

JBL's in-ring days may be behind him, but the Hall of Famer can still clothesline Cody Rhodes as far as fantasy booking goes. It remains to be seen if Triple H brings him back for a televised appearance somewhere down the line.

Catch the complete Live Q&A with JBL and Gerald Brisco only on Backstage Pass.

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