“Always Free on Monday”- After Humbling Brock Lesnar, Cody Rhodes Has Top NXT Star on His Radar for “Dancing” in the Ring

Cody Rhodes has finished his feud with Brock Lesnar. The Beast Incarnate was humbled by Rhodes at SummerSlam, following a 17-minute marathon. The American Nightmare won the bout and their three-match rivalry 2-1. Since then, Rhodes has participated in one match- a three-man tag team bout- on the August 7 episode of RAW. While that was a one-off event, the WWE is yet to announce Rhodes’ next opponent. But the superstar might have dropped a big hint.  

As seen on Instagram, Rhodes has received an offer from a top NXT star to be his new opponent. This wrestler, who has witnessed his stock rise in the developmental brand in recent months, played an important role in Rhodes’ recovery, following an injury in 2022.

Is current NXT champ going to be Cody Rhodes’ new rival?

On July 31, Peacock streamed Rhodes’ new documentary- American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes. It featured a segment where NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes spoke about helping Cody Rhodes out during his rehab.

Sharing that clip, Hayes wrote on Instagram: “Was an honor to be a small part in the road to recovery for @americannightmarecody . His documentary just dropped last week on @peacock, TAP IN if you haven’t already 🎯”

Commenting on the post, the 38-year-old asked him, “Dawg!!! When we dancing?” Hayes replied that he’s free on Mondays. While it seems like a casual conversation between two individuals, a close look at the answer from Hayes and Rhodes’ question will reveal the hidden angle.

Rhodes wants to dance, which is to say a fight in the ring. Hayes said he is available on Mondays, which is the day of the week when RAW is aired live. Rhodes is the current face of WWE’s red brand, alongside Seth Rollins. So Hayes accepting a dance on Mondays literally means he’s ready for a fight on RAW.

Read More: “He Didn’t Need My Help” – Carmelo Hayes Details Cody Rhodes Unintentionally Helping Him During the Latter’s Road to Recovery

And if you think none of this adds up, wait, there’s more to this story.

Cody Rhodes opens up about working with Carmelo Hayes

Before his match with Lesnar on the August 5 PLE, Rhodes sat with Alfred Konuwa of Forbes for an exclusive interview, where he spoke about pro wrestling. One of the topics discussed was future stars in the WWE. The Prince of Pro Wrestling had lavish praise for Hayes.

He chose the 29-year-old as his partner during his preparation for the WWE comeback in 2023. “I knew of Carmelo even before he was Carmelo Hayes in NXT,” he said. “He’s a great wrestler and somebody I knew I wanted to work with. I love working with young talent who are coming up.”

“Guys like Carmelo are the stars who are going to be a big part of WWE’s future,” he added. There were reports a few weeks ago about WWE’s likely push for Hayes, from NXT to the main roster.

The NXT Champion was also seen interacting with Seth Rollins, during the latter’s title defense against Bron Breakker in June at the developmental territory.

With Hayes going strong currently, WWE is likely to give him a strong opponent to maintain the push. Cody Rhodes, seems like a good option at the moment.

What do you think? Are these two stars set for a rivalry in WWE? Let us know in the comments.

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