Why I think Cody Rhodes is the new Tribal Chief

 

I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge that I'm not the first WWE fan to predict that a top star is going to "turn heel." There have been rumors that Cody Rhodes would turn heel for quite some time now. But I think WWE is planning something different. I think they are setting up a storyline where Cody Rhodes will become the new leader of the Bloodline. Here's how I think it will happen:

I think Jey Uso will win the Money in the Bank briefcase this summer. He'll show up on SmackDown and challenge Cody for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship at SummerSlam. Gunther has a claim to the WWE Championship at SummerSlam after winning the King of the Ring tournament, but Damian Priest is likely to hold that title. If CM Punk is healthy, he and Drew McIntyre will likely clash. If Roman returns, Roman vs. The Rock is something the WWE Universe has been begging for, and if Roman is a babyface, The Rock or Solo makes the most sense as his opponent. That leaves Cody by himself. Besides LA Knight, no man is better positioned to hold that briefcase than Jey Uso. He's been on fire, and given his history with Cody, a noble cash-in would be in line with Jey's noble character (making a heel turn even more painful). LA Knight could certainly be the champion, and if he is, I still think Jey Uso could be facing Cody at SummerSlam with or without the briefcase.

Roman Reigns will return this summer and challenge The Rock to a match at SummerSlam. Roman will accuse The Rock of manipulating Solo, claiming that Solo isn't smart enough to make all these moves himself. If this happens, SummerSlam will be twice as stacked as WrestleMania.

SummerSlam is going to be a wild ride, and I think Cody Rhodes is going to be at the center of it. Solo Sikoa is going to come out and try to attack Cody, but he'll miss and accidentally hit Jey Uso instead. Instead of checking on Jey, Cody will throw Solo out and pin Jey. The fans will be confused and conflicted, and they'll feel betrayed by Cody. So the next time the crowd sees him, they might have a mix of boos and cheers.

The next night, Cody tells Jey he did what he had to do and apologizes. Jey shakes his hand, and everything seems fine. Roman, who beat Rock, tells Rock to come out and acknowledge him as the tribal chief. Rock acknowledges him, but says that he was never the Tribal Chief. Just then, Rock, Solo, Toma, and Tonga attack Roman. Paul Heyman comes out and says Rock isn't the Tribal Chief, nor is Roman. "But let me introduce you to the real Tribal Chief." "Kingdom" hits, and out comes Cody.

Cody Rhodes explains how he became the tribal chief of the Bloodline. He says that the night after WrestleMania, the Rock gave him a ring that Dusty had given to the Rock. That was when the Rock asked Cody to be the tribal chief. Cody says he had a choice, and he chose to turn on the people before they turned on him, just like they did when he was in AEW.

I think this theory is plausible, and if WWE pulls it off, it would be a major storyline. I think the crowd will turn on Cody at some point, even though he's loved right now. I think this would genuinely shock the WWE Universe, and being surprised is truly what the fans love the most. There's time to do the Uncle Howdy storyline while this builds over the Summer as well. Or I'm wrong, and the new Tribal Chief is The Rock like everyone expects.