Logan Paul to challenge Cody Rhodes at WWE King & Queen of the Ring

Logan Paul is next in line for a shot at Cody Rhodes.

Friday’s SmackDown opened with the announcement that Paul will challenge Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at King & Queen of the Ring in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, May 25. It was indicated that Paul’s United States title will be on the line as well, but that has not been confirmed.

After dethroning Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, Rhodes made his first title defense at Backlash last weekend, defeating AJ Styles. General manager Nick Aldis then kicked off SmackDown tonight and introduced Paul as Rhodes’ next challenger.

Paul said he’s the person who has fueled the success of WWE’s new era, not Rhodes. He vowed to knock Rhodes out at King & Queen of the Ring and walk out of Saudi Arabia as Undisputed WWE Champion.

Rhodes praised Paul as a wrestler, but he also called Paul disrespectful, self-centered, delusional, and said Paul can’t go a single match without cheating.

“And you are out here taking credit for something that doesn’t belong to you, doesn’t belong to me,” Rhodes said. “This right here is a team. And at the Queen & King of the ring in Saudi Arabia, you are going to find out where you stand on that team.”

Rhodes pointed out that winning the United States title from Paul would make him a Grand Slam champion. The segment ended with Rhodes and Paul going face-to-face and posing with their respective belts.

Rhodes tweeted:

A contract signing for Rhodes vs. Paul will take place on SmackDown next Friday.

Paul has been United States Champion since winning the title in Saudi Arabia last November.

Rhodes is signed to a sponsorship deal with Paul’s Prime Hydration company.

King & Queen of the Ring streams live on Peacock/WWE Network starting at 1 p.m. Eastern time on May 25. Here’s the updated card:

  • Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against United States Champion Logan Paul
  • King of the Ring tournament finals
  • Queen of the Ring tournament finals
  • Women’s World Champion Becky Lynch defends against Liv Morgan
  • Triple threat match: Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn defends against Chad Gable and Bronson Reed