WWE United States Champion Trick Williams has responded to Cody Rhodes after “The American Nightmare” admitted the title is one of the few prizes still missing from his career. Rhodes made the comments during an appearance on the Flagrant podcast, telling hosts that winning the United States Championship is one of the only things he has not accomplished in WWE and that he doubts it will ever happen, according to F4W Online.
Williams, who currently holds the United States Championship, did not let the remarks pass quietly. In comments reported by both F4W Online and Wrestling Headlines, Williams sounded as though he was daring Rhodes to come after the title, treating the podcast comments less as a passing admission and more as an open challenge from one of WWE’s top stars.
The exchange adds an unexpected layer of intrigue to Rhodes’ public reflection on his own career gaps. Rhodes also told Flagrant that winning the Money in the Bank ladder match is another accomplishment that has eluded him, per Wrestling Headlines, framing the United States title conversation as part of a broader look back at the honors still outstanding in an otherwise decorated run that includes multiple world championship reigns.
Cody Rhodes on NJPW’s Hirooki Goto
During the same Flagrant appearance, Rhodes also spoke about New Japan Pro Wrestling star Hirooki Goto, who is set to join Rhodes and fellow WWE Superstar Roman Reigns in the upcoming Street Fighter movie, according to Wrestling Headlines. Rhodes offered praise for NJPW generally and for Goto specifically, though he suggested his full response on Goto might not sit well with hardcore wrestling fans, without elaborating further on specifics shared in the podcast excerpt.
Neither Rhodes nor WWE has made any formal in-ring challenge or match announcement regarding the United States Championship. The exchange so far remains confined to podcast and media commentary, with Williams’ response serving as a pointed acknowledgment of Rhodes’ remarks rather than confirmation of any upcoming title program. Whether the back-and-forth develops into an on-screen storyline will depend on how WWE chooses to build toward future events, but the public volley between a reigning champion and one of the promotion’s most accomplished stars has already generated significant attention within the wrestling media.
Rhodes’ candid self-assessment, pairing the missing Money in the Bank victory with the elusive United States Championship, underscores how rare gaps remain in his resume even after capturing multiple world titles during his WWE tenure. Williams, for his part, now holds a title that one of the company’s biggest stars has publicly flagged as unfinished business, setting up a storyline thread that fans and media will likely watch closely in the weeks ahead.
