Cody Rhodes may have survived WrestleMania 42 with the Undisputed WWE Championship intact, but the physical toll of his main event clash with Randy Orton is becoming a major talking point coming out of the weekend.
During the WrestleMania 42 night two pre-show, Jackie Redmond revealed that “The American Nightmare” has not yet been medically cleared following Saturday’s brutal encounter. While Rhodes celebrated a successful title defense, it came at a steep cost. Reports indicate he needed three stitches to close a facial wound, along with four staples in the back of his head after being busted open during the match.
The damage didn’t stop there. Rhodes’ right eye was visibly swollen shut, and WWE is attributing that to the vicious punt kick Orton delivered after the match had already concluded. Even nearly 24 hours later, the swelling reportedly hadn’t subsided, leaving serious questions about the condition of his orbital area.
Additional details suggest the injury may have started earlier than initially thought. According to backstage reports, Orton landed a punch late in the match that contributed to the orbital damage before escalating the chaos with an RKO to referee Charles Robinson. From there, things only spiraled further.
Because of the injuries, Rhodes was pulled from a scheduled appearance at WWE World on Sunday, and there’s currently no firm timetable for when he’ll be cleared to return to action. WWE officials are said to be monitoring the situation closely.
Rhodes only recently reclaimed the Undisputed WWE Championship, defeating Drew McIntyre on the March 6 episode of SmackDown. His WrestleMania opponent, Randy Orton, earned his title shot by winning the 2026 Men’s Elimination Chamber, setting the stage for what ultimately became one of the most chaotic main events of the year.
With Rhodes’ condition still uncertain, it remains to be seen how WWE will handle the immediate future of its top champion—and whether Orton’s brutal assault will have longer-term storyline implications.
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