Tag: Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes Wrestled Injured At WWE HIAC, Update On Injury And Impending Surgery

Cody Rhodes could be facing a lengthy layoff from the ring following his impressive Hell In A Cell performance due to his recent injury. Fightful Select reports that The American Nightmare is set to undergo surgery this Thursday. Several notable WWE stars have suffered the same injury and missed anywhere from three months (John Cena) to a more realistic five months (Triple H & Elias).

Rumors started swirling about Rhodes’ injury status after he was removed from a WWE live event in Champaign, Illinois on June 4, just one day before the aforementioned Hell In A Cell event. Many fans were then left speculating about what had happened to Rhodes and if he would be able to compete at last night’s premium live event.

Hours ahead of Hell In A Cell, WWE confirmed Rhodes suffered a torn pectoral while training last week but also stated that Rhodes was adamant he would still compete inside the monstrous structure against Seth Rollins. WWE’s update noted that Rhodes had torn his pectoral muscle completely off the bone while preparing for the big match. While that sounded bad, fans did not truly grasp the extent of the injury until just before the match when Rhodes took off his entrance jacket and revealed massive bruising on the right side of his chest.

Rhodes went on to not only compete in a 20+ minute Hell In A Cell match against Rollins but win the match as well. Following the show, Rhodes addressed the fans in attendance letting them know it was his decision to wrestle and that he would give a further update on his injury tonight on “WWE Raw.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE’s Confusing Money In The Bank Ads Have Left Employees Just As Baffled As Fans

No one knows whether this year’s Money in the Bank winners will get title shots or WrestleMania main event spots.

Even though Hell in a Cell is next up on WWE’s Premium Live Event calendar, most people already have an eye on what’s next. That’s because Money in the Bank on July 2 will spark a run of three stradium shows in two months. SummerSlam on July 30, and then Clash at the Castle on September 3, the first stadium show in the UK for 30 years.

WWE began hype for Money in the Bank at WrestleMania Backlash, airing an ad featuring Cody Rhodes in Allegiant Stadium from which the show will air live. Harmless enough, except one line in the ad has had people talking ever since. Rhodes states the winners of this year’s Money in the Bank ladder matches will book spots in WrestleMania main events.

That’s very different from the title shots holding a contract usually guarantees. Some believed it to simply be a slip up that somehow managed to fall through a number of cracks. However, that same ad aired unedited on Raw the following night, and then again during NXT on Tuesday. There has still been no clarification as to whether Money in the Bank winners now earn something different, and apparently those within WWE are just as confused.

https://twitter.com/WrestlingNewsCo/status/1523514096892932096

According to a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, no one backstage knows what exactly is going on regarding this year’s Money in the Bank. That includes people who would usually in the know when it comes to that sort of thing. There was also no confirmation offered up by WWE, so for now, what exactly this year’s Money in the Bank winners will get remains a mystery.

It could be argued that Money in the Bank was in need of a shake up after a few of its most recent winners, and their subsequent cash-ins, haven’t felt quite as impactful. Having them hold the briefcase until WrestleMania with no threat of them cashing in before then though, that doesn’t feel like the solution. If WWE does follow through with this idea, it does also raise the question of what will next year’s Royal Rumble winners get if those main event slots have already been taken?

Source: TheSportster

UPDATE

The ad with Rhodes led to a lot of speculation, with many people assuming this was a mistake. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that many people within WWE were also under the belief that this year’s MITB stipulations would be the same as they have been in previous years.

It was said by some within WWE that the wording on the ad was a mistake that wasn’t caught when it aired at WrestleMania Backlash, but then WWE aired the same commercial on Monday and Tuesday.

One WWE source says McMahon has plans already in place for the top matches at WrestleMania 39, and that these plans do not include Money In the Bank winners in the top title matches. It’s still interesting that the commercial aired three times without an edit.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Cody Rhodes Teases The Return Of The Winged Eagle If He Becomes WWE Champion

Two nights after re-debuting in WWE, Rhodes opened the Raw After WrestleMania and declared that the leading reason he returned is to do something his father never could. Win the WWE Championship. Two weeks on from that emotional promo, Rhodes has teased something else should he manage to achieve that goal. Bringing back the winged eagle version of the championship that was retired more than two decades ago.

Rhodes posted a close-up of the iconic WWE Title on his Instagram story, renewing the belief among fans that he will bring it back should he ever become WWE Champion. The winged eagle is one of, if not the most popular design WWE’s richest prize has ever had. Active for a full decade, the title was held by icons including, but not limited to, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold, and The Undertaker.

https://twitter.com/JudahSuper/status/1516600196217683981

Rhodes actually has a history of reviving old title designs in WWE. When he became Intercontinental Champion, the former AEW EVP brought back one of the old title designs, the one with a white strap. Much like the winged eagle, that particular IC Title design is regarded as one of the greatest in WWE history. Needless to say, a lot of people would be very happy if he did the same with the winged eagle at some point in the future.

There are obviously a lot of hoops for Rhodes to jump through before he can even think about rummaging through WWE’s storage facility to find the old title. He needs to become WWE Champion, for starters, which is easier said than done. Roman Reigns is currently the unified champion and who exactly will be the first person to beat him has never been less clear. Should Rhodes beat him, he will then need to convince Vince McMahon to let him change the title design, which might be equally as difficult as winning it in the first place.

Source: TheSportster

Cody Rhodes’ Banned Word Slips On Raw Were No Accident

More than a week later, it’s still sort of hard to believe Cody Rhodes is back in WWE. This week on Raw, Rhodes wrestled his first match on the red brand since 2015. A clash with The Miz from which Rhodes emerged victorious. Prior to their clash, Rhodes and Miz opened Raw with a talk show segment during which The American Nightmare dropped a couple of supposedly banned words.

The first faux pas came when Rhodes referred to the Universal Championship as a belt. The Miz quickly cut in, informing him it’s a title as belts are for holding your pants up. A line Vince McMahon has likely said to wrestlers a thousand times as he doesn’t like WWE’s championships being referred to as belts. Speaking of wrestlers, the second slip-up came when Rhodes used that word instead of Superstars, at which point Miz corrected him again.

The American Nightmare is allowed to say belts and wrestlers.

Rhodes making these mistakes would make sense as he has been working in a company that lets you say them for the past three years. The thing is, according to Wrestling Observer Radio, Rhodes’ use of these banned words wasn’t a mistake at all. It’s all part of his gimmick in WWE. That he isn’t a WWE guy at all and he uses these words because he is a different Cody Rhodes who has returned from somewhere else.

There was another subtle nod to that during the very same segment. Rhodes went to tell The Miz that he’s full of shit, only to stop short at the curse word and look around at the fans. The word shit is thrown around a lot in AEW, but it is seldom said on WWE television. Only people like Brock Lesnar tend to be allowed to say it, probably because they don’t ask for permission first.

Rhodes’ gimmick in WWE is basically the AEW guy. It’s why he has the same look, the same music, and why he almost says curse words and utters banned terms on live TV. It all fits in with the framing of Rhodes being a completely different person to the one that left WWE six years ago without having to give credit or even make mention of the company he helped create while he was away.

Source: TheSportster

Cody Rhodes Delivers A Fantastic Promo On RAW, Wants To Win World Title For His Dad

“The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes makes his return to Monday Night Raw to a big reception. A loud “Cody” chant picks up. Rhodes is wearing a blue suit. Rhodes goes to speak, but then puts the microphone down to listen to the crowd. They chant, “Welcome back!” Rhodes smiles and looks around before getting pumped up. Another “Cody” chant picks up, and he plays to the crowd. Rhodes goes to speak, but the crowd keeps going.

Rhodes says, “So… what do you guys want to talk about?” It has been 47 days since the abrupt news that he was a free agent. Rhodes chose to remain silent. He heard stories and defamatory stories. Everyone thinks that the decision to return to WWE was difficult. It was not. It was simple really. The star that left them in the dust, the man standing here now having signed a multi-year agreement with World Wrestling Entertainment. A “You deserve it” chant picks up. If there was a glimmer of doubt or a shred of trepidation, when he rose up at WrestleMania and came back to beat one of the best wrestlers in the world in Seth Rollins, that doubt was irradiated. Rhodes read a quote that states, “A man often finds his destiny on the path he takes to avoid it.”

Rhodes has a picture of his late father Dusty Rhodes shown from a WWWF Title match at Madison Square Garden in 1977. Rhodes says there is his father, “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes. It’s so simple to say that’s his father. In reality, he’s a legend, the son of a plumber, and the common man. To him, he was his hero. Rhodes is getting very emotional. A “Dusty” chant picks up. This photo was taken in 1977 at Madison Square Garden. His father was holding the championship belt that Hulk Hogan would get his hands on (Hogan’s name gets boos), The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H as well. Rhodes says this very photo was on the mantle in his parent’s bedroom until his father’s last day. As he got hip to the industry, he worked up a little courage to ask him poorly if he was a champion like Hulk Hogan. His father told him with the same eyes his daughter has that he had won the match by count-out and did not take home the title due to the champion’s advantage. Rhodes was 8-years-old, he knew he needed to do something. Rhodes was going to win that championship belt and bestow it into the hands of “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes and no one can take it from him.

Unfortunately, that dream died in front of him. That opportunity passed… or did it? He cannot physically put that title into his father’s hands, but he can put it around the waist of The American Nightmare. The crowd loudly cheers that. A “You can do it” chant picks up. Rhodes smiles. With that in mind, the silence is broken. His intentions are clear. Rhodes stands before the crowd finally ready. Rhodes is going to do it. He’s going to give the distinction that his family has been denied. He’s going to do it for the people, for himself, and for his family… and he is going to do it for “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.

Seth “Freakin” Rollins dances out to the stage in a wild pink suit. Rollins gets in the ring and struts around Rhodes while the crowd sings his theme song. Rollins stops in front of him and looks into Rhodes’ eyes. Rhodes tosses his microphone away. Rollins smirks. Rhodes extends his right hand, and Rollins looks down at it. A “YES” chant picks up. Rollins cackles and shakes Rhodes’ hand. Rollins backs up and leaves the ring, and Rhodes looks a little taken aback.

Source: WrestleView

Cody Rhodes Says He Told Vince McMahon He Never Wants To See Or Hear About Stardust Ever Again

WWE superstar Cody Rhodes joined BT Sport’s Ariel Helwani to talk about his return to the company at WrestleMania 38 to challenge Seth Rollins. It was reported directly after his departure from AEW that The American Nightmare had met with Vince McMahon to strike a deal with the company. Cody spoke with Ariel about his meeting with Vince and the WWE and revealed the one request he did make about returning to the company.

“There wasn’t any true guarantees, there was a request,” Rhodes said. “I said I never want to ever see Stardust ever again and I never want to see, hear it or talk about it and it was a handshake and that was all I needed. Then the first thing I did in the match last night was a random Stardust reference, I thought what’re you doing? You’re going back on your own strange request, other than that it was complex to get this all together and maybe one of wrestling’s biggest contracts, which I’m so flattered about. I have a child so yeah.

“But it was more a matter of, I don’t not trust people right, it’s not that I don’t trust this person’s word or this person’s words, but at this point in my career, I do trust myself, fully, implicitly I trust myself. So I know what I can do and given the platform to do it, I’m able to move on, I’m able to get over, I’m able to get what I want and that was presented to me on a silver platter last night. Nothing changed, nothing, Kingdom played, wrestling is more than one royal family and this is a world where wrestling term isn’t said that often. So to hear that was a big give from them and to be me. There’s nothing silly about the entertainment industry to me because this is my life’s work, sports entertainment, pro wrestling. I think I’m the best there is and how I define it as a wrestler, because there’s all these terms, to me what a pro wrestler is is your ability to capture people’s imagination from week to week.

“Are they talking about it, good, bad or ugly? That’s what I’ve been able to bring to the table everywhere I’ve gone and to be able to carry it without saying a word for 40 something days and them understand when I walked out felt like yup, I am the best. But, Roman and Brock are wrestling for the best, what matters the most and a title that was never on a Rhodes. Not saying anymore than that but my intentions are probably clear as to what I like and it’s another thing if it’s unattained but I don’t want it to go unsaid.”

Ariel Helwani also interviewed MJF recently, where the AEW superstar spoke about his upcoming free agency in 2026 where he’ll ponder between WWE and AEW. As the first big name to leave AEW for WWE, Cody Rhodes spoke about what other talent he sees following in his footsteps and making the same jump. The former TNT Champion spoke about the advice he would give other talent looking to make the same move he did and talked about how easy WWE made it for him to jump ship.

“I know there’s so many things printed about me and such but I would only give somebody honest advice,” Rhodes said. “That might be right for somebody and this was right for me. I think I know who those people will be [who come to WWE from AEW] because there’s certain people who fit that superstar mode. I think I know who those types might be and when they ask I’m just going to give them the best advice I possibly can. I can say that the schedule here, at least the schedule I was on the first time, is not for the non-committed. You can’t be one foot in, it is a full time commitment. You are not getting paid 1 day a week to work, it’s not knocking anybody who is. That might be the biggest shock and change. The structure here is a positive, there’s a wonderful structure, it’s a little less punk rock. Punk rock is great but then you want to play something else and that’s really what I experienced.

“When they start coming and talking, I’m sure people will make the transition, I’m sure you can probably guess some of the people that will come over and undoubtedly, not unlike Daniel Bryan and Adam Cole, people will make that move [to AEW]. It is a healthy thing, it doesn’t seem healthy when you watch the show because all you’re doing is talking trash about each other which I really hope that nobody here does because it’s lazy and you’re discrediting what got me. You’re discrediting me so you’re incorrect in a sense that it doesn’t matter. I’ll always give the best advice because this schedule is not for everybody, WWE and Nick Khan specifically made it so easy. There’s a bus, your family, your wife, your daughter. Just a red carpet and I know with that red carpet comes it’s time to get to work but I’m curious you know, how I’ll do it but I’ll never do it in terms of leveraging. I can only give honest advice because everyone’s path is different.”

Source: Wrestling Inc. – credit BT Sport with Ariel Helwani 

Cody Rhodes Talks His “Complex” WWE Contract, WWE Giving Him A Bus

Cody Rhodes has revealed that his multi-year WWE contract is “the most complex contract ever drawn out in the history of our game.”

While confirming that he was back full-time on the road, Rhodes revealed WWE “were wonderful enough” to get him a bus so he can travel with his family.

“I’m all in [with WWE],” Rhodes told The Ringer. “It may be the most complex document ever drawn out in the history of our game. This is a full multi-year commitment, not a part-time deal. I’m back doing what I used to, every day on the road. They were wonderful enough to get me a bus, so my family could be with me. I got everyone here with me tonight [for WrestleMania Saturday]. They bet on me, so I’m going to bet on WWE. I’m really looking forward to it.”

When asked to elaborate on the complex document, Rhodes said: “Like The Undertaker said a couple of times in his [Hall of Fame] speech last night, perception is reality often in this industry. And the perception of is all over the place. ‘Oh, he’s an egomaniac, he asked for all this money.’ It’s kind of fun to hear it, but in reality, I grew up here. I didn’t know what a contract was, I think I was 19 when I was in OVW. Now it’s a different story; it’s no longer, ‘this has to be a certain way.’

“It’s more a case of me being one of the founding fathers of AEW, and I wanted to ensure that I left with the utmost respect. Nobody here is lazing enough to make AEW jokes or bingo hall references, or any of that, because I have nothing against them. It was time for me to move on.”

Cody Rhodes then implied that fighting for the AEW TNT Title no longer appealed to him.

“I wrestled everybody I wanted to in AEW,” Rhodes admitted. “I didn’t want to be a 15-time TNT Champion and hold the belt hostage, I wanted to move on to a different piece of leather. I don’t know why the contract is so complicated. My agent doesn’t want me to disclose much, but yes it’s a pretty long contract.”

https://twitter.com/ringerwrestling/status/1510458802172313601

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Cody Rhodes Returns To WWE At WrestleMania 38, Details on His Contract

After weeks of rumors and speculation, Cody Rhodes has made his return to WWE.

Last night’s WrestleMania 38 Night One event saw Rhodes make his return as the opponent for Seth Rollins, hand-picked by WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon as the storyline goes. Rhodes defeated Rollins in tonight’s return match.

Rhodes had a special entrance as he was raised from under the stage. He was introduced as “The American Nightmare” and received pyro and a huge pop on his way to the ring. The back & forth match ended with two straight CrossRhodes, the signature right hands and Bionic Elbow of the late WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, and then one more CrossRhodes for the pin to win. The announcers did acknowledge how Cody has been away from WWE, and how he’s wrestled around the world, but there was no mention of AEW.

This was Cody’s first WWE match since May 16, 2016, when he lost to Zack Ryder at a WWE Superstars taping, while working as Stardust. Rhodes helped launch AEW, as a talent and Executive Vice President, but left the company back in February after his contract expired and he was unable to agree on a new deal with AEW President Tony Khan.

Rhodes is reportedly scheduled to be a regular member of the RAW roster moving forward. It’s been reported that he signed his new WWE contract around three weeks ago.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1510437849321062406

Rhodes’ team issued a press release after his WrestleMania return and confirmed that he is signed to a new multi-year deal with WWE. Cody’s team consists of the Hyperion Talent Agency, the Spanos Law firm, and the Vision PR firm.

The press release also revealed that Rhodes is serving as the Executive Producer to A&E’s “Biography: WWE Legends” documentary on his father, WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes. The doc was mentioned in the earlier Variety interview, but the release from Rhodes’ team has confirmed that he will be the Executive Producer.

The release also included the following blurb on Rhodes’ return and career. It’s interesting to note that there is no direct mention of AEW, but they do acknowledge that he is a three-time TNT Champion. The return press release was not issued by WWE, but it’s possible they had a chance to approve it before it went out. Rhodes’ team issued the following:

The most sought-after free agent in professional wrestling, “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes, has landed back at WWE, the company where he began his career. Saturday night, in front of a massive crowd at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Rhodes returned in a main event match with multi-time former WWE Champion Seth Rollins. Rhodes has inked a multi-year deal with the company.

Rhodes began his wrestling career with WWE developmental territory OVW and went on to compete with WWE for a decade before his departure in 2016. Over the past six years, Rhodes has wrestled all over the world including in Japan, England, Mexico, and Canada. In 2018, Rhodes was named Wrestler of the Year by Sports Illustrated. During his first run with WWE, Rhodes became a two-time WWE Intercontinental Champion and won six tag team championships (three World Tag Team Championships and three WWE Tag Team Championships). During his time away from WWE, Rhodes won many top championships including the Ring of Honor World Champion, IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion, ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Champion, and most recently the TNT Championship on three separate occasions. His father, the legendary “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, is a WWE Hall of Famer and both Cody and Dusty won NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship titles making them the first father/son combination to win the title.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Cody Rhodes May Back Out Of WrestleMania 38 Plans [Report]

Many fans expect Cody Rhodes to return to WWE at WrestleMania 38 this weekend. But a new report suggests that it’s not a done deal.

Many wrestling fans are anticipating Cody Rhodes’ return to WWE during WrestleMania 38 this weekend.

As previously noted, Rhodes reportedly signed a contract with WWE following his departure from AEW. On this week’s episode of WWE Raw, chairman Vince McMahon promised Seth Rollins a match at WrestleMania 38. However, The Architect won’t know who his opponent is until the day of the show.

So it’s easy to speculate that The American Nightmare will show up and reveal himself as Rollins’ WrestleMania opponent. But according to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, there’s a chance that the second-generation wrestler doesn’t actually compete at “The Show of Shows” this weekend.

During a conversation with Dennis Salcedo on her YouTube channel (h/t WrestlingNews.co), Meltzer revealed that there are people close to Cody who believe that he could end up backing out of WrestleMania 38.

“Depending on who it is, it better be somebody good because…everyone expects it and they kind of have to deliver it I suppose,” Meltzer explained. “If it’s not him, it’s his choosing, it’s not theirs. They believe it’s him. They believe that’s the guy. If for whatever reason he backs out because he’s going to back out, I don’t expect that to happen, but I know people close to him who do…We’ll have to see how it plays out.”

Needless to say, it would be a major letdown for countless WWE fans if Cody didn’t show up at WrestleMania 38 weekend. Most of the company’s top main event stars are already on the two-day WrestleMania card, and it’s hard to think of more intriguing potential options than Rhodes at this point.

Brandi and Cody Rhodes parted ways with AEW last month following the expirations of their contracts. Brandi worked as AEW’s Chief Brand Officer, and aside from wrestling, Cody was one of the company’s Executive Vice Presidents. It’s worth noting that The American Nightmare was never under a non-compete clause after leaving AEW, so he was free to sign with another promotion right away.

Day one of WrestleMania 38 is now just one days away. If Cody doesn’t turn out to be Rollins’ WrestleMania opponent, then we should get more clarity on his WWE status and situation. There’s always the possibility that he doesn’t show up until the post-WrestleMania edition of Monday Night Raw, too.

Source: TheSportster

Backstage News On How WWE May Present Cody Rhodes

Two high-profile people within WWE want Cody Rhodes to be presented in the exact same manner to his AEW character when he debuts with the company.

According to WrestleVotes, these two individuals have been adamant to Vince McMahon that this should happen, including his entire presentation.

This ranges from his ring gear, theme music, and pyro. They believe that the visual impact of having the ‘American Nightmare’ crossing the line from AEW to WWE is significant to this deal. Of course, while it has been reported that Cody Rhodes is returning to WWE, nothing has been made official yet.

https://twitter.com/WrestleVotes/status/1507339115674497028

Since Cody Rhodes’ AEW contract came to an end, he has not been seen inside a wrestling ring. The former three-time TNT Champion is believed to be facing Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 38 this year.

Rollins is currently without an opponent at WrestleMania and this turned into a major storyline on Raw over the past few weeks. Rollins has claimed in storyline that Raw will not start next week until he gets an opponent. It is unknown if this is when Cody will be turning up, or if his debut will be saved for WrestleMania.

During a recent episode of Talk Is Jericho, Chris Jericho seemed to confirm that Cody is heading back to WWE. During the introduction of his podcast episode, he claimed that he is now back with the company.

“I’m pulling back the curtain a little bit on the wrestling business,” Jericho said. “You’re gonna discover how I’ve been able to be Chris Jericho no matter what company I work for or where I wrestle. You’ll hear how Danhausen gets to keep his name and gimmick from promotion to promotion. How Cody got to reclaim Rhodes from WWE even though he’s back in WWE…”

Source: Wrestling Inc.