Cody Rhodes to be stripped of his world title by The Rock? - 3 ways WWE can handle The American Nightmare's injury
One of the hottest angles in WWE today involves Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens. The two were friends earlier this year, but over time their relationship soured. Things became far worse once Cody teamed up with Roman Reigns at Bad Blood.
From there, Kevin Owens turned on Rhodes, harshly assaulting him in the parking lot. Since then, the two have brawled and even wrestled at Saturday Night's Main Event. Post-match, however, Owens took things further than ever before.
Frustrated over his loss, KO jumped The American Nightmare post-match. He then hit him with the vicious Package Piledriver, a move that had been banned in World Wrestling Entertainment up until this point. Cody Rhodes is now out injured, and there is no clear idea when he can return.
This, of course, is a problem since he's the reigning World Champion. Not only that, but Owens is walking around with the classic Winged Eagle world title design. What does this mean for Cody? How could Triple H and World Wrestling Entertainment react to the title situation, given his injury?
Below are three ways WWE can handle Cody Rhodes' injury.
#3. Randy Orton could return to WWE television to fight for Cody
The Undisputed WWE Championship being around the waist of an injured superstar is bad news. With that being said, the company no longer follows a 30-day defense rule. As Roman Reigns, Logan Paul, and even Seth Rollins have proven before, some talent can go a few months without defending their belts.
The Kevin Owens problem persists, however—both his claim that he is a World Champion and his heinous assaults. With Cody away from WWE, Randy Orton could return to try to get revenge on his own and on Cody's behalf.
Orton is another victim of The Prizefighter. Believing Randy was siding with Cody, Kevin snapped on his alleged friend. Soon after, he hit Randy with a Piledriver, albeit the standard kind, and Orton has been out of action ever since.
Supposing he's healthy enough to return, The Viper could step in and fight Owens. They could clash on the RAW Netflix premiere or at the 2025 Royal Rumble. This would potentially allow Owens to be put in his place while Cody can recover.
#2. The Rock could show up and strip Cody Rhodes of his title
Cody Rhodes has several enemies in WWE, but one has more power than anyone else. Over the course of the last year, Rhodes has made an enemy out of wrestling legend and TKO board member Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
The Rock is a fierce competitor, but he is also vindictive and hateful. He united with Roman Reigns earlier this year in an effort to take down Cody Rhodes. His efforts ultimately failed, however, as Cody defeated The Tribal Chief to become World Champion.
On the RAW after WrestleMania, The Rock made it clear he was coming back for the Undisputed WWE Championship. With Cody hurt, however, that may no longer be possible. Instead of fighting Rhodes for it, The Rock could do something else: strip him of the belt.
The People's Champion forcing Cody to relinquish the title due to injury could lead to the two fighting in the future, so it would benefit their rivalry. It also makes sense since The Rock and Kevin Owens are friendly, with Owens even having a bull tattoo in honor of The Great One. Cody may be forced to give up his title or even give it to Kevin.
#1. Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes could have a Ladder Match to determine the Undisputed WWE Champion
It isn't clear just how long Cody Rhodes will be out of action. While it could be six months, it could also be a matter of a few weeks. As a result, the Undisputed WWE Champion could be back sooner than people think.
If Kevin Owens is going to walk around with the Winged Eagle title and Cody Rhodes will have the Undisputed WWE Championship, Triple H could book a throwback angle fans will love. He could replicate a classic WrestleMania X match.
At that event, Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon battled in a Ladder Match to crown the Undisputed Intercontinental Champion. Both Shawn and Razor walked around with a belt, so the titles were both hung above the ring, and the two men fought to pull the belts down.
Cody and Kevin could have a Ladder Match to determine the Undisputed WWE Champion. This bout could happen at the 2025 Royal Rumble, Saturday Night's Main Event, or the RAW Netflix premiere.