Former Royal Rumble winner announces return on 1/12 WWE SmackDown
The upcoming edition of Friday Night SmackDown is scheduled to air live from the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, and a top WWE Superstar has announced his return to the blue brand.
A plethora of hungry athletes are on the roster today, and we are two weeks away from the Royal Rumble Premium Live Event. Perhaps one of them who has a lot at stakes on January 27 is The American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes.
Only 3 Superstars have managed to win back-to-back Rumbles since its inception in 1988, and none have been able to do so since 1998. In order to punch a ticket to the main event of WrestleMania 40, the 2023 winner Rhodes would have to defy the odds at the upcoming event if he wants to complete his story at The Shows of Shows.
On X, the 38-year-old shared his schedule for the rest of the month, all the way till the night after Royal Rumble. He will return to Friday nights this week, as well as on the 19th. Cody's last appearance was on the December 8th Tribute to the Troops special.
Check out his post below:
"Lincoln, NE this Friday," wrote Cody Rhodes.
Last week on SmackDown: New Year's Revolution, General Manager Nick Aldis told Paul Heyman that Roman Reigns will defend his title against Randy Orton, AJ Styles and LA Knight at the upcoming Royal Rumble. This was on account of The Bloodline's interference during the triple threat match to determine a new No. 1 Contender.
What will Paul Heyman do this Friday night on WWE SmackDown?
The show went off the air with the camera on an anxious Wiseman, while Reigns and family beat down the challengers in the ring. Paul Heyman later informed The Tribal Chief backstage of the upcoming title defense decided by Nick Aldis, which was caught on WWE Digital Exclusive.
The segment ended with Reigns walking away, rattled by the information. Before he did, though, he gave an order to the Wiseman. "Fix this," he demanded.
Check out the clip below:
On that note, Paul Heyman also notably name-dropped The Rock and CM Punk during the show. He claimed that the only way a wrestler can go viral these days is if they date pop megastar Taylor Swift (of the music industry), or call out Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
It seems WWE can go in many directions heading into the Show of Shows when it comes to the top prize of SmackDown. Each one guarantees an intriguing storyline. The real winner of this are the viewers of the product.
Do you believe The Tribal Chief prevail in the upcoming fatal-4 way? Sound off in the comments section below!