Cody Rhodes reportedly legitimately hurt following WWE Bad Blood attack
The return of WWE Bad Blood brought highs and lows for Cody Rhodes. After headlining in the main event with one of his longtime rivals, The American Nightmare was involved in a backstage altercation, possibly leading to a feud with a longtime friend. Sources have now revealed new details from backstage, including Cody's health.
The American Nightmare teamed with Roman Reigns to defeat Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu in the main event of Bad Blood, which saw Jimmy Uso and The Rock return. After the show, a fan filmed a backstage brawl between Cody and Kevin Owens, right next to Rhodes' tour bus. Triple H treated the angle like a real-life incident 24 hours ago, while World Wrestling Entertainment still has not uploaded the footage to their own platforms.
Rhodes was said to be "a little roughed up" after the spot with KO, according to Fightful Select. It wasn't clear if The American Nightmare would miss any ring time, but he is still advertised for Friday's SmackDown.
WWE officials were described as "very happy" with how the backstage brawl came off. Despite Cody possibly being a little hurt, the angle drew a strong buzz on social media and came off as very spontaneous, which was internally appreciated.
WWE has not confirmed when or if Owens vs. Rhodes III could happen. Cody won their first televised match by count-out in April 2022 on RAW and then retained the Undisputed Championship over The Prizefighter on August 31 at Bash in Berlin.
Major WWE SmackDown set for Friday
World Wrestling Entertainment will once again return to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina for Friday's SmackDown. This show will feature Bad Blood fallout, along with the build to Crown Jewel.
There is a buzz surrounding this week's SmackDown. No matches are official as of this writing, but Roman Reigns is confirmed to appear. Jimmy Uso is expected to return to Friday nights after his Bad Blood comeback, but it remains to be seen if The Rock will also appear as a follow-up to his return at the PLE.
In addition to Reigns, WWE and arena websites also have the following stars advertised: Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens, LA Knight, Solo Sikoa, Bayley, Jade Cargill, and Bianca Belair. RAW Superstars are also booked for dark main events: Intercontinental Champion Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker, plus Sheamus vs. Ludwig Kaiser.