10 Early Reasons To Be Worried About WWE Royal Rumble 2023
4. Cody Rhodes Doesn't Return
Cody Rhodes not only returning to WWE at the Royal Rumble, but also winning the whole thing was essentially set in stone from the moment a torn pectoral tendon wrote him off WWE programming in June. Hell, one could plant those seeds all the way back to January, when news of him working without an AEW contract broke.
That he appeared on the 26 December ‘Best of 2022’ broadcast of Monday Night Raw paints one of two pictures; he is returning but WWE simply couldn’t wait to plant his face back on screens, or he actually isn’t ready to come back yet, so they issued a piece-to-camera segment to tide fans over.
But surely he’s mended, right?
Outside of returns like The Rock and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, WWE could be without that big surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble to remove the stench of last year’s scenario if Cody Rhodes isn’t quite ready for a comeback. ‘The American Nightmare’ has all the tools expected of a Rumble winner and alongside being an obvious shout to stand tall at the end of the thirty-man fray, he’s also the fan’s choice. It’s rare that WWE has both boxes ticked.
He’s not the only name expected back at the Rumble, however…