Cody Rhodes' WWE Return FINALLY Confirmed
It wasn't really a surprise, but now it's official: The American Nightmare is back!
There won't be any surprise return at the Royal Rumble next weekend for Cody Rhodes. The American Nightmare called his shot Monday night.
Videos airing the past few weeks have traced Rhodes' journey during the past year in WWE, triumphantly returning to the company at WrestleMania 38, tearing his pectoral ahead of Hell in a Cell, and facing surgery and a long recovery.
Monday's video traced his recovery and rehab, complete with a training montage showing him progressing from lifting three-pound dumbbells to doing pullups and more intense workouts, all leading to the big announcement: It was no longer a question of "if" he'd return, but "when." And when was officially announced as the Royal Rumble.
BREAKING NEWS: @CodyRhodes returns at #RoyalRumble.
The American Nightmare has officially declared for the 2023 Men's Royal Rumble Match!#Rhodes2Rumble pic.twitter.com/xGOTxTwdGB
Advertisement— WWE (@WWE) January 17, 2023
Some will say that WWE should have tried to just keep it vague or not even tout his return, but this really is a smart strategy, building up Cody's profile in advance, making his eventual return during the Rumble match a highly anticipated moment and not just a badly kept surprise.
It still remains to be seen whether Cody is still positioned as the man to dethrone Roman Reigns, though the first video a couple weeks ago reiterated his mission of winning the world title that eluded his father.
Provided things are done right during the PLE, Rhodes could ride a huge wave of momentum coming out of next Saturday night. The countdown begins...