5 facts every WWE fan must know before Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens Ladder Match at WWE Royal Rumble 2025 

At the 2025 Royal Rumble, Cody Rhodes will attempt to defend the Undisputed WWE Championship in a ladder match against Kevin Owens. Previously, Rhodes beat Owens on two occasions, but the latter's attack after his loss at Saturday Night's Main Event elevated the feud between these two superstars.

Hence, at Royal Rumble 2025, Rhodes and Owens will hope they can put an end to this feud once and for all. Ahead of this match between two of SmackDown's best, there are some facts the WWE Universe must know. In this article, we will take a look at five such facts.

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#5. Cody Rhodes has a worrying record in ladder matches

Since the start of his professional wrestling career, Cody Rhodes has competed in many different match types and has excelled in the business. However, the one match type where The American Nightmare has struggled the most is a ladder match.

Until now, Rhodes has competed in eight ladder matches in his career, and he has never won one. Going into a match against an opponent like Kevin Owens, this stat will be worrying for Rhodes and his fans. It will be interesting to see if Cody can end his losing streak in ladder matches at Royal Rumble.

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#4. Cody Rhodes' last ladder match came in 2022

The last time Cody Rhodes climbed a ladder to compete in a ladder match was in 2022. It's also worth noting that in his last ladder match, Rhodes was not even in WWE but was a part of the company's rival promotion - AEW. In this match, Rhodes faced Sammy Guevara with his TNT Championship on the line.

The bout between these two stars was a TNT Title Unification match, and The American Nightmare ended up on the losing side on that night. Hence, all eyes will be on Rhodes at the 2025 Royal Rumble to see if he can pull off his first-ever ladder match victory.

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#3. Kevin Owens has a better record in ladder matches

Kevin Owens has a better record in ladder matches than Cody Rhodes, who lost every ladder match he participated in. In his professional wrestling career until now, Owens has competed in nine ladder matches. Three out of these nine bouts have been one-on-one ladder matches.

The encouraging fact for The Prizefighter ahead of his match against Rhodes is the fact that he has won two out of the three one-on-one ladder matches he has competed in. This stat will give Owens a massive advantage against Rhodes, who has already beaten the Canadian twice.

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#2. The WWE Title has never changed hands in a one-on-one ladder match

Based on the above information, it's clear that Cody Rhodes does not have an advantage over Kevin Owens in a ladder match. However, this does not mean that Rhodes has no advantage at all. As a matter of fact, Rhodes has a very positive stat in his favor going into this bout.

The good news is that the WWE title has never changed hands in a one-on-one ladder match. Hence, it will be interesting to see if the former AEW star is able to keep up with the tradition of not losing the belt or whether Kevin Owens becomes the new Undisputed WWE Champion.

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#1. This will be the fifth ladder match for the WWE title

Cody Rhodes' Undisputed WWE Championship is one prestigious belt. While many superstars have fought for this belt over the years in different match types, the one stipulation that hasn't been used much is a ladder match. However, at Royal Rumble 2025, Rhodes and Kevin Owens will face each other with the belt hanging above the ring.

This bout will mark only the fifth time the Undisputed WWE Championship will be defended in a ladder match. In the previous four ladder matches, one was an eight-man match for the vacant title. This alone is enough to signify the importance of the championship.