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Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes opened the latest edition of Friday Night SmackDown. Last week, Nick Aldis announced a high-stakes Ladder Match between The American Nightmare and Kevin Owens at Royal Rumble 2025. Rhodes expressed that he would go to war against Owens with no pinfalls or count-outs at the Rumble. However, he also revealed that he was not medically cleared, leaving fans worried about The American Nightmare's health. The WWE Universe is wondering whether Rhodes is actually injured.
Kevin Owens executed a brutal Package Piledriver on Cody Rhodes at Saturday Night's Main Event last month after he lost the match against the champion, leaving The American Nightmare motionless in the center of the ring. The Stamford-based promotion informed fans after the show that the 39-year-old champion had suffered some severe injuries following the attack.
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It seems Cody Rhodes' injury angle is part of the storyline, as no concrete reports have suggested that the WWE Champion is genuinely hurt.
A former WWE writer just went after JBL for his comments HERE
The American Nightmare would not been in the ring taking bumps if he was legitimately injured. The star received vicious kicks to the head last week as Owens ambushed him. WWE would not have allowed the champion to take those blows if he was not one hundred percent. The same goes for this week, as The American Nightmare was attacked from behind by Owens after the former's confrontation with Drew McIntyre.
Although Rhodes was not allowed to compete on the latest episode of SmackDown, this seems to be all in kayfabe. The star is also doing house shows and defeated Kevin Owens in a Steel Cage match on December 30, during a Holiday Tour.
Why WWE has not booked Cody Rhodes vs Kevin Owens on RAW Netflix
Next week’s Monday Night RAW is set to make history as the weekly flagship show will make a monumental shift on the streaming giant, Netflix. The Stamford-based promotion has been working tirelessly to craft a perfect season premiere episode, as multiple big matches have been announced for the show. There have been multiple theories on why Triple H has not booked the Owens vs. Rhodes match on the card on Netflix.
Many fans expected Kevin Owens vs. Cody Rhodes to be booked for January 6. The Stamford-based promotion likely kept a match to advertise the much-anticipated Royal Rumble 2025, which is less than a month away.
RAW on Netflix already has a main event, namely Roman Reigns vs. Solo Sikoa in a Tribal Combat. The show is also set to host the intriguing CM Punk vs Seth Rollins match. With such high-caliber matches already on the card, it made little sense to have the Rhodes-KO bout on the same night.
