Top WWE star to vacate his title due to injury; new champion to be crowned soon? 3 things Cody Rhodes can do on Smackdown tonight

At the Royal Rumble 2025 Premium Live Event, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes took quite a beating in his bout against Kevin Owens. The American Nightmare came out on top in a Ladder Match, but both competitors endured a lot of pain throughout the fight. In the end, it was Cody who claimed the victory.

After the show, it came to light that Rhodes had suffered several injuries. Although he's set to appear on tonight's SmackDown, what can the 39-year-old manage to do?

Here are three things Cody Rhodes can do on SmackDown this week:

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#3. Cody Rhodes could vacate his title

Rhodes might drop some big news tonight about his injury from February 1 being worse than everyone thought. The champ could announce that he’ll be out for WrestleMania 41 and has been advised to give up his title. This could change things in the WWE, as losing one of its top champs would open the door for other contenders to step up.

Triple H could then come out and resolve the situation by revealing that this year's Men's Elimination Chamber match will determine a new Undisputed WWE Champion. With John Cena and CM Punk already set to participate in the match, things could shape up to be even more exciting.

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#2. Could announce he is taking a break till WrestleMania

Cody recently took to Instagram to let everyone know how he's been feeling. After taking a few days to chill, he shared that he's doing great and ready to rock SmackDown.

Tonight, he could deliver a heartfelt promo on the Blue Brand show explaining his decision to take a break, addressing the reasons behind it, and expressing gratitude to the fans.

Cody Rhodes could use the aforementioned injury as an excuse to step back for a bit. This way, he can recover away from the spotlight while still evolving his character. Taking a break at the right moment could build up some hype and excitement for when he finally makes his comeback, possibly at The Show of Shows.

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#1. Cody Rhodes could have a confrontation with Paul Heyman

Paul Heyman could interrupt Cody Rhodes while he is addressing the SmackDown crowd. Heyman could smugly stroll out while Cody is commanding the crowd. He could shift the conversation and hint at Roman Reigns’ possible entry into the Men’s Chamber match. Rhodes could cut him off, seizing the moment to change the narrative by asking about The Wiseman’s former client, CM Punk.

The American Nightmare could dig deeper into the 59-year-old's past of deceit and manipulation. Heyman might retort, brushing off Cody's title reign as just a lucky break and pointing out how injury-prone the champ is.

Cody could boldly announce that he’s the one set to headline the 2025 Showcase of the Immortals. The promo could end with an intense war of words, leaving fans wondering where Heyman’s divided loyalties could explode.