Cody Rhodes isn’t expected back on WWE TV for months following his torn pectoral muscle suffered while training.
Despite the injury, Rhodes muscled through to defeat Seth Rollins at WWE Hell in a Cell 2022 in one of the gutsiest performances of his career.
On the Raw after Hell in a Cell, Rhodes was written off TV by a sledgehammer attack by Rollins.
Losing Rhodes is a huge blow to WWE who have made him the de facto face of the company since returning at WrestleMania 38, but the “American Nightmare” can expect a huge push upon his return.
Cody Rhodes – The New Triple H
A new report in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter notes that there’s been talk about giving Cody a huge return, akin to Triple H in early 2002.
After “The Game” tore his quadriceps in mid-2001, he was out for months and had a lot of build to his January 2002 return.
WWE’s production team filmed Triple H’s surgery and recovery, with weeks of promotional videos hyping his return.
Triple H eventually returned to a thunderous response inside Madison Square Garden and captured the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 18.
Similarly, WWE reportedly recorded the entirety of Cody’s surgery and plans on using the footage in promotional packages.
Despite WWE reporting that he will be out for nine months, Cody is expected to return much sooner, and could be a selling point for the 2023 Royal Rumble.
The 2002 Rumble match marked Triple H’s first televised match back from his injury and he would win the 30-man bout.
