At WWE’s recent live event in Manchester, England, interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall surprised fans in his hometown. Aspinall appeared in the ring with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER, and fans could be seeing much more of him in the squared circle.
Speaking to The Sun after his appearance in Manchester’s Co-Op Arena, Aspinall shared plans for a future in WWE after he finishes in MMA.
“When I have retired from MMA, I’m switching over to WWE. And I’m going to be the WWE Heavyweight Champ.”
There’s no shortage of huge names who have transitioned from the Octagon to the ring, with Brock Lesnar, Matt Riddle, and Ronda Rousey finding great success in WWE post-MMA. In May of this year, Derrick Lewis shared that he was “in talks” with WWE, though the fighter has yet to appear for the promotion.
With WWE and UFC coming together under the TKO umbrella in September 2023, the crossover potential between the two parties has already played out on-screen. This partnership hasn’t just seen talent from either side crossover, but resulted in WWE NXT Battleground taking place inside the UFC Apex in June 2024. While Aspinall’s focus at this time remains on Jon Jones and a Heavyweight Championship unification fight, don’t be surprised if fans see much more of Tom Aspinall in a WWE ring.
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, World Heavyweight Champion Gunther, and UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall all got to share the same stage at the most recent WWE Live Event.
WWE has been on a UK tour and their latest live event came from Manchester England. The American Nightmare came out during a segment in the show and stated that he had something to say.
Rhodes would then bring out Aspinall who hails from Manchester itself. Before they could continue however, Gunther interrupted the duo and we had the rare sight of seeing all three world champions under the TKO umbrella in one ring.
The trio would talk about the Crown Jewel PPV on November 2 before Chad Gable interrupted their segment and challenged the Ring General for a world heavyweight championship match.
As expected, Gunther would go on to beat the former Alpha Academy leader with a powerbomb in the match that took place right before the intermission.
Cody Rhodes would have a title defense of his own against Solo Sikoa later in the main event. He took several crazy bumps during this cage match but ultimately retained his title against The Bloodline leader.
WWE has announced that Gunther and Cody Rhodes would be facing each other in a champion vs. champion match at the upcoming Saudi PPV.
Women’s Champions Nia Jax and Liv Morgan will also be going up against each other on the same show with the winner of these matches receiving the ‘Crown Jewel Championship’ as reward.
WWE continues to push the boundaries of social media storytelling in the ongoing Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes feud with a new video from the former Universal Champion.
Owens posted the video on his Twitter account, mentioning that there have been a lot of questions about why he turned on Cody Rhodes after the Bad Blood PPV.
The former champion noted that people are judging him because of the attack. He blamed the company for not letting him tell his side of the story by cutting off his mic during his appearance on Friday’s SmackDown.
Kevin Owens then revealed that he even sent the company a video to explain his actions. He was hoping that the footage could air on Raw this past Monday and he is now giving them until Friday to do the right thing:
“Then over the weekend, I sent them a video that I hoped they would air on Raw last night, and they didn’t. Nobody could hear what I have to say. But of course, they had plenty of time for Cody to talk, but not for me. Look, the last thing I want to do is do this on social media because I hate it.
I’m giving them until Friday, this Friday on Smackdown, to air my video so that people could hear what I have to say. And if they don’t, then I guess I’ll post it here.”
The latest episode of SmackDown saw Kevin Owens interrupting the show before the scheduled Women’s Tag Team Title match. He tried to address the crowd but his mic was shut down. Cody Rhodes came out to confront him after that but the security stopped the WWE champion from reaching Owens.
When Randy Orton showed up to calm Kevin down, the latter ended up shoving The Viper accidentally. Orton then responded with a punch to his face.
Cody Rhodes was told to leave the arena after this and Randy looked to sort things out with his tag team partner. Orton, however, was also attacked by the former NXT Champion backstage later in the show.
Brock Lesnar last appeared on WWE programming at SummerSlam 2023 when he lost to Cody Rhodes in a hard-fought contest for both men. Lesnar has vanished from WWE due to his alleged involvement in the Janel Grant lawsuit, but WWE certainly had the Beast Incarnate on the brain during the October 14, episode of WWE Raw.
In a backstage segment, Seth Rollins tried to persuade General Manager Adam Pearce to give him a one-on-one match with Bronson Reed. During his promo, Rollins made reference to conquering a ‘beast’ in the past. This was a nod to Lesnar who Rollins dethroned as WWE Universal Champion at WrestleMania 35 in 2019.
In the ring, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes came face-to-face with World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER ahead of their showdown at WWE Crown Jewel. While Rhodes acknowledged GUNTHER being a ‘beast’ since arriving in WWE, he also touted his own accolades including having previously conquered a beast, i.e. Lesnar.
While Lesnar was not mentioned by name, these nods to the former WWE Universal Champion did not go unnoticed by fans. On Twitter/X, Lesnar’s name trended as thousands of posts were shared discussing these references and a potential return.
Brock Lesnar’s WWE Hiatus
Lesnar is alleged to have been one of the men Janel Grant was trafficked to during her tenure in WWE. It’s alleged that Vince McMahon trafficked Grant to Lesnar in order to secure a deal with the Beast. McMahon has denied all wrongdoing.
In July, WWE COO Paul Levesque said he’d be open to a conversation with Lesnar about a return if and when the Beast decided to initiate talks. Grant’s lawsuit is currently on hold as the Department of Justice launched a federal investigation on McMahon on May 30. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Brock Lesnar and his status as a WWE Superstar.
At Bad Blood, Triple H unveiled the Crown Jewel Championship belt, and in so doing announced that the November Crown Jewel PLE from Saudi Arabia would feature head-to-head matches between both the men’s and women’s world champions of each main roster brand. While the belt itself looks impressive, the response from fans has been underwhelming.
The concept ostensibly seems to revisit the brand warfare days of Survivor Series or the Bragging Rights PLE, each of which produced some good matches over the years but tended to fall flat from a storytelling perspective because of the lack of stakes. After all, no one’s title reigns were actually at risk, and by the nature of separate brands, talents typically didn’t continue their storylines past the one-off show at hand, making them almost feel like non-canon, house show-style events.
Is it possible, however, to make the Crown Jewel Championship mean something, both this year and on an ongoing basis—the foundation for a new WWE tradition? There is some potential.
Cody Rhodes Makes The Crown Jewel Championship Credible
Ask any casual fan who won the first two Royal Rumbles, and the odds are they won’t know. That’s because the victors were perennial mid-carder Jim Duggan and then Big John Studd, who never wrestled another PLE match after his Rumble win. In each of these cases, the Rumble finish was a crowd pleaser, but carried no consequences.
That narrative changed the following two years when Hulk Hogan became the first back-to-back Royal Rumble winner. Even though it would be another year before the Rumble had stakes—with the world title or a world title shot at WrestleMania henceforth on the line—Hogan winning elevated the match to be something the tip-top stars in the company cared about. It’s little wonder the Royal Rumble victory started feeling like one of the most prestigious things a wrestler could accomplish from that point on.
As the most recent back-to-back Royal Rumble winner, the most recent WrestleMania main event winner, and the reigning WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes is now the de facto face of WWE. As such, being the inaugural Crown Jewel Champion marks an opportunity to immediately lend credibility to that title. In contrast to Braun Strowman winning the Greatest Royal Rumble and its symbolic championship belt, then getting released a few short years later, only to return as a mid-carder, The American Nightmare is a bona fide marquee star. There’s no gamble around whether this victory will be an effective stepping stone for him. Rather, he’s the man who can make the championship.
Gunther Winning The Crown Jewel Championship Stands To Elevate Him
WWE finds itself in a win-win situation, in which either man who might win the Crown Jewel Championship already has marked credibility. Cody Rhodes could legitimize the title. There may, however, be even greater mutual potential in a Gunther victory.
Gunther has been one of WWE’s most consistent performers since arriving on the main roster and, particularly in terms of match quality, he has thrived as World Heavyweight Champion. Crown Jewel could mark a unique opportunity, though, for him to beat one of the few undeniably bigger stars than himself, without disrupting The American Nightmare’s WWE Championship reign.
A victory for Gunther and a closing shot of him holding the Crown Jewel Championship over his head, while defeated Rhodes lies on the mat, can sell the idea that he truly is WWE’s top champion and mark one of the final pieces in the puzzle of pushing him forward from world championship status to the kind of guy who could credibly main event a WrestleMania. Moreover, this victory, more so than Rhodes winning, could plant the seeds for WWE to revisit this feud with either world title on the line, properly, down the road.
Tiffany Stratton Cashes In
There’s only one Money in the Bank briefcase currently in play. Given Tiffany Stratton’s immense talent and potential, it looks as though there’s a good chance she will ultimately become a champion when she chooses to cash in.
Some folks online are getting a little carried away in prognosticating that she might cash in on both Liv Morgan and Nia Jax and win both their titles as well as the Crown Jewel one. The logistics are quite fuzzy on whether that would canonically make sense (could cash-ins really happen on two champions at once on a whim?). WWE can always fudge the rules, but if Stratton were to cash-in, it seems more feasible she would do so on one champion or the other post-match.
Another unconventional possibility, though, would be for Stratton to cash-in for the Crown Jewel Championship itself, either by turning the match for that title into a Triple Threat, or by claiming it off the winner immediately post-match. While, on paper, this choice wouldn’t make much sense, it would be a way of immediately establishing this prize in not just ceremonial, but rather is desirable enough for a Money in the Bank holder to think it was worth a cash-in.
The most likely scenario in which this solution would work would probably be if Morgan were to either win or be very close to it, only for Stratton to take that prize from here without rushing her brewing issue with Jax.
WWE Can Stage Classic Matches For The Crown Jewel Championship
Without getting too complicated around the booking, one of the most surefire ways to make the Crown Jewel Championship feel important would be for the matches for it to be great in and of themselves.
That doesn’t necessarily seem like a likely outcome on the women’s side. Liv Morgan has done outstanding character work and is a good in-ring performer. It nonetheless seems unlikely she can compensate enough to pull a great match out of Nia Jax (who has shown improvement bell-to-bell, but still isn’t someone anyone’s expecting match of the year candidates out of).
By contrast, on the men’s side of things, Cody Rhodes and Gunther are both talented enough, with enough investment from management that an instant classic does feel possible. If both these marquee stars go all out and have the time put on a classic, they could go a long way toward putting this championship on the map.
In the end, the Crown Jewel Championship probably isn’t going to become a profound part of WWE lore, though. There are opportunities to make it feel meaningful in the short term, or for it to at least be at the center some fun action in November.
For years, WWE fans in the UK have wished for WrestleMania to come to the country, which up until recently seemed like it was an impossibility. At Money in the Bank 2023, John Cena shared his intentions to bring WrestleMania to London, and Cody Rhodes is among those eager to see such an event take place.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live to promote WWE’s ongoing tour of the UK, the Undisputed WWE Champion reflected on Cena’s statement and the sway the WWE icon carries.
“I don’t know if that was on the books anywhere. I don’t know if that was something that had been, I don’t know where that was. But when the greatest of all time as we like to call John, goes out there and says it, it almost wills itself into existence.”
Rhodes believes that a UK-based WrestleMania should, and could happen, and brought up Paul Levesque’s meeting with London mayor Sadiq Khan. Later in the interview, the American Nightmare gave a timeline as to when fans could expect WrestleMania in the UK.
“If I’m aiming, it would be cool to get it [in the UK] in the next five years. There’s some really big venues over here that could host a WrestleMania.”
Cody Rhodes extended his dark match winning streak against ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio after this week’s episode of SmackDown from Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
The episode featured two dark matches after the broadcast of the show. Jey Uso defended his IC title against Bron Breakker in the first match. He pinned Breakker with a spear to retain the title.
The American Nightmare took on the Raw star in the second dark match. Towards the ending of the bout, Mysterio locked him up for three amigos but Rhodes countered it into a cutter. The Undisputed WWE Champion then hit the Cross Rhodes for the victory.
He stayed around the arena for almost an hour after this match, and took photos with all the fans. Cody even brought a young fan into the ring and gifted him his weight belt.
What Happened On SmackDown
The SmackDown main event featured the returning Jimmy Uso taking on Solo Sikoa. This came after Jimmy cost Solo and Jacob Fatu their match against Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes at Bad Blood.
In the end, the numbers game proved too much for Uso and Sikoa picked up the victory. Reigns tried to make the save for his cousin when the Bloodline attacked him after the bout but his presence also didn’t prove to be enough.
The opening segment of the night featured Jimmy and Roman having a talk after Bad Blood. Uso had told Reigns that they needed help in their fight against the Bloodline.
The main event segment that followed was the perfect set up for Reigns to acknowledge that and potentially reach out to his former allies such as Jey Uso or Sami Zayn.
Atlanta got an initial surprise with a returning Jimmy Uso who helped Reigns and Rhodes win, but it was The Rock who closed out the show by stepping on the stage and staring down the good guys before walking off.
Dwayne Johnson had some more thoughts to share immediately after, going live on his Instagram, but he put his words to print Thursday afternoon as WWE SmackDown is set to air Friday night. Cody Rhodes may have finished his “story” at WrestleMania XL, but Rocky wants to make it clear his “story” was just getting started.
The show ain’t over, until the Final Boss says it’s over.
There’s no business like show business, and there’s no connection stronger and more electrifying than that of the people and the people’s champ.
The Rock hadn’t been seen on WWE programming since the Raw after WrestleMania where he had a tense exchange with Cody Rhodes, but his cameo at Bad Blood started paving the road to WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas.
During the Bad Blood press conference, Triple H remarked as to how much he appreciated The Rock still showing his love for WWE and taking the time out of his wild schedule to make the appearance.
The Undisputed WWE Champion recently spoke to Manchester Evening News ahead of WWE’s upcoming UK tour. He was instantly asked about the topic everyone has in mind.
Rhodes first admitted that it’d be foolish for him to try and deny the unfolding of events since the entire video exists online. Though he is determined to keep his remarks short at the moment:
“It’s a very passionate industry, everybody wants the north star of our business which is the WWE championship and the championship that I hold at this time. I don’t know if you’ll see this unfold on screens, on Smackdown, on Raw or when we come overseas.”
The Road To WrestleMania Started Early: Cody Rhodes
The Owens turn had been teased for several weeks. The two stars almost came to blows during the August 27 SmackDown, after Rhodes inadvertently cost KO and Randy Orton a match against The Bloodline.
Nobody expected it to happen in such close proximity to The Rock’s return however and without any WWE cameras around. Even several days after the incident, the only official word has come from Triple H himself, who claims that the matter will be dealt with internally.
Cody Rhodes is not sure if the matter will be made public, but the events following his big match does make him feel like the WrestleMania season has already begun:
“Pro Wrestling and sports entertainment tends to like dive into that. Perhaps it does, or perhaps its dealt internally. I overall, I did feel very happy about my match at Bad Blood. I was happy for the city of Atlanta, that being the city that raised me. Everything happened and appeared and I was happy for Atlanta and the WWE because it feels like the road to WrestleMania started early this year.”
The American Nightmare is more focused on his upcoming Crown Jewel match with fellow World Champion Gunther at the moment. We’ll have to wait and see when the next chapter in his rivalry with his former friend is written.
It took Sami Zayn weeks of pleading and goading to convince World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER to put his title on the line during this week’s WWE Raw. In a rematch from WrestleMania 40, albeit for a richer prize, the two delivered another epic match, but this time, it was the juggernaut of Vienna, Austria, who was standing tall by the end of the show.
Both men held nothing back in their efforts to leave WWE Raw as World Heavyweight Champion, with Sami Zayn even kicking out of GUNTHER’s powerbomb at one count. In the end, GUNTHER trapped Zayn in a sleeper that the Canadian couldn’t escape to get the win and retain the gold.
After the match, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes interrupted GUNTHER’s celebration and stared down the man he’ll face at WWE Crown Jewel on November 2. The two will do battle to crown the first Men’s WWE Crown Jewel Champion, a title introduced by Triple H at WWE Bad Blood 2024.
With such a high-stakes match between two Superstars who have history, many have questioned why this match happened at WWE Raw rather than the recent Bad Blood Premium Live Event. It was reported by Dave Meltzer that WWE felt that Bad Blood didn’t need another match and that the bout was better served hyping up the latest WWE Raw.
GUNTHER was able to retain on this night, and while his title won’t be on the line at WWE Crown Jewel. He’ll be in for the fight of his night next month in Riyadh. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest from WWE Crown Jewel including breaking news and live results.
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes says wrestling fans can expect more “cinematic” productions in the future.
During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rhodes discussed his critically acclaimed mini-movie with Roman Reigns, filmed at Georgia Tech, the alma mater of the OTC. This segment has garnered praise for its innovative approach.
WWE’s storytelling has seen a significant evolution since Paul “Triple H” Levesque took over creative direction from Vince McMahon. Fans have appreciated the depth and nuance in ongoing storylines like The Bloodline and The Judgment Day.
The phrase “this is cinema” has become a popular meme in wrestling circles, and Rhodes believes the company is heading even further in that direction.
“RAW being two hours again, the content perhaps being tailored a little differently… What you saw with Roman and me in that [Georgia Tech] package might be the direction the industry is moving,” Rhodes said.
Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns on the 50-yard-line at Georgia Tech University’s football field
As an old-school wrestling fan, Rhodes noted his fondness for the more theatrical elements from his father’s work in WCW. He referenced the infamous White Castle of Fear segment, in which Sting ventured into the snowy mountains to confront Vader.
“There were little people and turkey legs, and it was just this crazy scene. Heavily criticized by the audience, to the point where I thought, ‘Maybe that’s never going to be our world. We’re never going to have that kind of cinema,’” Rhodes recalled.
WCW’s White Castle of Fear was quintessential “Wrestle-crap“
“This Is Cinema”
However, Rhodes credits “Mr. Heyman” and WWE Vice President of Domestic Television Adam Pennucci for the success of the Georgia Tech segment. He praised the company’s leadership and creative team’s willingness to experiment.
“I thought, ‘Wow, this might be more of the direction we’re going.’ We didn’t make it silly; it wasn’t spooky or anything like that. It was two guys with real emotions having a conversation, and we captured it.”
Cody Rhodes has held the Undisputed WWE Championship for six months. His next major challenge will be against World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER at Crown Jewel on Saturday, November 2, where the winner will receive a special Crown Jewel Championship.
Cody Rhodes just made Triple H and Nick Khan’s job harder by adding another name to the list of potential cities in line to host a WrestleMania.
The Undisputed WWE Champion picked up a big win in the main event of tonight’s Bad Blood PPV from State Farm Arena in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. With some help from a returning Jimmy Uso, the team of Rhodes and Roman Reigns defeated The Bloodline.
The original Tribal Chief and his cousin left the ring after the PPV went off the air but as always, Cody stayed around to greet the fans. Before that, he cut a promo about his hometown and advocated for the city to get a bigger event after they set a new record for WWE in Atlanta:
“You heard the statistics about how many people, you heard that we set a business record for WWE. We did that here. We did that in Atlanta. I don’t know anything, I’m not a manager or anything like that, but I would wager that after a night like tonight, somehow something even bigger than Bad Blood comes to Atlanta.”
Cody Rhodes also talked about growing up in the area and said that people would never know how much it means to him that a cocky kid from the South holds the biggest prize in the business.
Not everything worked out in favor of the American Nightmare tonight, however. Apart from the electrifying return of an old rival, Cody also had to suffer betrayal at the hands of a longtime friend after Bad Blood.
In fan-recorded footage from Atlanta’s State Farm Arena, Rhodes and Owens can be seen having heated words before Owens strikes the Undisputed WWE Champion. Not finished, the Prizefighter pummelled Rhodes outside the latter’s tour bus before security intervened.
Tensions had been growing between Rhodes and Owens for weeks on WWE SmackDown, with the Canadian taking issue with Rhodes’ willingness to team with Roman Reigns. Owens has his own painful history with Reigns, including defeats to the Original Tribal Chief at the Royal Rumble in both 2021 and 2023.
Owens challenged Rhodes for the gold at WWE Bash in Berlin, and much was said about their friendship and Owens’ lack of championship gold as of late in the run-up to their showdown in Germany. With Owens betraying his former friend, Rhodes now has another adversary to deal with on SmackDown. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the fallout of this attack.
The first dark match of the night then saw Liv Morgan with Dirty Dom defending the Women’s Title against Lyra Valkyria. Morgan picked up the victory in the bout.
The second dark match featured Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes facing Austin Theory. The latter had his A Town Down Under partner Greyson Waller on his side.
While Waller tried to help his partner win the bout, Rhodes ended up outsmarting them. He sent Theory crashing into Greyson when he hopped up on the apron and then picked up the victory with a Cross Rhodes.
The Bad Blood go home episode of SmackDown was full of many noteworthy moments. The show saw the TV return of AJ Styles who unfortunately seems to have suffered an injury during his match with Carmelo Hayes.
The event also featured the return of the Dumpster match. Michin picked up a victory over Chelsea Green in the bout, sending Green into a Twitter tirade.
The Bloodline defended their tag titles in a triple threat ladder match in the main event of the show. They went up against DIY and Street Profits. The duo of Tonga Loa and Tama Tonga managed to retain the titles without any outside help.
Tomasso Ciampa wasn’t very happy with the outcome of this bout and he can be seen refusing a handshake from Street Profits in a fan-made video after the show.
On Twitter, WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque shared the video that will open tonight’s Bad Blood Premium Live Event. The video features the Game handing Rhodes a confidential document for the Undisputed WWE Champion’s ‘stake-out’ of the arena with Metro Boomin. Together, the pair, who both have deep ties to Georgia, watch on for anything suspicious as clips hyping up the various matches planned for the PLE.
WWE’s fourth Bad Blood event will take place on October 5, from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, and like its predecessors, will feature a Hell in a Cell match. The full card for the show is as follows:
CM Punk Vs. Drew McIntyre (Hell in a Cell Match)
Nia Jax (c) vs. Bayley (WWE Women’s Championship)
Damian Priest vs. Finn Bálor
Liv Morgan (c) vs. Rhea Ripley (WWE Women’s World Championship. Dominik Mysterio will be suspended above the ring in a shark cage)
Cody Rhodes & Roman Reigns vs. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu)
With a stacked card and the supposed return of ‘The Big Guy,’ WWE Bad Blood 2024 will be an exciting show for fans to check out around the world. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest from WWE Bad Blood including breaking news and live results.
At WWE Bad Blood, Cody Rhodes will team with Roman Reigns to take on The Bloodline’s Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu, in the OTC’s first match since WrestleMania. On The Pat McAfee Show, Rhodes talked all things WWE including plans for WrestleMania 41, but did the Undisputed WWE Champion also accidentally reveal a huge return?
After the show wrapped up, Cody was saying his goodbyes to the crew when McAfee told the American Nightmare “I heard the big guy is coming back this week.” Taken aback, Rhodes asked “is he?” to which McAfee retorted, “You tell me.” Cody responded by saying “Which one?” before McAfee walked off, saying “You told me all I need to know.”
Pat McAfee tells Cody Rhodes that he hears “the big guy” is coming back this week. pic.twitter.com/69XelcbIL0
Given Rhodes’ upcoming match with The Bloodline and their recent history, many fans on social media have seen ‘The Big Guy’ as referencing The Rock. As a leading man in Hollywood, one of WWE’s top names in history, and a member of TKO’s Board of Directors, the ‘Final Boss’ certainly fits the moniker of a big guy. On the post-WrestleMania 40 WWE Raw, The Rock vowed to return and confront Cody Rhodes, with reported plans for a showdown at WrestleMania 41.
A less likely option is Brock Lesnar, another huge Superstar who is a verifiable ‘big guy’ in the world of WWE. Like Rock, Lesnar has his own history with Rhodes, as Cody’s victory over Brock at SummerSlam was the latter’s most recent WWE match. However, WWE has avoided using Lesnar due to him being tied to Janel Grant’s lawsuit against WWE, as the former employee alleges that she was trafficked to a former UFC Heavyweight Champion by McMahon and John Laurinaitis.
WWE presents Bad Blood this Saturday, but Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes is already looking ahead.
The American Nightmare appeared on the Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday to hype this weekend’s event, and dropped a few clues for some big things in the pipeline.
Rhodes teams with former rival Roman Reigns at Bad Blood against The Bloodline’s Jacob Fatu and the new Tribal Chief, Solo Sikoa. The richest prize in wrestling won’t be on the line, but Rhodes says there will be “big title implications” for Crown Jewel in November.
“[The WWE Championship is] not on the line this weekend, but there is something that happens at Bad Blood, a, I guess, a video package or vignette, that’s going to play in the show. I’ve got to keep it vague, but there are big title implications for Crown Jewel, moving and moving past. Sorry for being so vague.”
– Cody Rhodes drops a spoiler
Keep Those Expectations High
Cody Rhodes sets a high bar for himself and isn’t afraid to share his big plans. Six months after ‘Finishing His Story’ at WrestleMania 40, Cody says there’s something in the works for next year’s ‘Mania main event that, “is perhaps bigger than anyone anticipated.”
“The little spoiler there, in addition to that, WrestleMania 41… I am looking to do what I’ve done three times now and enter the main event, but I think it will be something that perhaps is bigger than anyone anticipated.”
– Cody Rhodes
WWE Bad Blood takes place this Saturday, October 5, 2024 from Atlanta, GA at the State Farm Arena.
WWE Crown Jewel is scheduled for November 2, 2024 from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at Mohammed Abdo Arena.
"There are big title implications for Crown Jewel at Bad Blood..
I'm looking to do what I've done three times now and enter the main event at WrestleMania 41..
Cody Rhodes is confident in Darby Allin’s skill set, both inside the squared circle and on the microphone as a promo guy. With such a belief in the fan favorite, he does not doubt that Allin can be a top guy for AEW.
Rhodes has been able to see Allin progress in pro wrestling as the former AEW Executive Vice President wrestled the popular star various times in the promotion before he left in February 2022 and returned to WWE. Since then, Rhodes has become a top star for WWE and won the Undisputed WWE Championship. Allin recently headlined AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam against Jon Moxley, falling short and giving up his World Title shot at WrestleDream.
While speaking on Superstar Crossover, Rhodes responded to Allin, who asked in a separate interview whether Cody thought he could be the face of AEW.
“So the answer is a guaranteed Yes, but don’t let Darby fool you. He was never insecure, and he was never not confident. Darby is almost overconfident, and that’s that’s what we do. We talk smack. We wrestle each other. This is entertainment. I don’t mind it, but sometimes your overconfidence is actually arrogance, when, in his case, instead of it being arrogance, the experience that he’s had now with Sting, the experience he’s had seeing the different changes in the company, all of that, that is the experience that you need to lead you to, where you see the clarity, and you see the moment go, ‘Hey, I can be the guy.’ Absolutely, 100% could potentially be the person.”
Rhodes said that the spot was available to more people than everyone thought, and, being that guy, has a more demanding schedule.
Posted September 30th, 2024 in AEW. Tagged: Cody Rhodes.
A lot happened after tonight’s episode of SmackDown from Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma went off air.
The show featured not one but three dark matches including two women’s bouts. The first dark match saw Kairi Sane picking up a submission win over Chelsea Green.
Liv Morgan defended her Women’s title against Zelina Vega in the second dark match of the night. The two women had a lot of fun with the match. Zelina mocked Liv with her signature pose while Liv pulled out the Three Amigos to try and get the win. In the end, Morgan retained her title.
The final non-televised bout of the night featured Cody Rhodes taking on Austin Theory. Rhodes addressed the fans after his win and even held a fan’s baby for a while.
The SmackDown episode tonight saw some very interesting developments for The American Nightmare. The main event featured Kevin Owens and Randy Orton taking on The Bloodline.
KO had asked Rhodes not to come out for the match but the Undisputed WWE Champion still tried to help his friends. In doing so, however, he inadvertently caused Owens and Orton to lose the bout.
Kevin Owens was visibly frustrated with Cody for this. Orton tried to make peace between the two but KO also shoved him, opening the possibility for some interesting story developments in the future.
Since his return to WWE, Cody Rhodes has proven himself to be “undeniable,” culminating in his emotional victory at WrestleMania 40. Now, the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion has achieved another major milestone in his career, this time in the realm of merchandise sales through Fanatics.
Cody has broken into the top 5 of all athletes and personalities in overall sales, sources at Fanatics told Fightful Select. No other wrestler, in or out of WWE, has reached this elite quintet; another sign of the popularity of the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion. In May of this year, Rhodes broke into the top 10 merch-sellers on Fanatics and has only grown more popular with audiences ever since.
A deal between WWE and Fanatics was reached in March 2022, mere days before Rhodes’ return to the promotion at WrestleMania 38. The deal has seen Fanatics sell several items of licensed merch ranging from t-shirts to replica championship title belts. At the time of the agreement’s inception, then-WWE Chairman Vince McMahon described Fanatics as an “industry leader” and Fanatics founder/CEO Michael Rubin as a “visionary.”
At WWE Bad Blood 2024, Cody Rhodes will team with Roman Reigns to take on The Bloodline, represented by Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu. If Rhodes teaming with the man he dethroned at WrestleMania 40 isn’t strange enough, the American Nightmare will have a special entrance for the October 5, show.
Rhodes’ entrance music will be performed by the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s Marching Band at Bad Blood 2024. The news was confirmed by the band on X, who are excited to expand their reach and gain national exposure with WWE.
This entrance will mark Rhodes’ first time being accompanied by live music in WWE and serves as a testament to the high standing of the reigning WWE Champion. WWE has typically reserved live music entrances for its very top talent including Triple H, The Undertaker, Rhea Ripley, John Cena, and the late Bray Wyatt.
Claim Your Kingdom
Rhodes’ theme song ‘Kingdom’ has proven to be a certified hit with wrestling fans with crowds across the globe singing the American Nightmare to the ring. Following Rhodes’ WrestleMania 40 victory over Roman Reigns, Kingdom reached #1 in the iTunes U.S. Rock charts.
After a particularly boisterous rendition of his theme in New York’s Barclays Center, Rhodes shared his delight that fans sing along to his theme song.
It genuinely shocked me, I had no idea people knew the full lyrics versus just the “something something” version…which is also awesome https://t.co/g29K0rKafb
Rhodes will have quite the entrance at WWE Bad Blood, but the question remains as to whether he and Roman Reigns will be able to co-exist given their history. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest from WWE Bad Blood 2024, including breaking news and live results.
At WWE Bad Blood on October 5, Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes will team up to take on The Bloodline, represented by Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu. With so much history between Reigns and Rhodes, including three WrestleMania main events as opponents, fans have naturally been skeptical as to whether the two will co-exist in Atlanta, Georgia.
On the latest episode of SmackDown, the two met in a cinematic video package filmed at Georgia Tech’s football field. Reigns opened by reflecting on his past as a football player at Georgia Tech, declaring Atlanta his territory. He then challenged Rhodes’ connection to the city, prompting Cody to cite his family’s deep roots in Atlanta, particularly their legacy at the State Farm Arena, the venue for Bad Blood.
Looking To The Future
Reigns then broached the topic of their tag match at Bad Blood and taunted his would-be tag-team partner by bringing up the Bloodline’s dominance. Reigns vowed that while they will be allies on October 5, once Bad Blood is finished, he will be coming after the Undisputed WWE Championship.
The segment ended with both men blocking each other’s attempts to leave. Reigns warned Rhodes, “You’re in my way in life,” before finally walking off ending his meeting with the American Nightmare on a tense note.
WWE Bad Blood 2024 will take place on October 5, from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Stay tuned to SEScoops for all the latest on Bad Blood including breaking news and live results.
Multiple top WWE stars including Liv Morgan, Cody Rhodes, and Drew McIntyre were in action in dark matches after this week’s episode of SmackDown from Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California went off air.
The first dark match saw Liv Morgan defending the Women’s World Championship against Lyra Valkyria. The Judgment Day member was able to retain her title at the end.
Drew McIntyre took on Jey Uso in a singles match after this. During one point in the bout, Drew faked a leg injury to sneak attack Uso and get the upper hand.
The Yeet man however came back. He actually managed to beat the former world champion with a spear. McIntyre was unhappy with the outcome and he threw a tantrum before heading to the back.
The final dark match saw Cody Rhodes defeating Carmelo Hayes in a singles match. The Undisputed WWE Champion brought a young fan into the ring after the bout to celebrate with him, showing once again why he is the face of the company.
The main event of the show saw Kevin Owens teaming up with the Street Profits to take on The Bloodline. This came after DIY, who were originally supposed to team up with KO, were brutally attacked by the Samoan faction backstage before the bout.
The main event match ended in a disqualification when the referee couldn’t control the chaos anymore. The trio of Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa and Jacob Fatu continued wreaking havoc even after the bell rang.
DIY were also taken out when they tried to help Owens. It wasn’t until Cody Rhodes came out with a chair that things evened out. The American Nightmare sent the heels retreating.
WWE once again teased Kevin Owens turning on his friend after he grabbed the chair right before the show went off air. In the end, the Prizefighter shook hands with Rhodes and the broadcast ended with both the stars standing tall.
Speaking with me on “1 Of A Kind With RVD,” Van Dam said he and Forbes actually hung out by Rhodes’ tour bus. Cody apparently had a set-up like a camp out by his bus with fold out chairs. Rhodes happened to pass by on more than one occassion before his big WWE Title match against Solo Sikoa.
“Me and Katie hung out there for awhile and he came by a few times and just was like super cool and even gave us a bottle of vodka. He was just really cool.”
Van Dam added that Dustin Rhodes has always been really cool and making everyone laugh. He recalled a time when Dustin would do a “vomit” trick with passerbys, but RVD would no-sell it.
Cody Rhodes: Apart Of The Positive Vibe In WWE
Before RVD changed subjects, he noted how different the WWE dressing room was from the days of his past. Earlier in the show Rob mentioned that there was a refreshing energy with the company and Van Dam reiterated that by running into Cody.
“Cody definitely was part of that vibe … in general the boys don’t look so tired anymore, you know? They look legitimately happy to be there, happy to be part of something, having fun and it used to be a different kind of vibe of a long drawn out day of tired people while trying to get to the end of the day and it didn’t ring true to that so much this time and I’ve heard a lot of people tell me, ‘Oh, you just gotta see how it’s changed,’ but I gotta say, they wasn’t lying.”
You can catch new episodes of “1 Of A Kind With RVD” every Monday at 4:20 PM ET.
Roman Reigns will be teaming up with an unlikely ally for his WWE return match against Bloodline at the upcoming Bad Blood PLE event.
The SmackDown season premiere on USA Network opened with Cody Rhodes defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Solo Sikoa in a cage match.
The Bloodline didn’t like it when Cody managed to beat Solo once again with a Cross Rhodes to retain his title. The group attacked the American Nightmare once the bell rang. After Jacob Fatu landed a moonsault off the top rope, Sikoa ordered him to get to the top of the cage.
Before Fatu could fly, however, Roman Reigns’ music hit, and the Original Tribal Chief came out to a huge pop. He brawled with the Bloodline for a bit and took out the group with help from Cody. The two stood in the ring unsure of each other to end the segment.
Later in the episode, Nick Aldis revealed that Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu have challenged Rhode & Reigns for a match at the upcoming PLE. At first Cody declined the offer saying that he was done with The Bloodline and they were Roman’s problem.
The final segment of the show saw Roman Reigns taking the contract from Aldis and declaring that he didn’t need a tag team partner to take care of family business. Reigns proclaimed that he remains the Tribal Chief and that the WWE ring still belongs to him.
Cody Rhodes took an exception to this claim. He came out to tell his WrestleMania 40 opponent that WWE is not his anymore since he got dethroned at the Show of Shows. Solo Sikoa then came out with Jacob Fatu while Tanga Loa and Tama Tonga tried to take out Rhodes and Reigns from behind.
Roman and Cody sent the two crashing before Reigns signed the contract. Cody stared at him for a second before extending his hand to ask for the papers. The WWE Champion signed it as well, making the Head of the Table’s return match official.
WWE Bad Blood will take place at the State Farm Arena in Cody’s hometown of Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday, October 5. You can check out the other matches announced for the show here.
