Kayla Braxton received a special farewell after this week’s episode of SmackDown from Madison Square Garden went off air.
The WWE broadcaster worked her final show at the world’s most famous arena after announcing her departure from the company last week.
After the show went off air, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes made an appearance to honor his dad, Dusty Rhodes, in the same arena where Dusty briefly held the WWWF title before it was taken away from him.
Before his promo, however, Cody mentioned how one member of the WWE family was leaving them after tonight, and brought her out for a final acknowledgment.
Kayla got emotional on receiving a huge applause from the audience. She cut a short promo, thanking the fans for accepting an outsider like her into the business 8 years ago when she first joined the promotion:
What’s Next For Kayla Braxton
Kayla Braxton posted a photo on her Twitter from the arena after the show. She said that she is overwhelmed with emotions and will miss everyone:
I love my WWE family. Thank you guys so much. I’m overwhelmed. I will miss you all but we will see eachother again. ?? pic.twitter.com/41gQipSLsi
It’s been reported that the company was in talks with the female star for a contract renewal but she ultimately chose not to renew her deal.
While Kayla has not revealed plans for her post-WWE career, she did confirm that she will be leaving the wrestling business altogether, instead of joining a rival promotion like AEW.
The experience of working in a live TV environment in a global brand like WWE would surely help Braxton in her next adventure. We wish that she will find success in whatever she chooses to do next.
Cody Rhodes honored his father Dusty Rhodes in a unique way after this week’s episode of SmackDown from Madison Square Garden went off air.
This was an emotional night for The American Nightmare. It was his first appearance as a World Champion, in the same arena where his father briefly held the WWWF Heavyweight Championship before it was taken away from him.
The SmackDown star addressed the crowd after the show went off the air. He mentioned how MSG is where it all began when Dusty Rhodes first traveled to New York from Texas.
The Undisputed WWE Champion went on to cut a short promo about his family’s history before he surprised the fans by bringing out the belt that his father had failed to capture all the decades prior:
Dusty Rhodes challenged Superstar Billy Graham for the WWWF Championship on September 27, 1977. He defeated Graham via a count out and celebrated with the title for a while. It was then announced, however, that the belt could only change hands via pinfall or submission, and the title was returned to Graham.
What Happened On SmackDown
Cody Rhodes was involved in the broadcast of the show. He along with Kevin Owens and Randy Orton attacked The Bloodline led by Solo Sikoa in the opening segment of the night. This came after Jacob Fatu made his debut and took out all three during last week’s SmackDown.
The babyface trio was escorted out of the arena by security and police so they could not interfere in the Bloodline Acknowledgement ceremony in the main event.
During the ceremony, Paul Heyman was brutally attacked by Solo and his cousins after the wiseman refused to acknowledge him as the new Tribal Chief. You can check out what happened with Paul Heyman after this segment here.
Joe Hendry has revealed how Cody Rhodes stuck his neck out to get him a job which was an important stop in the journey to his current popularity.
The TNA star recently had an interview with Chris Van Vliet. He talked about things such as his song going viral, how well TNA management has treated him, and more.
During the interview, he was asked about Cody Rhodes and Hendry mentioned that the two met at What Culture Pro Wrestling. He revealed that it was around the same time as the inception of AEW.
At the time Joe Hendry may not have been ready for a spot in AEW but the American Nightmare still helped him get in touch with ROH officials:
“We were on the same tour right around the time that he was starting AEW. Obviously, at the time, that might not be the right fit, but rather than just be like, ‘No,’ Cody came to me, he says, ‘Listen, I think Ring of Honor is Interested in you’ I was like ‘Really?’
He’s like, ‘ but you’re not under contract?’ Because I’d done stuff with TNA when it was Impact back in 2018. I think there was the assumption that I was under contract, but I’d just done a handful of shows.”
Joe Hendry mentioned that the deal with ROH was done within 5 minutes. According to him, the experience he gained at the company was very valuable to his journey:
“So Cody set up that call with me and Ring of Honor. Honestly, it was like, deal was done in five minutes. So all of this happened because of that call, because I wouldn’t have got to TNA if I didn’t have…I did the first Ring of Honor show back with the new ownership.
So if I hadn’t have my time at Ring of Honor, I learned so much, that I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing right now. So I definitely owe Cody Rhodes a cigar, for sure.”
Joe Hendry returned to ROH in 2018 after a brief stint in 2016 and he was officially signed to a contract in 2019. He was featured regularly on the promotion until the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to cease operations.
Hendry was also part of Supercard of Honor XV in April 2022, the first ROH show under the leadership of Tony Khan. He then signed a contract with Impact Wrestling in September that year and has been a part of the promotion ever since.
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes is feeling worse for wear after a brutal ambush during the June 21, edition of WWE SmackDown.
In the main event, Rhodes battled Solo Sikoa but outside interference resulted in the match being thrown out. After the bout, Jacob Fatu made his WWE debut, laying out Randy Orton, Kevin Owens, and Rhodes, the latter of whom was sent through a table.
Appearing at a WWE live event in Bloomington, Illinois, Rhodes retained the Undisputed WWE Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura in the show’s main event. After the match, Rhodes addressed the attack from SmackDown and revealed the extent of his injuries.
“A little scoop for you Bloomington, last night I did break two of my ribs. And the thought [backstage] was ‘Well, you can take off Bloomington, you can take off Kalamazoo. You can even take off next Friday where the story began in 1978, New York City’ And my answer to that was emphatically, 100% ‘Hell No!'”
What’s Next for Cody Rhodes?
Judging by this week’s SmackDown as well as what happened in Glasgow, Scotland, it’s clear that The Bloodline is not finished with Cody Rhodes. According to reports, fans can expect Rhodes’ newfound issues with this revamped Bloodline to continue for months to come.
One name that fans seemingly shouldn’t expect to see in this matter is Roman Reigns. On this week’s SmackDown, Paul Heyman said it was important for Solo Sikoa to keep Rhodes ‘in check’ for the return of the Tribal Chief. Sikoa fired back by claiming Reigns is never coming back to WWE.
In May 2024, WWE Shop saw notable sales in their apparel category, and we have a full list of top-selling products.
Wrestlenomics reports that CM Punk emerged as a top seller for May 2024, showing his strong connection with fans, even though his injury hiatus. Jey Uso followed closely, which shouldn’t be a huge surprise considering the incredible reception his Yeet entrance has received in recent memory.
Cody Rhodes, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Rock also featured in the sales rankings, showcasing the appeal of both current and legendary figures in wrestling. Other superstars such as Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt, Rey Mysterio, and Liv Morgan also made the top ten list, reflecting a range of interests among the WWE fan base.
Best-Selling Items
When it comes to individual items, the “Men’s Black Jey Uso Yeet T-Shirt” led the pack, staying in the top 10 for 22 days throughout the month. This was followed by the “Men’s Black Return of CM Punk T-Shirt,” which also enjoyed significant daily sales.
“Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s merchandise, particularly the “Stone Cold” Steve Austin & Booker T Rivals T-Shirt and the classic “Stone Cold” Steve Austin 3:16 T-Shirt, remained fan favorites. CM Punk’s “Best In The World” ringer T-shirt and The Rock’s “Final Boss” T-shirt also saw strong sales.
It’s also notable that Liv Morgan topped WWE’s sales charts after her King & Queen of the Ring Women’s World Title win, which landed her the #10 spot for the entire month.
Top-Selling WWE Merchandise for May 2024
Top Superstars:
CM Punk
Jey Uso
Cody Rhodes
Stone Cold Steve Austin
The Rock
Randy Orton
Roman Reigns
Bray Wyatt
Rey Mysterio/Mysterios
Liv Morgan
Insights and Trends
The data from May 2024 reveals a few key trends. The continued sales of CM Punk’s merchandise underline his lasting impact and popularity. Jey Uso’s rise in the rankings reflects his growing influence and appeal within the WWE universe.
The presence of both legendary figures like Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock, alongside current superstars such as Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes, indicates a broad spectrum of fan interests spanning different eras of WWE.
Overall, WWE Shop’s apparel sales for May 2024 highlight the dynamic nature of wrestling fandom and the continued popularity of both past and present WWE superstars.
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has shown his support for young darts sensation Luke Littler for the 17-year-old’s debut shows in the United States.
In a video shared by WWE, William Regal speaks with ‘The Duke’ at the WWE Headquarters in Stamford, CT. Little was shown a video from Cody Rhodes who had some kind words
“I heard you were going to WWE HQ, getting a little tour-ski. I love it. I heard you are a fan of WWE. I love that even more. My friend, we are fans of yours… My man, you are a champion’s champion from one champion to another. Luke, my friend, see you down the road.”
At just 17 years old, Little has taken the professional darts world by storm and already has many championships and accolades to his name. Littler is the current Premier League Darts champion, PDC World Youth Champion, the current Bahrain Masters Champion. He also holds championship wins in both the Belgian and Austrian Darts Open
Littler’s WWE fandom is hardly a secret. The darts star uses Greenlight by Pitbull as his walk-out theme, which was inspired by him attending Wrestlemania 33 in 2017 as an 11-year-old. For his first game in the U.S. this week, Littler used Kingdom by Downstait, the theme of Cody Rhodes. Littler demolished his opponent Matt Campbell 6-0 in just 10 minutes to advance to the next round.
Cody Rhodes needs a new challenger for the Undisputed World Title, and AJ Styles figured out a great way to jump the line.
AJ Styles is at an important moment in his career. He wanted another shot at the World Title, but SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis told Styles that he’s at the back of the line. Styles has made it clear that he doesn’t have the patience for this setback.
In the closing segment of SmackDown this week, AJ Styles addressed the WWE Universe. While he was accompanied by Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, Styles explained his reasons for considering a step back from the business. Styles mentioned it might be time for him to focus on being a father instead.
Styles then invited Cody to the ring, stating that SmackDown is the house he built, and he was now handing the keys to The American Nightmare. What started as a touching moment took a dramatic turn as Cody was raising Styles’ hand in front of the fans.
Styles turned on Cody, launching a brutal attack on the Undisputed WWE World Champion. The assault concluded with a Styles Clash onto the floor from the ring steps. SmackDown ended with Styles looking very pleased with himself, and Cody was selling the attack.
This segment was very reminesant of another classic angle, one that fans might remember as Mark Henry’s most memorable segment that didn’t involve Mae Young giving birth to a hand.
In 2013, WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry faked a retirement speech to get one over on John Cena. While wearing a now-legendary orange suit, The World’s Strongest Man acted like he had wrestled his last match, only to change his mind by attacking Cena. This time it was AJ Styles playing the same trick on Cody Rhodes.
There’s a long tradition of managers in wrestling. Indeed, there’s no shortage of old school fans who are nostalgic for the days when people like Bobby Heenan, Sherri Martel, Slick, Mr. Fuji, and Jimmy Hart were a staple part of WWE’s presentation. In earlier eras, the likes of Freddie Blassie, Lou Albano, and Arnold Skaaland were a major part of the show.
While Paul Heyman has carried the torch for managers who have a steady and important role, it has nonetheless felt as though managing is a lost art in pro wrestling and particularly WWE. That may well change, though, and the idea of Arn Anderson returning to WWE to rekindle his partnership with Cody Rhodes has a lot of appeal to it.
Arn Anderson Is Done With AEW
Arn and Brock Anderson
On the most recent edition of his podcast, ARN, Arn Anderson discussed wrapping up with AEW. His contract ended May 31, and he indicated that he wants to focus on help his son Brock develop.
Where Arn will help Brock remains unclear. The youngster quietly parted ways with AEW in the fall. It’s not certain WWE would be interested in him, but if there were the potential to bring both men into the fold, it has the makings of a win-win-win scenario.
Cody Rhodes Has Stated He Wants “A Classic Wrestling Manager”
Apr 7, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; WWE Universal Championship match between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes during Wrestlemania XL Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
Cody Rhodes joined Busted Open Radio earlier this month and, in the context of discussing how Logan Paul’s entourage had outnumbered him, he brought up his interest in having “a classic wrestling manager to join me on this title reign.” While some early conjecture on social media speculated about Brandi Rhodes joining him on the road, that doesn’t necessarily fit the classic or old school feel The American Nightmare seems to be grasping for.
Arn Anderson could fit that bill, as he fits a certain old school mold of men ranging from Bobby Heenan to Harley Race as in-ring performers who transitioned to managing champions. The Enforcer is many years past the point he can physically go in the ring, but his work in AEW demonstrated he can still be a potent contributor on the mic.
Cody Rhodes And Arn Anderson Have History
Arn Anderson and Cody Rhodes
Arn Anderson’s most memorable on-screen efforts in AEW came when he backed up Cody Rhodes. While there’s a case to be made that neither man’s AEW run realized its full potential, they had their moments, including a noteworthy promo in which Double-A heatedly called on Rhodes to stand up for himself and show more fire.
Rhodes has already realized a great deal of his vision with his WWE return, thriving as a top babyface and “finishing the story” when he took the WWE Championship off Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. Perhaps he could realize his full vision with Anderson as well, working in concert with each other.
Moreover, it’s easy to imagine Anderson revisiting something like his glock promo to light a fire under The American Nightmare in the dog days of his title reign, either between major feuds or after he’s suffered some major setback.
Arn Anderson Has Proven He Can Play The Victim To A Vicious Heel
Arn Anderson
Arn Anderson was part of the WWE team for quite some time after his in-ring career. The most memorable thing he did on-screen with the company, though, may well have been backing up Ric Flair against The Undertaker heading into WrestleMania 18.
The Dead Man targeted Anderson for a brutal, bloody assault to play mind games with The Nature Boy. Moreover, this sub-angle led to Anderson interjecting himself in the ‘Mania match to hit a spinebuster to a huge pop, before The Undertaker choked him out.
With Cody Rhodes seemingly destined to return to feuding with The Bloodline, there’s lots of potential for The Enforcer to revive that victim role as a guy old school fans are invested in and who knows wrestling psychology enough to sell well, even if he has severe limitations to what he can do in a wrestling ring. In particular, it’s easy to imagine a mixed callback of The Rock choosing to make Anderson bleed in the build to WrestleMania 41 to get at Rhodes in a new way before the two of them have their one-on-one showdown.
Cody Rhodes pairing up with Arn Anderson once again, and particularly under the creative direction of Triple H—who has demonstrated a respect for and analogous wrestling aesthetic to both—has all the potential in the world. If The Enforcer is interested, hopefully we’ll see this pairing happen on WWE television before long.
Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns may well go down as one of the greatest feuds of the modern era. Few, if any, rivalries in recent years have captured quite the same emotional investment as this program, rooted in strong in-ring and mic work alike from both principal players. Perhaps the most important ingredient to the program’s success was each man’s backstory.
Even going into the first WrestleMania main event between the two, The Tribal Chief was riding a historic wave of momentum as a long-reigning, dominant champion—a dynamic that had only intensified going into WrestleMania 40. Meanwhile, The American Nightmare embraced a story of redemption both for his own unconventional career path and for his family.
Indeed, the story set such a high bar that the title reign Rhodes has embarked on since has felt a bit anticlimactic for not living up to how it got started. The key challenger to get this run back on track is none other than Solo Sikoa.
There Hasn’t Been Drama To Any Cody Rhodes Title Defenses Thus Far
One can’t fault AJ Styles or Logan Paul as challengers to Cody Rhodes. Both men are skilled performers who more than carried their ends of excellent WWE Championship PLE matches against The American Nightmare. However, there’s also an undeniable truth: no one thought Styles or Paul had a legitimate chance of taking the title off Rhodes.
Indeed, WWE has found itself in a confounding situation of a great main event face coming off an incredibly dramatic story with no sense he’s in any jeopardy of losing his title right away. As credible as Styles is as an all-time great in-ring worker, it’s hard to imagine him winning a world title in WWE again unless a string of injuries to other top stars make the company “break glass in case of an emergency.” Meanwhile, Paul is well-established as an upper mid-card player, but it’s hard to imagine him carrying the top prize in the business anytime soon.
WWE may well have made the right call in feeding Rhodes challengers who aren’t believable but could give him very good matches while fans wouldn’t believe he’s dropping the title anyway. That will have to change soon, though, for this title reign not to feel flat.
The New Bloodline Has Heat
The new Bloodline, running under Solo Sikoa’s leadership, has been a provocative part of WWE programming since WrestleMania. The faction and its defining family are over with the WWE audience. Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa are fresh faces who’ve added intrigue to faction, and insiders make it seem like only a matter of time before Jacob Fatu joins the mix.
With Sikoa declaring himself the leader in the absence of Roman Reigns, there’s also intrigue around what will happen when The Tribal Chief does return, or what things will look like when The Rock is back on WWE television. All of that sets up buzz around the Bloodline again, without over-exposing them too dramatically (including going so far as to leave the group off the King and Queen of the Ring PLE altogether).
A time will come sooner than later when Sikoa will be ready to take his rightful place as a bona fide main eventer. Cody Rhodes will be waiting.
Solo Sikoa Is Well Protected
Yes, Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa has happened before. It occurred on numerous house shows and in dark matches, and even once on Raw as The American Nightmare got ready to challenge Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39. Nonetheless, their issue feels far from played out, as the two haven’t collided on a PLE before, and their one televised bout was long enough ago not to be fresh on fans’ minds.
Moreover, Sikoa feels ready to main event. His televised losses have been few, far between, and only at the hands of top-tier talents. He also has a decisive victory over John Cena to still hang his hat on. All of this means that it would only take a small push rather than rehabilitation to position him as a credible challenger for the WWE Championship.
Cody Rhodes Vs. Solo Sikoa Can Be A Gateway To Bigger Things
It’s possible for WWE to position Solo Sikoa as a legitimate challenger to Cody Rhodes. Moreover, even in the likely case Rhodes survives that challenge and walks away champion, there’s every potential for WWE to keep a compelling story going.
With The Rock and Roman Reigns each waiting in the wings, The American Nightmare’s continued war with The Bloodline could naturally segue to one of these much bigger matches. While some fans feel Rhodes vs. Reigns is played out, it’s still a bankable main event rematch for WWE to stage at some point. From there, Rhodes vs. The Rock feels like the masterplan—the dream bout that a general consensus of fans has prognosticated to headline WrestleMania 41 and a match that can naturally follow from Rock showing up to backup or perhaps avenge his kin, Sikoa.
Cody Rhodes has made every scenario thrown at him since his WWE return work for him, and the smart money is on his title reign turning out to be very good. The right challenger will really spark something, though, and Solo Sikoa is a prime candidate for that spot.
The WWE Universe could be seeing much more of Cody Rhodes out of the ring as he is being represented in Hollywood by a leading talent agency.
The Undisputed WWE Champion is being represented by William Morris Endeavor, PW Insider reports. Rhodes has been working with WME for about four weeks now. The American Nightmare has already landed a cameo role in the upcoming Naked Gun reboot that will star Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson.
As the name suggests, William Morris Endeavor is also known as Endeavor, the parent company of WWE. Endeavor finalized its $9 billion acquisition of WWE in September 2023 with the merger of WWE and UFC into TKO Group Holdings. By teaming with Endeavor, Rhodes has become the first WWE Superstar to be represented by WME post the 2023 acquisition.
Cody Rhodes Out of the Ring
While Rhodes has yet to receive his breakout role in Hollywood, he does have some acting credits to his name. In 2010, Cody played ‘Kurt Smoller’ on an episode of Warehouse 13, and serves as the romantic interest for the show’s female lead Myka. Their date goes awry when Myka switches bodies with the show’s male lead Pete due to a magical idol the two had been investigating resulting with Pete-in-Myka going on the date instead.
From 2016 to 2018, Rhodes played the near-invulnerable Derek Sampson on Arrow, the CW’s take on the DC Comics character Green Arrow. Rhodes would also feud with Green Arrow actor Stephen Amell in WWE with Amell ending up victorious in a tag-team match at WWE SummerSlam 2015.
Rhodes joins an impressive list of stars represented by WME.
Wrestlers and WME
Cody Rhodes is by no means the only name in pro wrestling to be represented by William Morris Endeavor. The acclaimed talent agency also represents high-profile names including Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, John Cena, WWE United States Champion Logan Paul, and Ronda Rousey.
WWE United States Champion Logan Paul has thanked the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes despite the former’s defeat at WWE King & Queen of the Ring in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
‘The Maverick’ portrays a heel persona on-screen but couldn’t help from acknowledging the amazing match against Cody Rhodes. Taking to his X account, Paul said that he had “fun” during the match against ‘The American Nightmare’. Paul tweeted:
This marked Cody Rhodes’ second title defense at a PLE after successfully defending his title against AJ Styles at Backlash: France earlier this month. On the other hand, this was Paul’s second attempt at winning the World title as he previously faced Roman Reigns for the title at Crown Jewel 2022.
Cody Rhodes hitting Logan Paul with Cody Cutter on announce table
Cody Rhodes successfully retains the title over Logan Paul
Cody Rhodes and Logan Paul headlined WWE King And Queen Of The RingPLE. During the match, Paul used his brass knuckles despite promising he wouldn’t use it.
Rhodes almost won the match via count-out but stopped the ref’s ten-count. Paul soon took advantage and hit a spectacular frog splash on Rhodes through the Arabic announce table.
In the final moments of the match, guest ring announcer Ibrahim Al Hajjaj stopped ‘The Maverick’ from using the brass knuckles again. This distracted Paul and Cody hit three Cross Rhodes and pinned Paul to win the match.
Cody Rhodes will be looking forward to WWE’s next Premium Live Event WWE Clash At The Castle: Scotland which will take place at OVO Hydro arena in Glasgow, Scotland on June 15.
The Great Khali has joined the neck tattoo club of wrestling.
The former World Champion has been going viral in India recently for his involvement in the ongoing general elections and his collab with the world’s shortest woman Jyoti Amge.
One development fans may have not expected to see however is Khali getting a neck tattoo rivaling that of the current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.
The former WWE star real name Dalip Singh Rana visited famous Delhi artist Karan for this tattoo of a tiger. This is a play on his real name Singh, which is a word describing the king of the jungle:
The neck tattoo wasn’t the only ink Khali got done on his visit to Karan. He also got a full right arm tattoo as a tribute to his mother.
The Great Khali’s Post WWE Career
The Great Khali has continued being a celebrity in India following his exit from WWE in 2014 after a successful run with the company.
The Giant opened his own wrestling school dubbed Continental Wrestling Entertainment in Punjab. Wrestlers such as Dilsher Shanky and Kavita Devi have been signed by WWE after beginning their careers with CWE.
The WWE Hall of Famer joined the current ruling party of India, BJP in 2022. He has been active in the ongoing general elections, making appearances to promote local candidates for BJP in the states of Punjab and Haryana.
He also recently went viral for his video with Jyoti Amge. Amge is the world’s shortest living woman according to the Guinness World Records and Great Khali was seen lifting the record holder in a video he shared on Instagram.
Cody Rhodes had some choice words for Logan Paul after their Undisputed Title match at WWE King and Queen of The Ring PLE from the Jeddah Superdome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The two competitors had an incredible match with the YouTube star once again showing off his athleticism. He delivered an impressive top rope frog splash on Rhodes through the Arabic announce desk which became a viral moment. In response, Cody hit the US Champion with a Vertebreaker.
Paul didn’t hold back on the shenanigans either and Logan introduced the brass knuckles in the bout to try and win the match. He had Cody Rhodes almost beat after the referee was knocked down and Paul delivered a low blow.
Actor Ibrahim Al Hajjaj who was in attendance for the show, however, prevented the challenger from using the brass knuckles to get the victory. This distraction allowed Cody to get back his footing and he finally won the match using a series of Cross-Rhodes.
The show went off air with the Undisputed Champion celebrating his victory. After the cameras stopped rolling, Cody cut a short promo where he gave props to Logan Paul and thanked the fans:
“Incredible showing by United States Champion Logan Paul. Well, this is it for now, I cannot wait until I see you all again. God bless you guys, thank you all very much. Take care of each other, have a goodnight, I love you all,”
What Happened At WWE King And Queen Of The Ring
The King and Queen of The Ring PPV saw some surprising winners coming out of the show aside from the expected results in the main event.
This included Gunther who defeated Randy Orton to win the King of The Ring tournament. Though the ending of the bout was not free of controversy.
Liv Morgan also surprised fans by defeating Becky Lynch for the Women’s World Championship after Dominik Mysterio made an appearance to ‘stop’ Morgan from taking Mami’s title.
Becky Lynch was obviously not happy with how things turned out and The Man has demanded a rematch for the title on this Monday’s episode of Raw.
Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship reign continues to go strong after retaining the title against Logan Paul in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The American Nightmare and the Maverick met in the main event of WWE King And Queen Of The Ring. The two were easily matched before Paul took the lead with a pair of brass knuckles supplied by a member of the PRIME Hydration Station.
Paul’s action would outrage Michael Cole as Paul had previously vowed to not use any brass knuckles. A confrontation between the commentator and the Maverick allowed Rhodes to take control.
The two would continue to trade control with Paul targeting the injured ribs of the American Nightmare. The fight would go to the outside again and Rhodes would hit the ‘Cody Cutter’ on the table.
Rhodes had the match won at this point but stopped the referee’s ten-count as he wanted Paul to ‘learn.’ Capitalizing on this, Paul would recover and hit a splash on Rhodes through the Arabic announce table, but a second splash in the ring garnered only a two count.
During one spot, the referee was taken out and Paul wasted no time in going for the brass knuckles again. As he went to use them however, guest ring announcer Ibrahim Al Hajjaj stopped him and Rhodes would deliver three Cross Rhodes to put the Maverick down for the three count.
The American Nightmare triumphed in Jeddah.
What’s to Come?
With another successful title defense to his name, Rhodes’ attention will turn towards WWE’s next Premium Live Event WWE Clash At The Castle: Scotland. The event will be WWE’s first PLE in the UK since Money in the Bank 2023 where Rhodes defeated ‘Dirty’ Dominik Mysterio. WWE Clash At The Castle: Scotland will take place on June 15 in Glasgow’s OVO Hydro arena.
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has penned a heartfelt tribute for his former rival in AEW, Brodie Lee.
‘The American Nightmare’ took to his X account and reminisced his epic battle against ‘The Exalted One.’ He responded to a fan-made video package of his classic Dog Collar Match against Brodie Lee which took place on October 7, 2020 edition of AEW Dynamite. He showered praise for the late wrestler, who showcased a remarkable performance that night. Cody revealed that he kept his collar and the jacket from the match as mementos and labeled Lee as the ultimate family man and pro wrestler. Check out the post below:
Brodie gave me a beating and gave the world an incredible and magnificent final show
(I kept my collar and his jacket) and all the memories I could salvage
Cody Rhodes and Brodie Lee had a fiery feud back in 2020. The pair locked horns over the TNT Championship several times during their time in AEW. The former Dark Order leader defeated Cody for the title in August 2020. However, ‘The American Nightmare’ Rhodes dethroned Lee a few months later in the aforementioned Dog Collar match. Brodie Lee tragically passed away at the age of 41 in 2020 and Cody Rhodes was his final opponent.
Brodie Lee and his family shared a close relationship with Cody Rhodes. ‘The American Nightmare’ has remained close with Lee’s family, who were also present when Cody finished his story at WrestleMania 40.
Cody Rhodes set to defend his title
Cody Rhodes will be putting his Undisputed WWE Championship on the line against the WWE United States Champion Logan Paul at this weekend’s WWE King & Queen of The Ring PLE in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This will mark Cody’s second title defense at a PLE after retaining against AJ Styles at Backlash: France. Meanwhile, this is Paul’s second World title shot after facing the former Universal Champion Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel 2022.
WWE had previously teased a title vs title match between Cody and Logan. But why? Read below:
During the May 17, edition of SmackDown, Rhodes spoke of his desire to capture the coveted ‘Grand Slam’ and is only missing the U.S. title from his collection. Despite these teases, it was confirmed during the contract signing later in the night that the upcoming match would ONLY be for Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship.
Why WWE Teased Title For Title
WWE never had any intention of having both titles on the line, despite what was being teased on TV and social media, Dave Meltzer reports. The reason behind the teases is that it was WWE’s way of getting extra ‘heat’ on Paul. The idea is that after fans were led to believe both titles would be on the line, Paul ‘backtracking’ by ensuring he wouldn’t be at risk of losing his gold would rile up the fans against him. On SmackDown, it was made clear that Paul’s lawyers had drafted the contract that means only Rhodes’ title will be on the line.
What’s Next?
Paul and Rhodes will face off this weekend at the WWE King And Queen of the Ring PLE. The show will be Rhodes’ second title defend his title at a Premium Live Event after defeating AJ Styles at Backlash France. The match will also be Paul’s second World Championship opportunity after facing then-Universal Champion Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel 2022.
The Undertaker moved at a cat-like pace to ensure his spot at WrestleMania 40 went off without a hitch, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has revealed.
In the emotional main event of WrestleMania 40: Sunday, Rhodes ended the 1,316-day run of Roman Reigns, who has not been seen since the event. Both men had help with The Undertaker appearing to chokeslam The Rock after the Final Boss tried to assist his cousin.
The Undertaker dealt with The Rock at WrestleMania 40 before Cody’s story was finished.
Though not decked in his usual Undertaker regalia, the WWE Hall of Famer did appear in the ring in an instant when the lights went dark. On the Babyfaces podcast, Rhodes shared some new information about the Phenom’s infamous appearance.
“When the blackout happens in the arena, your eyes are adjusted to where you actually can see kind of what’s going on in the ring… I saw out of the corner of my eye, The Undertaker roll in the ring at a speed that was like a Ricochet would roll in the ring. A Chad Gable would roll in the ring.
“A speed that if anyone’s wondering, ‘Oh, I wonder if it’s still there.’ Oh my gosh. It was like a lion, legit like watching a lion who’d been sleeping on the rock all day and then he just went out and did it.”
Rhodes then recalled a ‘moment’ that he likes to believe he shared with his fellow WWE World Champion
“When he chokeslams The Rock, I got to make eye contact with him ever so briefly. And I think he maybe wanted to have a moment, maybe not. I could be overestimating my importance to The Undertaker here, but he winked at me. He winked at me and then the lights went out.”
With the Phenom clearing the field, Rhodes was able to defeat Reigns and finally ‘finish the story.’ He has since retained against AJ Styles at WWE Backlash France. His next title defense will come against Logan Paul at WWE King And Queen Of The Ring.
Cody Rhodes has said that he regrets not having Shawn Spears in the ring for his celebration after the WrestleMania 40 win over Roman Reigns.
The American Nightmare recently had an interview with The Babyfaces podcast. He discussed things such as The Miz throwing him a crazy party for his 21st birthday and more.
Cody has long history with The Chairman, going all the way back to their time in Ohio Valley Wrestling. Spears was one of Rhodes’ first mentors after Dusty Rhodes decided to put them in a tag team because Spears had more experience than his son.
The American Nightmare talked about this time and mentioned how Shawn Spears was the one who carried him through the rivalry with former WWE tag team Deuce ‘n Domino:
“You mentioned Shawn Spears. So Shawn Spears, during the Deuce-Domino-Cherry, during this rivalry, I had no fundamental experience. I couldn’t tell you a top wrist lock from a double quarter. I had no fundamentals. But they didn’t mind because they were teaching me from the story perspective first. That’s how Al [Snow] would like to teach and Shawn was there to lead me through it, and he does not get enough credit from me for how special he is.”
He Is A Blessing To The Business: Cody Rhodes
The Undisputed WWE Champion later recalled meeting Shawn Spears backstage on the day of his big win over Roman Reigns. Cody Rhodes claimed that he regrets not having Spears with him for the post-match celebration at the Show of Shows:
“He is the only person that I regret I didn’t have in the ring after WrestleMania because I saw him that day and we just took a picture together and he was just like he always was. He knew what this day was, he knew it was big and the opportunity to go and I could take it all if I wanted to and gosh dude, I wouldn’t be where I’m at without Shawn Spears. He is a blessing to the business and I am so glad to see him in NXT.”
The American Nightmare is scheduled to defend his title against Logan Paul at the upcoming King and Queen of The Ring Premium Live Event from Saudi Arabia on May 25.
After leaving AEW at the start of the year, Shawn Spears returned to WWE during the February 27 episode of NXT. He has been active on the brand as an on-screen talent ever since and has also been helping produce the shows behind the scenes.
The American Nightmare has expressed interest in potentially having a Manager in his corner.
In a recent interview on Busted Open Radio, the former AEW EVP expressed his discomfort with being by himself during the contract signing for his upcoming Championship match with Logan Paul at King & Queen of the Ring. In contrast, the reigning United States Champion was accompanied by his lawyer and members of his Impulsive entourage.
During his interview, Cody Rhodes mentioned that he would welcome having someone “like” Arn Anderson in his corner in the future.
“It was something I missed when Logan and I were doing this contract signing to see him flanked by so many people.
I don’t know. Maybe I’m looking for the classic wrestling manager to join me on this title reign. I don’t know who that is or what that is, but it just felt like I wouldn’t mind someone to holler the stuff that you just did.” – Cody Rhodes, via Busted Open Radio
Cody Rhodes is no stranger to having allies in and out of the squared circle. The WWE Universe saw how the dubbed “CodyVengers” came together to help the American Nightmare defeat The Bloodline and come out of WrestleMania 40 as champion.
Since returning to WWE in 2022, Rhodes has not had a formal manager. In contrast, during his time in All Elite Wrestling, Rhodes led the Nightmare Family, with professional wrestling legend Arn Anderson as his coach/manager. All of this leads to the obvious question: “Who would that person be?”
As mentioned, one contender is WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson himself. One glaring issue with that choice is that the former “Enforcer” of the Fourhorseman is currently signed to AEW, and works as a road agent. Additionally, given Cody Rhodes’ parameters of requiring a “classic wrestling manager,” this limits the options for Rhodes. For example, it excludes people like his wife Brandi Rhodes from consideration.
One name that does come to mind is former WCW Champion, and real-life friend to Rhodes, Diamond Dallas Page. DDP has been an outspoken supporter of Cody Rhodes, The Nightmare Factory, and Rhodes’ overall journey in professional wrestling for nearly his whole life. Page has been present for some of Cody Rhodes’ biggest career milestones, including his NWA Championship match at the inaugural ALL IN pay-per-view in 2018, his second Royal Rumble victory earlier this year, and more.
Diamond Dallas Page, a WWE Hall of Famer in his own right, meets all the requirements that Rhodes would be looking for in a manager. Page is a smart ring veteran who has accomplished everything in the industry and is someone that Rhodes can trust unconditionally. Additionally, DDP is already signed to a WWE Legends contract.
Another name that could get thrown into the mix was the man Cody Rhodes was directing his response to in the first place, WWE legend Mark Henry. As reported earlier today by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com, Henry’s contract with All Elite Wrestling is set to expire soon. Having the World’s Strongest Man in your corner is never a bad investment!
WWE Undisputed Universal Champion Cody Rhodes is on top of the world as he prepares for his second title defense. ‘The American Nightmare’ will put his gold on the line against WWE United States Champion Logan Paul at WWE King and Queen Of The Ring this Saturday, May 25.
Since the matchup was announced, Rhodes has expressed interest in becoming a Grand Slam Champion, a bucket list goal he’s only one win from achieving. Rhodes has held every championship in the company except for the WWE United States and World Heavyweight Championships. Fans expected both titles to be up for grabs, with Rhodes teasing the stipulation on social media. However, in the storyline, Paul issued a new contract excluding his title from being defended. Despite ‘The Maverick’s’ underhanded tactics, Rhodes signed the deal to make his title defense official for the upcoming premium live event.
Rhodes appeared on Busted Open Radio on Monday morning, where he shared that he was surprised by Paul’s move to have his lawyer issue a new deal ahead of their match. Despite this, he is fully prepared to defend his championship and hopes to become a WWE Grand Slam Champion before he retires.
“…Normally, I think anybody would be frustrated because we’re all chasing titles. We’re all chasing accolades, but this is the top of the pyramid for WWE. Just objectively, this is what sits at the top, and everything else is beneath it,” said Rhodes.
He added, “…Logan not taking his title out of the equation did not make me near as mad as it would have had this not been the prize on the line and again, the Grand Slam Championship eludes me, but I got time left on the contract. I can seek it out as I go.”
Rhodes aims to retain his championship against Paul this Saturday at the Jeddah Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. While he should be the favorite to win, it’s unclear what ‘The Maverick’ has planned for their match. Paul has shown that he is willing to cheat and involve his friends to secure a victory.
In his most recent match, Paul had famous influencer and streamer IShowSpeed interfere to help defeat Kevin Owens and Randy Orton at WWE WrestleMania 40 on April 7. Rhodes must be extra cautious about who is at ringside to keep his championship.
A win for Rhodes on May 25 could put him in line to challenge for the WWE United States Championship. However, he must stay focused on successfully defending his title and be prepared for whatever underhanded tactics Paul has in store.
Cody Rhodes made history by winning the Royal Rumble for a second consecutive year back in January. However, what should have been a monumental day had a dark cloud looming over it that we’re just now learning about.
During a Monday appearance on Busted Open Radio, Rhodes reveals that he learned about The Rock interjecting himself into the road to WrestleMania just hours before punching his ticket to Philadelphia.
“I found out the possibility of the Rock versus Roman Reigns the day of the Royal Rumble, and I had to leave that room, head up and make sure no one knew what could possibly happen and probably on one of the more difficult days I’ve ever had in the wrestling business. But also, how can you complain when you’re winning the Royal Rumble, when you’re pointing at the sign, when over 20,000 people in Tampa? It was such a high, such a low.”
Jan 27, 2024; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Cody Rhodes eliminates CM Punk during the Men s Royal Rumble match at Tropicana Field.
Rhodes’ victory in the 30-man match made him the fourth Superstar in history to win back-to-back Rumbles. After the match, he wasted no time in making clear that he planned on challenging Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40. However, WWE and The Rock and other plans.
Despite literally pointing at Reigns as his desired WrestleMania opponent, things were much different on the post-Royal Rumble edition of WWE SmackDown. Rhodes handed over his WrestleMania main event to The Rock in a now-infamous segment that ignited the ‘We Want Cody’ movement. Had it not been for that movement, Cody may not have finished his story at WrestleMania. As it turns out, that movement was totally organic and WWE really did want to go with Rock vs. Reigns at WrestleMania.
In the end, the Great One aligned with the Tribal Chief, joined The Bloodline, evolved into the Final Boss and took the fans on a ride that will be talked about for a long time. Rhodes dethroned Reigns at WrestleMania, is the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion and an eventual match with The Rock is expected.
Here’s Cody Rhodes’ full appearance on Busted Open Radio:
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has shared what The Rock gifted him in the most recent face-to-face confrontation between the two megastars.
The two met during the post-WrestleMania 40 edition of WWE Monday Night Raw, 24 hours removed from Rhodes capturing his title and ending the 1,316-day run of Roman Reigns. As part of the tense segment, The Rock placed an item in Cody’s hand that was evidently significant to the American Nightmare.
Fans never got the chance to see exactly what The Rock gave Rhodes during that fateful episode of WWE Monday Night Raw. Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Rhodes shared what the Final Boss gave him.
“I tried to make a positive overture, an olive branch to The Rock and the Seven Bucks team because I have an immense respect for what they’ve done. They set the table so that I can eat at it. He did not feel that that was a positive overture and handed it back to me. That’s the best I can give you.”
Cody was pretty “heart-stricken” by The Rock rejecting what he had previously gifted him. The Undisputed WWE Champion then shared some words of wisdom from Triple H who reminded Rhodes that it’s not all ‘fun and games’ as WWE’s top star.
The Rock & Cody Rhodes came face-to-face on the post-WrestleMania Raw.
What’s Next?
During the very same segment, The Rock vowed that he would return to WWE programming down the line and that he is coming back for Cody Rhodes. A match is expected between the two with the reported current plan for Rock Vs. Rhodes at WWE WrestleMania 41.
Rhodes’ more immediate future will see him put the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line at the upcoming WWE King And Queen of the Ring PLE. Rhodes will defend against Logan Paul whose United States title won’t be on the line.
Brian Gewirtz was heavily involved in The Rock’s notorious 2024 return to WWE, and confirms matters were supposed to be a little different between ‘The People’s Champion’ and Cody Rhodes.
Speaking on “The Masked Man Show”, the former head WWE writer talked about the notorious segment on SmackDown where Cody Rhodes relinquished his WWE Undispusted Universal Championship title shot to The Rock. Rhodes stoicly shook hands and hugged The Rock, appearing to putting his story on pause. However, the fans feedback made it become the most disliked video in WWE YouTube video history and an audible was called.
Gewirtz said that all that was supposed to come across quite differently than originally planned.
“Cody, it was supposed to be, in some form, ‘Yeah, f***in’ A! Go get em Rock! You’re going to get your ass kicked, Roman! Let’s do this!’ and this uplifting promo. Instead, he looked like someone shot his dog in the face in the parking lot. Just look at his expression. By the way, someone else, even when the team wins, looks forlorn and upset and despondent. [New York Knicks] Julius Randle [laughs].”
Gewirtz didn’t think that demeanor helped matters, but made clear he understood where Rhodes was coming from regarding his feelings on the decision, stating that ‘The American Nightmare’ was one of the realest people he’s ever met. He feels that the fans felt that.
“They felt like ‘he doesn’t mean a word of this. This is being forced for him to say.’ He’s despondent.”
Please credit “The Masked Man” and h/t to Fightful for the transcription.
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has shared the official Road to SummerSlam 2024 live events tour that’ll happen before the August PLE. The tour kicks off this Friday, May 1 with WWE SmackDown live from Jacksonville, Florida.
This year’s Road To SummerSlam Tour includes eleven weeks of Raw and SmackDown TV tapings, several non-televised live events and five Premium Live Events, which are bolded in the schedule below. WWE live event tickets for this tour are available at Ticketmaster.
WWE Summer Tour 2024 Schedule
May 2024
5/17: Jacksonville, FL (SmackDown)
5/20: Greensboro, NC (RAW)
5/24: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (SmackDown)
5/25: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (King & Queen of the Ring)
5/27: Savannah, GA (RAW)
5/31: Albany, NY (SmackDown)
June 2024
6/01: White Plains, NY (Supershow Summer Tour)
6/02: Binghamton, NY (RAW)
6/03: Hershey, PA (RAW)
6/07: Louisville, KY (SmackDown)
6/09: Las Vegas, NV (NXT Battleground)
6/10: Toledo, OH (RAW)
6/14: Glasgow, Scotland (SmackDown)
6/15: Glasgow, Scotland (Clash at the Castle)
6/17: Corpus Christi, TX (RAW)
6/21: Chicago, IL (SmackDown)
6/22: Bloomington, IL (Supershow Summer Tour)
6/23: Kalamazoo, MI (Supershow Summer Tour)
6/24: Indianapolis, IN (RAW)
6/28: New York, NY (SmackDown)
July 2024
7/01: Boston, MA (RAW)
7/05: Toronto, ON (SmackDown)
7/06: Toronto, ON (Money in the Bank)
7/07: Toronto, ON (RAW)
7/08: Ottawa, ON (SmackDown)
7/12: Worcester, MA (RAW)
7/13: Mexico City, Mexico (Supershow Summer Tour)
7/14: Monterrey, Mexico (Supershow Summer Tour)
7/15: Dayton, OH (RAW)
7/19: Omaha, NE (RAW)
7/22: Green Bay, WI (RAW)
7/29: Saint Paul, MN (RAW)
August 2024
8/02: Cleveland, OH (SmackDown)
8/03: Cleveland, OH (SummerSlam)
WWE SummerSlam 2024
SummerSlam 2024 will take place at the Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. News of the event’s location was shared on Logan Paul’s ImPaulsive podcast and as pointed out at the time, the show will mark the first time that SummerSlam has taken place in Cleveland since 1996.
With the event over two months away, no matches have been confirmed yet. With that said, Paul, a proud Clevelander, has teased facing NBA legend Lebron James at the Biggest Party of the Summer.
If Paul is serious about competing at SummerSlam, then he may have more than the U.S. Championship to defend. The Maverick will challenge Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at King And Queen Of The Ring.
One name fans could be seeing at SummerSlam 2024 is CM Punk who has been out of action since suffering a torn triceps injury during January’s Men’s Royal Rumble match. A recent report shared a positive update on Punk’s recovery with SummerSlam being (theoretically) possible for him. Despite his injury, Punk has been feuding with Drew McIntyre on Monday Night Raw.
The popularity of Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes is proving impossible to ignore with the SmackDown Superstar reaching a high-point with Fanatics.
Rhodes merch is often in high demand at WWE live events and all of those sales have been adding up. The American Nightmare is the only wrestler to appear on Fanatics’ top ten list of overall sellers, Fightful Select reports. This is no small feat for Rhodes as Fanatics carries NBA and NFL products amongst its catalog as well as WWE.
These figures will come as good news to higher-ups in WWE who have selected Rhodes as the face of the ‘new era.’ The report adds that The Undertaker recently did a signing for Fanatics but WWE is looking beyond Fanatics for moving their licensed merch.
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.”
The popularity of Cody Rhodes can’t be ignored.
What’s to Come?
Rhodes merch will surely be in high demand at the upcoming WWE King And Queen of the Ring event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The May 25, show will see Rhodes defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against the U.S. Champion Logan Paul. While Rhodes’ title is the only on the line at this time, Cody has teased on social media that the match will see both titles on the line.