Cody Rhodes is already a WWE fan favourite, but he took his popularity up a notch on Sunday after fighting at Hell in a Cell despite a gruesome injury.
The ‘American Nightmare’ took on Seth Rollins for a third time, looking to keep up his unbeaten streak. The pair’s rivalry stems all the way back to WrestleMania 38; however, Rhodes is currently unbeaten in their matchups.
Despite his incredibly grizzly-looking injury, Rhodes managed to take victory in an all-time battle.
Rollins played the perfect heel, mocking Dusty Rhodes with a polka-dot outfit. Additionally, he did not go easy on Cody, aiming for his injury on numerous occasions.
Rollins and Rhodes abused each other throughout the pulsating match, using bull rope, a table, and a sledgehammer to try and claim the win. After trading Cross Rhodes, a clearly in pain Cody Rhodes closed out the pair’s trilogy by taking his third-straight win over Seth Rollins.
But what injury was Rhodes wrestling with?
Rhodes’ grim injury
Before the Hell in a Cell event even began, WWE tweeted that Cody Rhodes had suffered an injury. On last Monday’s Raw, the American Nightmare had partially torn his right pectoral tendon.
He then aggravated the injury further whilst weight training for the weekend. Rhodes completely tore the tendon from the bone- an incredibly gruesome injury.
Undeterred, Rhodes still decided to fight Rollins at Hell in a Cell, his injury on show for all to see.
A regular occurrence in the NFL, torn pectoral muscles usually spell significant time on the sidelines. They generally require surgery to re-attach the tendon to the bone. As a result, recovery times vary; a simple tear with surgery can see a return in 3-4 months. However, it may take up to a year to get back to normal following such an injury.
Given that he would likely be out for a while, it is unsurprising that Cody Rhodes wanted to give the crowd one last treat at Hell in a Cell. He jumped on the mic following his victory to cut a promo.
Cody Rhodes gives a short promo
Once WWE went off the air, Rhodes addressed his adoring crowd in Chicago.
“I’m sure I’m gonna explain things a little further tomorrow. I’ll be very brief. No one convinced me, with a torn pec, to come out here. It was solely my decision,” explained Rhodes, making it clear he was not influenced to take part.
“You would have to literally kill me from staying away from this ring. Ten times out of ten, I would have made the same decision.”
The Chicago crowd met his defiant promo with “Cody, Cody!” chants, clearly showing their love for the wounded warrior.
On social media, wrestling fans expressed their admiration for The American Nightmare.
“Cody Rhodes just did some s**t that I don’t think we’re ever gonna see anyone do again,” wrote one Twitter user. “This s**t was legendary.”
Similarly, Wrestle Ops tweeted: “All the respect in the world to Cody Rhodes, man. This is surreal to watch.”
The American Nightmare provided an unforgettable moment for WWE fans. Sadly, his injury likely means that we will not see him in the ring for a while.
Featured image credit: Twitter / @WWE
