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Cody Rhodes' highly anticipated return at the Royal Rumble was received with much warmth by wrestling fans. Following his win, many current and former stars took to social media to applaud the former Intercontinental Champion. However, AEW's Swerve Strickland did not seem too happy with Rhodes' major win.
The American Nightmare was a former EVP for All Elite Wrestling until his departure in February last year. A couple of months later, he returned to WWE at WrestleMania 38 against Seth 'Freakin' Rollins. Rhodes suffered a torn pectoral injury, which resulted in him being unable to compete for nearly eight months.
Last week during Rampage, Dustin Rhodes addressed his return to the promotion following his mother's passing. Swerve Strickland interrupted the interview and called out the Rhodes family.
The former AEW Tag Team Champion continued to cite his disdain for the family and had a harsh response to Cody's Royal Rumble win:
Cody Rhodes talked about the Triple H throne-breaking segment following the Royal Rumble win
After the Premium Live Event, the winners of the men's and women's Royal Rumble matches attended a press conference. In addition to addressing their future plans and thoughts on the match, Cody Rhodes highlighted his AEW tenure.
Cody reflected on his relationship with Triple H. And recalled the moment he broke a throne similar to The Game's on AEW when he had just departed from WWE, signifying that he was done with his former promotion for good. Additionally, Rhodes also talked about the figures he was able to draw on All Elite Wrestling in comparison to WWE.
Last year, upon his return, Cody Rhodes made it clear that he was vying for the WWE Championship. However, given his win, it seems Roman Reigns might have another target on his back.
What did you think of The American Nightmare's win? Sound off in the comments.
