Cody Rhodes has finally returned to WWE. He was gone for five weeks, having been taken out of action by Drew McIntyre. The American Nightmare had a lot on his plate, as he explained after last night's episode of SmackDown went off the air.Following his surprise return at the end of the show, Rhodes challenged McIntyre to a WWE Championship match at Wrestlepalooza. After that, he addressed his month-long absence in front of the fans in attendance.There were two important reasons for Cody Rhodes' hiatus: the birth of his second daughter, Leilani, and the filming of his part in the live-action Street Fighter movie. The WWE Champion mentioned both of them and said it was a hell of a month, but he was back home, before thanking the fans:"Thank you guys so much. There's more action tonight. But before that happens, I just want to tell you it's been a hell of a month for me. I had a new baby girl, Leilani. I got cast as Guile in Street Fighter. And tonight I got to come back home. Thank you guys very, very, very, very much," Cody Rhodes said.After Rhodes' off-air promo, Jacob Fatu defeated Rusev in a Street Fight. This was the dark main event of SmackDown last night, as the fans were sent home happy.Will Cody Rhodes lose his WWE Championship at Wrestlepalooza?As confirmed at the end of SmackDown, Cody Rhodes will defend his WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre at Wrestlepalooza. This comes after The Scottish Warrior defeated Randy Orton and threatened to injure him after the match.Chances are, Rhodes will retain the WWE Title, simply because he just won it five weeks ago. This will be his first title defense since dethroning John Cena in the main event of SummerSlam. However, don't expect Wrestlepalooza to be the end of the feud between him and McIntyre.The two of them are former tag team partners and had similar career arcs after leaving WWE. Another singles match is likely between the pair, while Randy Orton could be inserted into this feud later. The Viper may even turn heel on Cody Rhodes by the end of it, kick-starting their own personal storyline.If you wish to use the above quote, please credit @CodyRhodes on X and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling.