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The WWE Universe hasn’t heard from Cody Rhodes since his heroic Undisputed WWE Title reign ended after a run of 378 days. John Cena managed to beat him at WrestleMania 41 with an assist by hip-hop star Travis Scott in Las Vegas last month.
Following his bitter loss at 'Mania, The American Nightmare has seemingly taken some time off from the Stamford-based promotion. He was recently seen at Disney's Hollywood Studios spending time with his family. Rhodes was previously advertised for multiple SmackDown shows. However, WWE removed him from two consecutive episodes of the blue brand on May 2 and 9, 2025.
Fans are now concerned about Cody Rhodes’ status in the company after it was confirmed he was removed from this week's edition of the Friday night show, making it two major weekly shows in succession.
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It appears The American Nightmare will return after 2025 Backlash as he is officially advertised for the May 16, 2025, edition of SmackDown after the premium live event. This has sparked a buzz around Rhodes’ return after the next event and what is in store for the former Undisputed WWE Champion.
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Pro-wrestling veteran backs WWE for taking Cody Rhodes off television after WrestleMania
While speaking on his The Stevie Richards Show, wrestling veteran Stevie Richards expressed that WWE had chosen the right path by taking The American Nightmare off television following The Grandest Stage of Them All.
He further stated that fans would themselves have asked for Cody Rhodes to take a break if he were still working, and noted that fans would eventually start missing him, which would be good for his babyface persona.
"I think the fans will start to miss him, and that's exactly what you want as a babyface. Like I said the last episode during the special about Cena and other people, Rey, when he got hurt, there's such a thing as wrestling too much before something like WrestleMania, and there's something about not wrestling enough. So, right now, Cody has been really featured for over a year, maybe two years, counting the chase. But what I look at is, you know, we need to make him go away for a little bit before the fans tell him to go away. And that's why I think it's perfect for him not to be on TV," he said.
It will be interesting to see when Cody Rhodes returns to action and whether he goes after Cena seeking revenge.
