WWE’s Saturday Night’s Main Event returned on NBC this weekend, but one major WWE Superstar left worse for wear. Cody Rhodes, the current Undisputed WWE Champion, had to be stretchered out of Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, where WWE held SNME.
Rhodes successfully defended his title in the TV special’s main event match, defeating challenger Kevin Owens in controversial fashion. At one point, Owens visibly had Rhodes down for the count, but the referee was indisposed. Later in the bout, Rhodes hit Owens with his finishing move (the “Cross Rhodes,” a rolling move that slams the opponent’s face into the ground) while standing over a steel chair. The referee also missed the WWE champ’s maneuver, so a disqualification wasn’t called. Rhodes won the match.
Videos by PopCulture.com
After the NBC broadcast concluded, Owens attacked Rhodes, who is the son of late wrestling legend Dusty Rhodes. The distraught challenger hit Rhodes with a piledriver, a dangerous professional wrestling move that involves dropping the opponent on the top of their head.
As a result of the piledriver’s, Rhodes was placed in a neckbrace and stretchered out. Owens took Rhodes’ title belt (a throwback WWE championship for the retro SNME broadcast), got in a heated confrontation with WWE executive Paul “Triple H” Levesque and left the arena.
Is Cody Rhodes Really Injured?
Rhodes’ legitimate condition is unclear, though the stretcher job was likely done for the sake of a storyline. Owens, a former WWE Universal Champion, recently hit Randy Orton with the same package piledriver, and Orton hasn’t been seen on WWE SmackDown since. WWE likely treated Rhodes’ condition as severe to sell the severity of Owens’ piledriver maneuver.
So while it’s unlikely the piledriver legitimately hurt Rhodes’ neck, there’s always the possibility that the WWE champ is dealing with other injuries in private. However, Rhodes, who is the husband of WAGS Atlanta star Brandi Rhodes, is still scheduled to appear at a non-televised event in Jacksonville, Florida, on Dec. 26.
Most Viewed
-
(Credit: NetPix / Getty Images) -
Gregory Adams / Getty Images -
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 23: Jodie Sweetin and Candace Cameron-Bure attend Nickelodeon's 2019 Kids' Choice Awards at Galen Center on March 23, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic) -
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – JULY 30: Jack Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne and family members stop to view tributes to the late Ozzy Osbourne from fans at Black Sabbath Bench and Bridge as his funeral cortege travels through his home city of Birmingham on July 30, 2025 in Birmingham, England. The Black Sabbath frontman passed away on July 22nd at the age of 76. His death occurred just a little over two weeks after his final live performance at the 'Back to the Beginning' concert in his hometown of Birmingham. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) -
(Credit: JDawnInk / Getty Images) -
Millie Bobby Brown at the "Damsel" New York Premiere held at The Paris Theater on March 1, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images)
