It's (Finally) Official: Cody Rhodes Will Compete In Royal Rumble 2023

Alright, WWE Universe. Stop the speculation, shut down the rumor mill, and quit theorizing. There will be no surprises at the Royal Rumble this year. Well, at least no surprises related to a certain American Nightmare.

Fans crossing their fingers for a John Cena-in-2008-esque moment on Jan. 28 can rest easy: Cody Rhodes will be one of the 30 Superstars competing in the Royal Rumble match in just a few weeks! During last night’s RAW, Cody finally confirmed the news:

Leave it to Cody Rhodes to ironically eliminate all semblance of pomp and circumstance surrounding his return — the man simply announced that he’s back. It's giving shades of Michael Jordan coming out of his first retirement, if you ask us. 

While his Royal Rumble return has been all but expected in the eyes of fans — he is prominently featured on the official poster for the event, after all — it’s nice to know that a Superstar of Cody’s caliber will be officially competing for the chance to main event WrestleMania in just a few months. Rhodes has made it publicly known that he has returned to WWE for one reason and one reason only: To capture the very top championship in the world of professional wrestling. 

What does that mean for Roman Reigns? Well, it could mean that Cody Rhodes represents the single greatest threat to his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. If Cody can outlast 29 other men in the Royal Rumble, he would be entering WrestleMania not only with all the momentum in the world — but also all of the determination. Cody has made one thing very clear over the past seven months: He has been itching to get back into the ring ever since he suffered his pectoral injury. As we all know, he competed in Hell in a Cell with that injury, so suffice to say that yeah, we think Cody wants to reach the pinnacle of WWE more than most Superstars.

So is a Cody Rhodes Rumble victory followed by a WrestleMania main event against Roman Reigns the most likely outcome from this news?

Actually, no.

In today’s WWE landscape, with the talent pool as deep as it’s ever been, it’s never been harder to win the Rumble match. And although Cody probably told his physical therapist three times a week that he’s going to win the Rumble in January, there is going to be 29 other Superstars in the ring vying for that exact opportunity — and none of them are coming back from a catastrophic torn pectoral injury that put them out of action for nearly eight months. While anything is possible, we’re not so sure Cody Rhodes is the runaway favorite to win the Royal Rumble at all.

Also, don’t forget that Roman Reigns has a roadblock in his way on the Road to WrestleMania himself, and that roadblock’s name is Kevin Owens. Although we fully expect Reigns to hold the Undisputed WWE Universal title until WrestleMania, if there’s anyone who can take it from him before then, it’s KO. 

RELATED: Who Are The Favorites To Win Royal Rumble 2023 & Take On Roman Reigns At WrestleMania?

Putting everything in perspective, we can’t deny that Cody Rhodes officially being granted a clean bill of health and declaring himself for the Royal Rumble is great news. We can’t wait to see what Cody has in store for the WWE Universe. Hey, maybe he got another tattoo during his rehab, who knows? We’ll find out soon enough when the Royal Rumble comes Peacock on Jan. 28!

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