Cody Rhodes’s Wrestlepalooza return confirmed by Triple H, but his opponent remains a mystery. While initially expected to face Drew McIntyre, plans may have changed, potentially leading to a match against Randy Orton or a surprise challenger.
WWE’s Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque has dropped a major teaser for the upcoming Wrestlepalooza event, confirming that Cody Rhodes will indeed be part of the show. However, from the way it was hinted, it doesn’t sound like Seth Rollins will be appearing as WWE Champion at the highly anticipated premium live event.
Triple H Confirms Cody Rhodes’ Return
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Triple H gave fans one clear spoiler heading into Wrestlepalooza — the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will be making his return at the event in Indianapolis, which also happens to be WWE’s first premium live event streaming on the ESPN app.
“I’ll give you a spoiler right now,” Triple H said. “Cody [Rhodes] will be back, Indianapolis.”
Rhodes has been absent from WWE television since August 8, when he was viciously attacked by Drew McIntyre on Friday Night SmackDown. The storyline write-off allowed Cody time away to film the upcoming Street Fighter movie. On a personal note, Rhodes and his wife Brandi also welcomed their second daughter on August 29, making the past month a particularly eventful one for The American Nightmare.
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Question Marks Over Cody’s Wrestlepalooza Opponent
While Rhodes’ return is now confirmed, what remains unclear is who he will face inside the ring at Wrestlepalooza. Initially, it was expected that Drew McIntyre would challenge Cody for the Undisputed WWE Championship on September 20. However, Dave Meltzer reported in The Wrestling Observer Newsletter that plans may have shifted. The latest discussions suggest McIntyre could instead be booked against Randy Orton, leaving Cody’s opponent yet to be determined.
“The originally scheduled Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre WWE title match scheduled for the show was, at last word, said to be still up in the air, and it could be McIntyre vs. Randy Orton,” Meltzer noted.
This uncertainty opens the door to several possibilities. WWE might choose to pit Rhodes against a surprise challenger, or even book a thrilling triple threat match featuring Cody, McIntyre, and Orton with the championship on the line.
Stacked Card for the ESPN Era’s First PLE
Regardless of who Rhodes faces, Wrestlepalooza already boasts a blockbuster lineup. Four matches have been confirmed so far:
John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar
Mixed Tag Match: Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch vs. CM Punk & AJ Lee
Jey & Jimmy Uso vs. Bronson Reed & Bron Breakker
WWE Women’s World Championship: Stephanie Vaquer vs. IYO SKY
Adding Cody Rhodes’ championship defense into the mix ensures the event will be one of WWE’s biggest of the year. Fans will now be watching closely to see exactly who steps up against the reigning Undisputed Champion and how his return shapes the first pay-per-view of WWE’s ESPN era.