If Not at the Royal Rumble, When Should Cody Rhodes Make WWE Return from Pec Injury?

Cody Rhodes was one of wrestling's hottest stars in the first half of 2022, but an untimely injury cut short his shocking WWE return run.

Despite the setback, The American Nightmare fought through the injury against Seth Rollins at June's Hell in a Cell event. Not only did he have a historic performance with a gruesome-looking torn pectoral muscle, he ultimately emerged victorious.

WWE.com originally stated that he could be sidelined for up to nine months. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Andrew Ravens of WrestlingNews.co) later provided a positive update in October, reporting that he "appears to be a little ahead of schedule in healing."

Fans have had the men's 2023 Royal Rumble match pegged as the perfect place for Cody to make his grand comeback. The story writes itself with him winning the whole thing and punching his ticket to WrestleMania 39 to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

That said, there's always the chance WWE attempts to swerve the audience by bringing him back at a different point, not to mention he may not be cleared to compete by then. The following are a few other options worth considering if a Rumble return isn't in the cards.

Of course, this would be worst-case scenario, but Rhodes returning on the post-WrestleMania Raw exactly one year removed from his first promo back in WWE would be quite poetic.

That first show coming out of 'Mania has traditionally been considered one of the most exciting episodes of Raw all year for decades. WWE tends to hit the reset button that night and set the tone for what the next 12 months will bring for the company.

Rhodes' first promo on last year's installment was where he announced his intentions to one day win the WWE world title in honor of his late father, Dusty Rhodes. It was incredibly well received and kicked off an outstanding run on Raw for him.

History can easily repeat itself that same night in 2023, but again, this is only if Rhodes isn't able to make a full recovery by WrestleMania 39. If he's cleared to compete too close to The Show of Shows and the card is already full, then this is the next best option.

Between the "season premieres" of Raw and SmackDown to several premium live events, WWE has had so much going on as of late that fans may have forgotten that the historic 30th anniversary of Monday Night Raw is also approaching.

WWE's flagship show will turn three decades old in mid-January. WWE insider Twitter account WrestleVotes indicated in a tweet this week that, prior to the regime change, the company had significant plans for the major milestone, including potentially running the Manhattan Center (the site of the inaugural episode).

If WWE wants to stack that show with as much star power as possible, including modern names as well as those from the past, then hyping up Rhodes' return week in advance is a realistic possibility.

At this point, it's almost a foregone conclusion he'll be in the men's Royal Rumble match, which is why announcing his involvement in it may make sense. The best place to make such an important announcement would be on Raw's 30th anniversary show, when all eyes are on the product.

During his original run with the company, Cody Rhodes competed in one Elimination Chamber match, that being at the 2012 installment of the event for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Although he was the reigning intercontinental champion at the time, he was hardly considered a threat to the top title and was largely an afterthought in that match.

It would be a completely different story if he were to take part in Satan's Structure at the next installment, assuming it stays put on WWE's pay-per-view schedule in February 2023.

Oftentimes combatants are replaced at the last minute by returning Superstars and that could be where Rhodes resurfaces. If a Royal Rumble return isn't plausible (and if the world championships are separated again by then), he can come out on top in the Elimination Chamber to earn a golden opportunity at WrestleMania.

He'd obviously be bruised and battered in his first bout back, but it would be fitting seeing as how his last performance to date went down at Hell in a Cell and the brutal beating he endured while injured that night.

With WarGames being the brainchild of his father, Dusty Rhodes, Cody competing in The Match Beyond himself one day is surely inevitable.

What if it were to happen sooner than expected? What if he's actually far ahead of schedule and is ready to return by Survivor Series next month?

It's a long shot and perhaps not the smartest way to bring him back into the fold with there being a considerable risk for injury, but Rhodes would no doubt jump at the opportunity if it were presented to him given the historical context.

Plus, it would allow him to plant the seeds for a feud with Roman Reigns if he ends up opposing The Bloodline inside of the two cages.

A mystery partner for the babyface team can be hyped up heading into the event, and Rhodes claiming that spot would elicit a massive reaction. It's well documented that John Cena is a superhuman athlete, but if he can make it back early from a torn pectoral muscle, there's at least a small chance of The American Nightmare following in his footsteps.

The Royal Rumble remains the best bet, but a Survivor Series return for Rhodes in WarGames would certainly make for a monumental moment.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.