Cody Rhodes Addresses His Battered Face and John Cena’s Heel Turn During SmackDown

Cody Rhodes had plenty to say on Friday Night SmackDown—and he didn’t hold back.

Just days after John Cena turned on him at Elimination Chamber, The American Nightmare stepped into the ring at the Wells Fargo Center with a busted-up face and an even bigger chip on his shoulder.

Rhodes wasted no time addressing the elephant in the room. He shared how his daughter, Liberty, asked him what happened to his face, and rather than tell her the truth, he lied—saying he “ran into a wall.” The crowd erupted in boos as Cody mentioned The Rock, Travis Scott, and Cena—the three men responsible for his brutal beatdown.

Then, he made his feelings crystal clear: “Someday, I’ll tell her the truth. I’ll tell her that John Cena finally gave up.”

With WrestleMania 43 days away, Rhodes knew the fans wanted answers. He acknowledged that Philadelphia had chosen him, unlike his father Dusty Rhodes, who once feared competing in the city. But Cody isn’t backing down. Instead, he’s embracing the challenge, and he had one final message for Cena: “Come get some at WrestleMania 41.”

Now the ball is in Cena’s court. Will he accept the challenge, or is Rhodes going to have to force the fight? Drop your thoughts in the comments!