Baron Corbin is going to be out of action for a while, and Cody Rhodes is the reason why. The WWE United States Champion took a nasty punt kick to the head last week, and the damage is worse than originally known. WWE has now confirmed that Corbin suffered multiple injuries and won’t be returning anytime soon.
Michael Cole delivered the bad news on the October 23, 2026 episode of WWE SmackDown, revealing that Corbin suffered a cervical muscle strain, an orbital bone contusion, and blurred vision. According to WWE’s medical team, Corbin is out indefinitely.
This all goes back to last week’s SmackDown, when Corbin ended up in an unplanned match against Cody Rhodes. Randy Orton got involved, but it was Rhodes who delivered the final blow. Cody nailed Corbin with a punt kick to the head, and that’s how the show went off the air.
Now Corbin is paying the price, and there’s another problem WWE has to deal with. Corbin is still the United States Champion, which means WWE currently has a titleholder who can’t compete. There’s been no announcement about whether he’ll be stripped of the championship or if WWE will let him hold onto it while he recovers. For now, Corbin is on the shelf with no return date, and the future of the United States Championship is up in the air.
Should WWE take the United States Championship off Baron Corbin, or let him keep it until he’s ready to wrestle again? Let us know in the comments.
