Cody Rhodes Drops Gruesome Behind-the-Scenes Photos of Eye Injury After WrestleMania 42

Cody Rhodes has just given a much closer look at his WrestleMania 42 injury—and the update is far more intense than anything seen on TV.

After previously easing concerns with a message from his doctor, Rhodes took things a step further on April 26, 2026, posting backstage photos of the aftermath on Twitter. The images show just how bad things really got, with Rhodes’ face covered in blood and his left eye completely swollen shut while medical staff worked on him immediately after the match.

This moves the conversation from speculation to reality. While earlier fears centered around how serious the injury might be, these photos confirm that the damage was severe enough to require urgent attention backstage right after his match with Randy Orton. Before this, Rhodes had shared a line from his doctor that hinted at the severity while also offering some relief.

“You won’t lose the eye…” has to be the most positive yet absurd thing I’ve ever heard in a doctors office.”

Now, with the release of these behind-the-scenes images, it’s clear why that statement carried so much weight. The condition of his eye and the amount of visible damage show just how close things may have come to being far worse.

The exact moment of impact is still unclear, with speculation pointing to either a direct shot from Orton late in the match or a mistimed sequence during the Cody Cutter into RKO exchange.

As of now, Rhodes’ status for Backlash remains uncertain, but this latest update makes one thing obvious—he may have avoided the worst-case scenario, but judging by what he just showed, it came a lot closer than anyone initially thought.

Do you think Cody Rhodes should take time off to fully recover, or should he still push to compete at Backlash despite how serious this injury looks? Let us know your thoughts.