Cody Rhodes Pulled From WWE World Appearance After Brutal WrestleMania 42 Match

Cody Rhodes walked out of WrestleMania 42 still champion — but he’s already feeling the effects of that war with Randy Orton as he’s been pulled from a WWE World appearance.

Following his brutal main event match with Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42 Night 1 inside Allegiant Stadium, WWE has officially pulled Rhodes from a scheduled WWE World meet-and-greet appearance due to injuries sustained during the match. Rhodes was originally set to appear on April 19, 2026, but fans who had booked photo ops and autograph sessions were notified that the appearance has been canceled.

“Due to injuries sustained at WrestleMania Cody Rhodes is no longer able to make it to WWE World. Unfortunately, this means your photo op and/or autograph have been cancelled.”

This comes right after Rhodes retained the Undisputed WWE Championship in a chaotic and physical match that saw interference from Pat McAfee and a wild table spot involving Jelly Roll, before things completely broke down in the closing stretch.

Despite securing the win, Rhodes didn’t walk out unscathed — and WWE’s decision to cancel his appearance shows that the damage from that match was serious enough to keep him away from public commitments immediately after the show.

At this point, it’s unclear how severe the injuries are or whether they could impact his in-ring schedule moving forward, but the timing raises questions with WrestleMania weekend still underway. With Rhodes now sidelined from WWE World, all eyes turn to what this means for his title reign and immediate future.

Do you think Cody Rhodes should take time off after WrestleMania 42, or push through and stay active as champion? Let us know your thoughts.