SDCC: Cody Rhodes Reveals He 'Couldn't Win An Arm Wrestling Contest Right Now' After Injury

Under the bright lights of San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Cody Rhodes wasted no time revealing some potentially bad news to a packed house in Room 6A late Wednesday morning.

Participating in the traditional Mattel WWE Elite Squad panel, Cody joined fellow WWE Superstars Ciampa and Queen Zelina on stage alongside the creative team behind some of the most innovative WWE action figures to ever be released. 

Throughout the panel, stunning announcements were made concerning upcoming figure releases — from classic '80s Superstars to current-day Superstars, each figure announced sent the San Diego Comic-Con crowd erupting in applause and delight.

While the panel was supposed to be mostly focused on Mattel’s 2023 WWE lineup, Cody Rhodes — who warned everybody in attendance to forgive his tendency to “overshare” — wound up stealing the show with some eye-opening information. 

In between giving his opinions on the newest Mattel releases, he took some time to speak candidly about his recovery from the devastating pectoral injury he suffered during the build-up to his instant-classic match against Seth Rollins at this year’s Hell in a Cell. 

Figuring he’d save everybody in Room 6A the time, he immediately gave some much-sought-after injury updates to the WWE Universe. 

“I’m… OK,” Cody said slowly. He revealed he has been getting constant updates throughout the rehabilitation process through his doctor, although he admits that his doctor has been tight-lipped about his progress:

“[My doctor] said he’s not going to give me a timeline because he’s afraid I’m going to jump it,” Cody told the audience before continuing with a sly grin. “So I’m going to try to jump it.”

But before Room 6A could get their collective hopes up, Rhodes revealed he is still very far away from recovering fully, saying, "I couldn’t win an arm wrestling contest right now.”

It was a stern reminder to the WWE Universe that even the biggest and brightest Superstars aren’t superhuman — even if they seem that way on Monday Night Raw. The reality is this: the gruesome pectoral injury that Cody Rhodes valiantly fought through, live, during Hell in a Cell is a devastating one and will take time to fully heal.

And with the end goal of winning the WWE Championship still firmly in his sight, Cody Rhodes would be wise to make sure his rehabilitation takes exactly as long as his doctor says it will take.

After all, ignoring that timeline could jeopardize any plans to take home sports entertainment’s greatest prize, the WWE Championship.

At one point during the panel, Rhodes asked the crowd in attendance when they’d like to see him come back. 

“Royal Rumble!” was heard being shouted from the back of the room.

With a sly smile — and in between noticeably grimacing while stretching out his right shoulder, which Cody had done multiple times throughout the panel — he acknowledged that suggestion:

“You never know. We’ll see.”