Cody Rhodes Wants John Cena; Seth Rollins Reveals Injury; Bully Ray Talks Edge Rumors
August 22, 2023
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Rhodes Asked for Match vs. Cena
Cody Rhodes has firmly established himself as one of the faces of the company since returning to WWE over one year ago, and he has his sights set on a match with one of the most iconic figures in WWE history.
When asked Monday in a Reddit AMA (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News) about potentially having a match against John Cena, Rhodes replied: "I asked John if he does one more … to consider that match. If not though, I'm blessed to have been under his learning tree and shared a ring with him in the past."
During an episode of Raw in Boston earlier this year, Rhodes embraced Cena on the ramp and they appeared to share a few words.
Rhodes later revealed in an interview with Stadium Astro (h/t Andrew Thompson of Post Wrestling) that he requested a match against Cena in that moment.
The American Nightmare added that Cena responded, "I can't promise that."
During his initial run with WWE, Rhodes mixed it up with Cena on several occasions, but they have not faced each other in a match since Cena beat Stardust in a United States Championship match in 2015.
Rhodes was largely a midcard wrestler during his first WWE stint, and he was never presented as a true threat to beat a top star like Cena.
Things have changed significantly since then, as Rhodes is now widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the world and a main event star who WWE can lean on in huge matches and moments.
Rhodes is seemingly biding his time before challenging Roman Reigns for the undisputed WWE Universal Championship again, and Cena would be a great opponent in the meantime.
Cena's WWE return is on the horizon, as he it was announced this week that he will appear on the Sept. 1 episode of SmackDown before wrestling at the Superstar Spectacle in India on Sept. 8.
Rollins Provides Specifics Regarding Back Injury
On Monday night's episode of Raw, Seth Rollins acknowledged that he has been nursing a significant back injury for quite some time.
Shinsuke Nakamura has been targeting Rollins for the past couple of weeks, and on Raw he divulged that he whispered in Rollins' ear the previous week that he knows about his back issues.
During a solemn backstage promo (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), Rollins addressed his injury and the uncertainty of his health moving forward:
"He caught me off guard last week when he brought up my back injury, because the truth is it's not something I really like to talk about publicly. If we're being completely open here, I do have two fractures in my lumbar spine. I have been living with that injury for over four years, and it doesn't get better by itself, it gets worse, and the truth is that I don't really know what the endgame is. I don't know how much longer I will be able to do this at the level I'm currently running at. You know what? That's part of the gig."
Rollins, who is the inaugural and reigning WWE world heavyweight champion, has faced and defeated all comers since winning the title in May.
Being the champion and the face of Raw has made him a marked man, though, and it led to Nakamura turning heel a couple of weeks ago by attacking Rollins after teaming with him.
Nakamura has accomplished a great deal during his time in WWE, including winning the Royal Rumble and holding the NXT, Intercontinental and United States Championships, but a world title has eluded him.
WWE is doing a strong job of telling the story that Rollins is vulnerable due to his heavy workload and back injury, and Nakamura could be the guy to exploit it.
Rollins consistently puts on top-notch performances despite his injury, and there is every reason to believe he and Nakamura will make magic when they lock horns at Payback.
Bully Ray Believes Edge Should Retire with WWE
Amid rumors and speculation regarding Edge's future in pro wrestling, Bully Ray chimed in to give his thoughts on what the WWE Hall of Famer's next move should be.
Last week, Edge faced Sheamus on SmackDown in his hometown of Toronto, and after winning the match, he announced that it would be his final bout in Toronto.
Shortly before the match, Edge revealed it was the final match on his current WWE contract, and he later said the contract expires at the end of September.
Edge's contract situation has led to talk that he could consider closing out his career in AEW since close friends Christian and FTR are part of the company.
Fightful Select (h/t Upton) reported last week that "many people" in AEW believe it is a legitimate possibility that Edge could join the promotion.
When discussing the likelihood of Edge signing with AEW on Busted Open (h/t WrestlingInc's Liam O'Loughlin), Bully Ray acknowledged that while it could happen, he doesn't think Edge should leave WWE:
"If this is Edge's last match in WWE, if his contract is expiring, if he is done ... do you think [AEW president] Tony [Khan] has the money to lure Edge over to AEW? Without a doubt. There could be one hell of a bidding war. I would be really shocked if a homegrown WWE talent in Edge ... WWE is not just letting this guy go. So many people are begging this guy to make the jump over to AEW. Personally, I don't think that's the right fit ... I think Edge is one of those guys that should be a WWE lifer."
Bully Ray knows Edge well, as both of them were part of one of the greatest tag team rivalries in pro wrestling history between Edge and Christian, The Hardy Boyz and The Dudley Boyz.
If Edge goes to AEW, he could have a retirement run with Christian where they reprise their rivalry with The Hardys and also face teams like The Young Bucks and FTR before potentially retiring with a match against each other.
That would be appealing to the 49-year-old Edge with the end of his career likely rapidly approaching, but he has also been loyal to WWE throughout his career, and it won't be surprising if that loyalty wins out in the end.
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