Cody Rhodes isn’t interested in being the tough guy just for show anymore—and according to him, WWE isn’t either.
Speaking on All The Smoke with Matt Barnes, the Undisputed WWE Champion opened up about the brutal Hell in a Cell match in 2022 where he fought Seth Rollins with a torn pectoral tendon. The match has gone down as one of Rhodes’ most iconic performances—but it wasn’t fueled by painkillers or ego. Rhodes revealed that WWE’s current stance on medication and in-ring safety is stricter than ever.
“WWE is very adamant about there is no substance abuse in this company anymore. None. The 80s are over. We’ve got to be healthy, we’ve got to be clean. So people ask all the time, if I had any pain medication or anything of that nature. I had four baby Aspirin because they didn’t even have regular Advil.”
Rhodes recalled that WWE officials were watching closely during the match and were ready to end it at any moment if things got out of hand.
“I remember at the time being told, ‘Hey, if you’re in pain we are going to stop it. There is nothing to prove here.’”
He added that he was on edge the entire time:
“I’m walking this tight rope the whole match not sure if they are just going to ring the bell. But Seth was the perfect person to be in there with me.”
That performance became even more symbolic after their most recent bout at Crown Jewel, where Rollins reportedly tore his rotator cuff in the ring—an injury that forced creative changes on Raw and threw off WWE’s original Survivor Series plans.
“Seth finally beat me… I want to say he tore his rotator cuff. We don’t have an actual answer on what’s with Seth. I know he’s gone under the knife and got surgery so at this point real, not real, however you look at the industry, him and I aren’t good for each other.”
“We don’t need to wrestle ever again. He’s lost his shoulder. That was the first major injury I ever had. But I was glad to be in the ring with him that night. It was special.”
Rhodes made it clear that his Hell in a Cell match may have been the last of its kind in WWE, emphasizing how the industry has changed for the better.
“We don’t power through anymore. That might have been the very last example of ‘Hey, let’s power through.’”
“You just have more athlete-conscious people today.”
According to reports from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Rollins was originally supposed to face CM Punk at Saturday Night’s Main Event before leading the heel team in WarGames at Survivor Series. His injury changed that entire trajectory.
Rhodes’ comments mark a pivotal look into how WWE has moved past the outdated culture of pain tolerance and pushed toward athlete longevity and safety.
What do you think about Cody Rhodes’ take on WWE’s injury culture? Do you believe today’s wrestlers should be more cautious or is the old-school toughness still necessary? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
