Cody Rhodes Explains Why He Wasn't A Surprise WWE Royal Rumble Entrant

When Cody Rhodes removed his jacket to reveal the effects of his torn pectoral muscle, many knew his match with Seth "Freakin" Rollins at Hell In A Cell 2022 would be his last for a while. After giving a herculean effort, Rhodes not only cemented his status in the top tier of WWE but also became someone fans wanted to see end Roman Reigns' historic championship run. 

Though some on social media felt Rhodes should've been a surprise entrant in the Rumble match, "The American Nightmare" disclosed he didn't want to be a surprise because he wanted to call his shot, which was both bold and ambitious, and the most successful parts of his career have been when he's rolled the dice.

"No one will ever know until maybe a book is written one day — and it won't be written by me — how much I rolled the dice to come back here. This was not a guarantee, gosh, far from it," he said. Additionally, Rhodes viewed his Rumble match announcement in the same realm as "All In," which was another opportunity for him to say, "I'm going to do this," and wanted to keep his word.

Five weeks out from the 2023 Royal Rumble, vignettes began airing chronicling Rhodes' journey back to in-ring action as well as the announcement that he would be in the men's Rumble match. 

"Reaffirming," said Rhodes on "The Bump" when discussing the fans' reactions to the vignettes. "You start to think maybe they don't miss you. There's an egotistical element to all of this, especially when we were feeling so good about one another right before I left. It was very reaffirming."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The Bump" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.