Cody Rhodes Announces He Will Make Return from Injury at 2023 WWE Royal Rumble

The long-awaited return of WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes officially has a date, as he announced on this week's episode of Monday Night Raw that he will be participating in the 2023 men's Royal Rumble match.

Rhodes has not wrestled since suffering a torn pectoral muscle prior to his match against Seth Rollins at the 2022 Hell in a Cell pay-per-view on June 5.

Fightful Select reported over the weekend that Rhodes has been training at the WWE Performance Center since December in hopes of making his in-ring return at the Jan. 28 event. In recent weeks, WWE released vignettes detailing his injury and his recovery.

Rhodes is considered the favorite to win the Royal Rumble, a spot he held before he even declared for the match on Monday. Besides him, The Rock and Sami Zayn have the next best odds at earning a spot in one of WrestleMania 39's two main events opposite WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.

Rhodes departed WWE in 2016 before coming back to the company at WrestleMania 38 in April. During his time away, the 37-year-old became a fan favorite for his work on the independent circuit. He had a hand in the creation of All Elite Wrestling and was one of the promotion's executive vice presidents when it launched in 2019.

The return of Rhodes comes at a crucial time for WWE, which has been under a spotlight in recent weeks amid the return of Vince McMahon to the board of directors as well as rumors of a sale. Fans are surely excited after Monday's announcement provided something to look forward to despite the tumult within the company.

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