WWE and AEW Rumors on Cody Rhodes' Return, Kenny Omega Injured and Orange Cassidy

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe and All Elite Wrestling.

Reported Details on Rhodes' Street Fighter Filming Schedule

WWE champion Cody Rhodes is reportedly expected to be done with his Street Fighter filming commitment prior to a major event next month.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestleTalk), Rhodes will be finished filming by Sept. 20, which is the date of the Wrestlepalooza premium live event.

That will be WWE's first PLE on the ESPN streaming service, so it stands to reason that it will want the WWE champion to be involved in one of the top matches on the card.

Rhodes is playing the role of Guile in Street Fighter, while fellow WWE Superstar Roman Reigns is playing Akuma. Per Meltzer, there are some days when both Rhodes and Reigns will be needed on set, but "not a lot."

Cody last appeared on WWE programming on the Aug. 8 episode of SmackDown when he and John Cena teamed up to face Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul in the main event.

After the match, McIntyre put Rhodes through the front of the announce table with a Claymore, likely setting up a future title match between them.

It was assumed that the angle was done to write Rhodes off TV so he could do some filming for Street Fighter, and while that might have had something to do with it, there was seemingly another motivation as well.

Cody's wife, Brandi Rhodes, announced Friday that the couple welcomed their second daughter into the world.

With Cody's daughter born and his filming set to wrap by Sept. 20, there may be a strong chance of Rhodes vs. McIntyre for the WWE Championship being part of the Wrestlepalooza event.

Omega Reportedly Working Through Injury

Injuries have wreaked havoc on AEW star Kenny Omega in recent years, and a new report suggests he may still be dealing with those effects.

According to Meltzer (h/t WrestleTalk), the 41-year-old veteran is "battling very serious pain" right now.

Omega is widely regarded as one of the best in-ring workers of his era, and he has a gigantic catalog of highly praised matches to back that notion, but he has paid the price for his high-impact style over the past few years.

From late 2021 into 2022, Omega missed nine months due to a sports hernia and knee ailments, and he didn't wrestle at all in 2024 after a bout with diverticulitis.

Omega returned to the action at the start of 2025 and has had some memorable bouts this year, including a win over Konosuke Takeshita at Revolution and a loss to Kazuchika Okada at All In.

Most recently, Omega teamed with Will Ospreay, Kota Ibushi, Darby Allin and Hiroshi Tanahashi to beat Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Gabe Kidd and The Young Bucks in a five-on-five lights out steel cage match at Forbidden Door last weekend.

Coming out of Forbidden Door, it looks as though Osprey and Swerve Strickland are in store for lengthy injury-related absences, which increases the need for Omega even more.

However, if the pain is as intense as Meltzer suggests, it is fair to wonder how long Omega can keep going without a break.

Latest on Orange Cassidy's Expected Return from Injury

With Ospreay and Strickland on the shelf, and Omega reportedly ailing, AEW is reportedly on the verge of getting another of its most popular stars back in the fold.

According to Meltzer (h/t WrestleTalk), Orange Cassidy is expected to return to AEW programming "somewhat soon."

OC has not had a match since March due to an injury that Fightful Select (h/t Jack Atkins of Cultaholic.com) reported as potentially being a torn pectoral muscle.

Cassidy is an AEW original, having been with the company since its inception in 2019, and he has been a beloved babyface since the start as well.

Although Cassidy has yet to hold the AEW world title, he has competed in the main event scene on numerous occasions, and he is a two-time international champion.

OC was in the international title mix shortly before getting injured, which suggests he could possibly target the unified champion, Okada, once he returns to action.

An exact timeline has not been provided for Cassidy's return, although BodySlam.net (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News) previously reported that he is cleared and expected back "sooner than later."

Meltzer's report seems to essentially back that sentiment, meaning AEW may be in line for a much-needed boost in the near future.