Cody Rhodes' WWE Return Plans Have Reportedly Changed

Cody Rhodes still hasn't wrestled since suffering his torn pec at last year's Hell in a Cell, but he's managed to appear on the last two weeks of Monday Night Raw. He gave his first interview in months during Raw's "Best of 2022" special, then was featured on this week's Raw in a "Road to Recovery" video package. Said video ended with confirmation that another special would air on next week's Raw. 

Dave Meltzer noted on a recent Wrestling Observer Radio that while many assumed Rhodes would make his surprise return at the Royal Rumble, WWE is now telegraphing his impending return. He explained, " I had always figured that Cody Rhodes' return would be a surprise at the Royal Rumble, but it is absolutely not going to be. They're going to they're doing a multipart series, building up his return."

Reports of what Rhodes will do when he's back have varied. Some have stated he'll go back into a program with Seth Rollins (something Rhodes addressed and dismissed in his interview), while others have him in either the WWE or Universal Championship match at WrestleMania depending on whether or not Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson signs off on facing Roman Reigns. Rhodes made it clear back when he first returned to WWE that his No. 1 goal was finally winning the WWE Championship and reemphasized that last month.

"I can say this with confidence and not arrogance, I have paid the price. It's not a sport where your tenure earns you anything, it's what you've done for me lately. And even though I wasn't present for a good chunk of the year, what I was able to do, I think really did register with a lot of the WWE Universe. And I want to pick up right where I left off, right back in that little kid's shoes, who had the biggest dreams because in this time that we're in, I have an opportunity at making that happen," Rhodes said. "I'm being incredibly vague here, I get it, but I think anyone who is a fan of what we do can read between the lines. There is one thing that I came back for specifically, one thing. Again, a torn pec couldn't stop me, I couldn't name anything that can stop me, it has to be done, it needs to be done, and I wanna get it done."

How do you think WWE should handle Rhodes' return? And what should he be doing at WrestleMania? Let us know down in the comments!