WWE's Cody Rhodes Addresses CM Punk and Royal Rumble on Raw Before Things Go Horribly Wrong

Cody Rhodes addresses CM Punk's return and makes a major Royal Rumble announcement, but then things go horribly wrong

By Matthew Aguilar

Cody Rhodes took part in his first WarGames match at WWE Survivor Series, and his team also came out of the brutal affair as the winners. That's a lot to be happy about, and Rhodes looked in a great mood when he stepped into the ring on Monday Night Raw. Rhodes quickly addressed the return of CM Punk and welcomed him into the fold, but then Rhodes made a big announcement, revealing that he is the first to declare his spot in the Royal Rumble. Unfortunately, one superstar just had to ruin it, and that was Shinsuke Nakamura, who told Rhodes he was about to cause chaos and then spit red mist into Rhodes' face to put an end to Rhodes' celebration.

To kick things off, Rhodes said, "The return of CM Punk. nobody knew that was going to happen. Nobody knows what's going to happen because of it, that's why everyone is tuning in to see. What I have to say is CM Punk, welcome back." Rhodes wasn't done though, and had a big announcement to share regarding next year's Royal Rumble.

"With all this news being made, With all these stories...I'd like to make some news myself," Rhodes said. "I think at this point, you guys truly know me. Which means there's only one destination for me, and that's why, granted the authority by Adam Pearce, I will be the very first to declare myself for the 2024 Royal Rumble."

Then the lights went out and Shinsuke Nakamura hit the video screen. He said "You are a brave hero who has won a battle. Now you say you need to continue your story. But I need you to set me free, awaken me. To evolve. I was very patient with you week after week. But now I am done waiting. I will bring chaos to you."

Then the lights came back on and Rhodes was clearly confused, but Nakamura was right behind him. Rhodes turned around and Nakamura hit him with the red mist in the face, and Rhodes went down immediately, grabbing his face. Nakamura enjoyed the moment, bowing to the crowd after making good on his promise. It seems we are headed towards a one-on-one match-up between the two, and hopefully, it happens sooner than later.

Rhodes still has his eyes on his ultimate goal in WWE, and that is the Undisputed WWE Championship, which is currently being held by Roman Reigns. That said, he's also thrilled to experience other stories, like when he and Jey Uso shocked the world and won the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships. At the press conference, Rhodes told ComicBook.com had that Titlte win felt and how it affected his ultimate goal.

"I wish you had asked an easier question," Rhodes said. "I must say this. In regards to everything I do, what's in my mind and what I came back to do, the story specifically, not flinching. And there's a lot of reasons to flinch. I'm aware of everything that's going around, but I'm also aware of what happens when I go out there. I'm aware of what we [Jey Uso] did tonight, so not flinching."

Will Rhodes be able to come out on top at the Royal Rumble? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

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