Until recently, it wasn't clear exactly how Cody Rhodes injured his pectoral muscle following his WWE return last year. It'd been reported that The American Nightmare had torn the muscle while training for his Hell In A Cell match against Seth Rollins, but details beyond that were nonexistent. Fans were told that The Visionary was responsible for the torn pectoral muscle in storyline, but unsurprisingly, that wasn't the issue's genesis. Cody Rhodes somehow managed to wrestle at Hell In A Cell despite the evident damage, leading to one of the gutsiest performances in WWE history.

The Royal Rumble winner recently appeared on Logan Paul's YouTube show, IMPAULVISVE, and discussed how the injury initially occurred. "The stupid thing was I've been wrestling since I was 15, is when I started pro training. No injuries. I felt bulletproof. Walked in the gym, flip-flops on. Flip-flops in the gym, bad sign. Open cup of coffee. Got on the bench. Put on 295. Didn't even warm up. Was going for four." This is where Cody Rhodes' story takes a turn. "The dude on the other side of the gym, you know, testosterone Phil, just me and this other dude. I have no idea who this man is. I don't know why he's grimacing at me. I'm grimacing at him now. The plot thickens. He's doing his full CrossFit routine, like taking up the whole jungle gym. It's just me and him in there. I'm going to show you dude. I just unrack it, and it went right away. I felt it. I didn't need to kick the weights off. They flew off. Then this dude, who I've been having this moment with, runs over, 'Hey, Man, are you okay?" (h/t and thanks to Michael Schrute of wrestlingnews.co for the transcription)

Related: Don't Sleep On Bronson Reed Winning Elimination Chamber Match

Cody Rhodes' Torn Pec Set Up His Massive Royal Rumble Return

Cody Rhodes gathers himself during his WWE Hell In A Cell match against Seth Rollins in 2022.

Make no mistake: Cody Rhodes would have preferred not to tear his pectoral muscle, and WWE would have been better off having him around over the several months he missed. Things tend to happen for a reason, though, and his Hell In A Cell performance set the 37-year-old up for a massive return at the Royal Rumble. There's a universe that exists where Rhodes' rehab efforts fell short, and he was unable to make his comeback at the Alamodome in Texas this past weekend. Thankfully, that isn't the universe any of us are living in. Rhodes was able to get back into ring shape in time to pull out onto the road to WrestleMania 39.

Not only that, but it seems likely that the Showcase of the Immortals will be built around Cody Rhodes Vs. Roman Reigns. That's a match fans have been hoping for since WrestleMania 38, and they weren't disappointed by the finish to the Royal Rumble match. He called out Reigns during the most recent episode of Raw but ended up in a confrontation with Judgment Day. Rhodes and Finn Balor delivered a stellar first-time-ever main event for the red brand, allowing WWE to kick the Cody/Roman can down the road just a bit as Elimination Chamber looms.

It's unclear exactly when these two titans of industry will stand toe-to-toe in the same ring with one another. That's the next big moment the company will build to in the coming weeks. WrestleMania 39 is two months away now, and there's plenty of time to build up the American Nightmare versus the Tribal Chief storyline. For now, WWE needs to cross some t's and dot some i's concerning the Bloodline saga. Sami Zayn (finally) turned on Reigns at the Royal Rumble, signaling that this storyline is entering the last chapter. Cody Rhodes will be waiting on the other side with a fully healed pec and chip on his shoulder.

Next: Mega Push For Rhea Ripley Means Nothing If She Loses To Charlotte Flair

Sources: IMPAULVISVE/YouTube, wrestlingnews.co