Cody Rhodes wrestled in the main event of WWE's Hell In A Cell premium live event on June 5, and at least one insider believes it was a career-defining moment for the superstar. That's because Rhodes was injured badly prior to the bout. In fact, he had completely torn his pectoral muscle away from the bone, resulting in gnarly bruising and discoloration.
The match received rave reviews, all things considered, with several analysts giving it the sought-after five-star rating. There was also plenty of intrigue surrounding Rhodes' injury during the June 6 episode of Monday Night Raw, and while he alluded to trying to appear at Money In The Bank, that seems unlikely given the nature of his injury. (Unlikely doesn't mean impossible, however.)
Of the match reviewers who gave Rhodes vs Rollins at Hell In A Cell five stars, Dave Meltzer carries the most weight. It's tough to get that perfect rating from the longtime insider, and he had strong words for The American Nightmare following his gutsy performance. In the June 13 edition of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Meltzer wrote that this "should end up as (Rhodes') career defining match." He also believes that if WWE pushes it in the coming months, this Hell In A Cell fight could reach legendary status in the minds of fans. It could also open the door for the company to push Rhodes as hard as they pushed Triple H when he returned from a torn quad in 2001 and 2002.
It's worth noting that Meltzer has also openly wondered why WWE allowed Rhodes to compete, and he wrote at length about the possible dangers this precedent could set for wrestlers moving forward. Rhodes isn't the first superstar to work through an injury, though, and he won't be the last. The belief is that WWE and Cody both were under the impression that, since the pectoral muscle was already off the bone, Rhodes couldn't hurt it any worse by performing at Hell In A Cell. Gutsy performance, indeed.
With the six-month recovery rate for this surgery, it seems most likely that WWE fans will see Rhodes return somewhere around the Royal Rumble. He might not be ready for the match itself, but that'd put him in line to play a key role at WrestleMania 39. If The Rock and Roman Reigns don't go on like Vince McMahon is hoping, then getting The American Nightmare involved against The Tribal Cheif might be the biggest draw available on The Grandest Stage Of Them All.