Cody Rhodes says he suffered an orbital fracture from Randy Orton’s punt at WrestleMania 42, and that it affected his work in the months that followed.
Chris Van Vliet asked Rhodes on Insight what the actual injury was.
“I said I was going to answer any of your controversial questions. I think we skated by with a little bit of an orbital fracture, and that’s not on anyone’s fault but my own,” Rhodes said.
Rhodes said he is angry with himself for working through it.
“I think we skated by with a little bit of an orbital fracture, and I think I am mad at myself for doing so because it’s affected my work since. Super slowed down,” Rhodes said.
He said it affected his vision “just to a degree, to a little bit.”
“You can’t go out there [as] QB1 and saying you’re in your prime and you’re the best you’ve ever been if you’re dealing with something that’s a bit of a hindrance like that. But at this point, we’re out the woods. I got through it. I showed up the next night,” Rhodes said. “I am toxic as can be when it comes to physical stuff. Toxic as can be. Oh, I can, I can go. I can go. Tape it up. I can go.”
Rhodes said young wrestlers should not follow his example.
“I’m letting you know that’s not good. If you’re a young wrestler, don’t do it,” he said. “Something about me can’t not want to go. I don’t know what it is. I love it too much. Maybe it’s ego. I don’t know, but I just can’t not. So yeah, that was a nasty one.”
Rhodes retained the Undisputed WWE Championship against Orton in the main event of Night 1 of WrestleMania 42 on April 18 in Las Vegas, with Pat McAfee as the special referee. Orton punted Rhodes after the match.
In May, Rhodes said on ESPN’s Get Up that his eye was swollen shut after WrestleMania and that he needed staples to the back of his head and stitches to the front, but still wrestled the following week.
Rhodes and Orton are feuding again on SmackDown.
