Cody Rhodes retained the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 42 night one, but the physical toll of the match has already led to his first public commitment being removed from the calendar.
WWE has officially pulled Rhodes from a scheduled WWE World meet-and-greet appearance that was set for Sunday, April 19. Fans who had booked photo ops and autograph sessions with the champion received the following notification from WWE:
“Due to injuries sustained at WrestleMania, Cody Rhodes is no longer able to make it to WWE World. Unfortunately, this means your photo op and/or autograph have been cancelled.”
The cancellation comes in the immediate aftermath of one of the more physically brutal main events in recent WrestleMania memory. Rhodes and Randy Orton headlined night one in a match that included interference from Pat McAfee, a table spot involving Jelly Roll, and a closing stretch that saw Rhodes split open and bleeding before hitting the Cross Rhodes for the victory.
After the match, Orton attacked Rhodes with the title and delivered a punt kick, leaving the champion laid out on the canvas. Rhodes was subsequently noted to be in concussion protocol on the post-show, with his left eye visibly swollen shut.
The severity of the injuries and whether they could impact Rhodes’ in-ring schedule going forward is not yet known. We wish him a speedy recovery.
Cody’s meet & greet at WWE World is now canceled due to an injury🥺🥺. pic.twitter.com/QdSoK9Wveg
— paw🫶🏻 (@bryan_seven7) April 19, 2026
