On the March 13th episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown, Undisputed WWE Champion "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes was brutally attacked by "The Viper" Randy Orton during their contract signing for a championship match scheduled at WrestleMania 42.
In last Friday's episode of SmackDown, Rhodes did not appear, leaving fans wondering about his status. Meanwhile, Orton explained his actions, stating that Rhodes' encouragement to bring out the best version of himself and to "listen to the voices in his head" triggered his aggression towards The American Nightmare. Additionally, Orton attacked Matt Cardona during the episode.
WWE has announced that Rhodes will return to SmackDown this coming Friday, following the vicious assault by his former friend and WrestleMania challenger, Orton. The preview for the episode poses the question of how The American Nightmare will respond to Orton's betrayal and whether he will seek payback as they head towards their title clash at The Showcase of the Immortals.
The March 27th episode of WWE SmackDown will take place at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
