Cody Rhodes Eyes New WWE Title; Gunther Trolls Dragunov’s Injury; Rumors on Bad Blood

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Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Rhodes Working to Bring Back Winged Eagle Title

WWE champion Cody Rhodes has long been outspoken about bringing back a classic championship belt, and he still hasn’t given up on his goal.

During an appearance Monday on Superstar Crossover with Josh Martinez (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), Rhodes talked about his continued efforts to bring the Winged Eagle WWE Championship belt back into the fold:

“I’m so glad you asked. Please know, anyone who ever heard me say the words ‘Winged Eagle title,’ I actively am still on the hunt. I am still on the mission, and if anything, I have shown in the past, even if it’s for a single night or fleeting, I try to be a man of my word. So, I’m working on it.”

The Winged Eagle is arguably the most iconic title belt in WWE and professional wrestling history as a whole since many of the biggest stars in the history of the business have worn it.

That list includes Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Ric Flair, Randy “Macho Man” Savage, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, among others.

Given Rhodes’ age, it comes as little surprise that he is nostalgic for a title that existed in the 1990s, and there is little doubt that many longtime WWE fans share a similar affinity for the Winged Eagle.

Rhodes became WWE champion by beating Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 40, and he has helped make the current title design popular in its own right.

Although the current belt may not be as aesthetically pleasing, it undoubtedly serves a purpose since everyone who sees it knows it is the WWE Championship regardless of whether they are a wrestling fan.

It is difficult to envision WWE going away from a design that features its logo so prominently, but as Rhodes alluded to, perhaps a one-night return is a possibility.

Gunther Taunts Dragunov After Injury

World heavyweight champion Gunther took a shot at Ilja Dragunov on Monday night after WWE revealed his injury status.

During Raw, it was announced that Dragunov suffered a torn ACL during a match against Gunther at a WWE live event, meaning he will be out of action for the next six to nine months:

WWE @WWEBREAKING: @UNBESIEGBAR_ZAR sustained an injury during a match with @Gunther_AUT this past weekend. He is expected to be out 6-9 months. We wish Dragunov a speedy recovery. #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/vAfNCzd6KK

In response, The Ring General took to X and suggested that Dragunov was weak for getting hurt:

GUNTHER @Gunther_AUTweak things break https://t.co/syMcFCq2U6

Gunther and Dragunov have no shortage of history dating back to their time together in NXT UK, as Dragunov became the first person to beat Gunther in WWE back in 2021, defeating him for the NXT UK Championship at NXT TakeOver 36.

Since then, Gunther has not lost on many more occasions, meaning Dragunov finds himself in elite company.

Over the past several weeks, Gunther and Dragunov reprised their rivalry on the live event circuit, including facing each other on multiple cards during WWE’s tour of Germany.

While the fans were undoubtedly treated to some hard-hitting and entertaining matches, one of the bouts unfortunately led to the former NXT UK and NXT champion landing on the shelf.

It comes at an inopportune time for Dragunov since he was recently gaining some momentum on Raw by entering into a rivalry with The Judgment Day, but now he has a long road back to the ring.

As for Gunther, he is preparing for his second World Heavyweight Championship defense, which will come against Sami Zayn next week on Raw.

Reported Reason for Early Bad Blood Start Time

Saturday’s WWE Bad Blood premium live event is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET rather than the typical 8 p.m. ET start time for a WWE PLE, and there is reportedly a specific reason why.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), the start time is so that WWE does not conflict with a UFC event.

UFC 307 is taking place Saturday in Salt Lake City, and WWE wants Bad Blood to be over before the UFC 307 main card begins, per Meltzer.

That makes sense from the perspective of having less competition, as well as from the perspective of WWE and UFC both being under the same umbrella as TKO Group Holdings.

Over the past couple of years, the WWE PLE schedule has been far less rigid than in the past, as the shows have taken place on Saturdays and Sundays in multiple different countries and at different times.

WWE has often gone outside the United States for its premium live events lately, holding them in Australia, France, Saudi Arabia, Scotland and Germany this year alone.

While Bad Blood is taking place stateside in Atlanta, WWE is maintaining its flexibility with a unique start time that will allow combat sports fans to enjoy multiple events on Saturday.

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