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Cody Rhodes Defeats Solo Sikoa on SmackDown to Retain WWE Championship; Roman Reigns Returns!

The OTC returned to help Cody Rhodes after he defeated Solo Sikoa inside of a steel cage.
Rick Ucchino|
Roman Reigns returns to fight off the Bloodline after Cody Rhodes def. Solo Sikoa inside a steel cage.
Roman Reigns returns to fight off the Bloodline after Cody Rhodes def. Solo Sikoa inside a steel cage. | wwe.com

The season premiere of Friday Night SmackDown on the USA Network kicked-off in a major way. New graphics, a new theme song and Paul 'Triple' H Levesque hyping up the Seattle crowd for the opening contest that featured the American Nightmare Cody Rhodes defending his Undisputed WWE Championship against Solo Sikoa.

The self-proclaimed Tribal Chief had the Champion reeling early on in the match. Just rag dolling Cody from one wall of the cage to another. Even busting him open off a flying headbutt, but Rhodes was able to gain the upper hand with a surprise cutter from halfway up the cage.

It was a hard hitting match that saw Rhodes and Sikoa exchange numerous big spots, including Solo pulling Cody back into the ring the hard way with a massive superplex from the top of the cage.

Solo would attempt a back suplex, but the American Nightmare would land on his feet and hit a Cross Rhodes for a close two-count. It would take a cross body from high atop the cage and another Cross Rhodes for the Champion to keep Solo down for good.

After the match was over, the Bloodline would swarm the ring and begin picking the bones of the hobbled Champion.

That was until Roman Reigns emerged from the back to seek retribution against the Bloodline. The OTC would lock himself in the cage and go to work with the heavy right hands.

He and Rhodes would actually team together to take out the WWE Tag Team Champions as Solo and Jacob Fatu ran back up the ramp to safety.

SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis later told Cathy Kelley backstage that Solo and Jacob issued a challenge for Bad Blood. The two of them against Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes.

Aldis was able to get legal to draw up a quick contract, but Cody Rhodes approached him to say that he is done with the Bloodline and that he has no intentions of putting pen to paper.

Who will step up to be Roman's partner should the OTC agree to the fight? Find out the answer here!

You can follow Rick Ucchino on X and on Instagram: @RickUcchino

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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