Why Cody Rhodes Was Cleared to Wrestle at Hell in a Cell with Pec Injury

[Liz]

WWE reportedly allowed Cody Rhodes to wrestle Seth Rollins at Hell in a Cell because his injury was so severe he could not do further damage.

Fightful Select reported WWE's categorization of Rhodes' pectoral being torn off the bone was accurate, and he was cleared to perform because wrestling in a match posed no threat of extending his recovery period.

The report went on to say no one in WWE pressured Rhodes to compete, and he would not have been asked to perform if he were not insistent on completing the storyline.

Rhodes underwent surgery on the pectoral muscle Thursday and is expected to make a full recovery.

WWE offered a nine-month timeframe for Rhodes' return, though that is likely an in-storyline outlook given the statement referenced Rollins' attack from Monday's Raw.

Past WWE performers who have suffered a similar injury have typically returned in a four- to six-month timeframe, with the former being on the John Cena level of recovery time. Rhodes' actual return will likely come sometime in the winter, with the Royal Rumble being an obvious potential big-pop target.