WWE SmackDown concluded with the announcement of a ladder match between Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens for the Winged Eagle Championship at Royal Rumble 2025. The match materialization came after General Manager Nick Aldis demanded Owens relinquish the title during the show’s final segment.
The timing of this championship clash has sparked discussion among fans, who initially expected the match to take place during RAW’s Netflix premiere on January 6. While Rhodes sustained injuries at Saturday Night’s Main Event, no official reports have confirmed any significant health concerns that would prevent him from competing earlier.
The decision appears strategic, as RAW’s Netflix debut already features Roman Reigns facing Solo Sikoa. The scheduling allows WWE to distribute major matches across both events, with Reigns potentially available for the 30-person Royal Rumble match.
WWE veteran questions Ladder Match stipulation
Well, Ladder Matches, you only see so many of them; when you continually do them throughout the year, they lose their drawing power because you can see every finish and what is left to do. So, if they wanted me to buy a ticket to see a Ladder Match, I’d say, ‘Nah, I’d go watch this other movie down the street.
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Mantell also shared his overall assessment of SmackDown’s presentation:
I’ll wish them luck, I just didn’t enjoy the show, I don’t think it was well put together.
The singles ladder match represents a departure from WWE’s recent trend of featuring multiple competitors in such stipulation matches.
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