The news of Cody Rhodes' pectoral muscle injury shook the WWE Universe completely. Just hours prior to his scheduled Hell in a Cell main event against Seth Rollins, it was reported that The American Nightmare tore his pectoral muscle. What's even more shocking is the fact that Rhodes continued with his match against Rollins in the pay-per-view.

The two men put on an amazing show, though. Despite Rhodes' injury, the duo managed to have arguably the best match of the WWE event. Rollins did an excellent job protecting Rhodes, but that didn't stop the latter from taking some rather brutal bumps. This spot which saw Rhodes crash through a table seemed rather painful:

Rhodes would eventually win the match after brutalizing Rollins with a combination of Cross Rhodes and sledgehammer shots. While the two had a great show, the WWE fan base has one thing in mind: What's the deal with Cody Rhodes' injury? We'll answer a few questions surrounding his injury.

Everything you need to know about Cody Rhodes' pectoral injury

How did Cody Rhodes suffer this injury?

According to WWE's official statement, Rhodes reportedly suffered this injury during a brawl with Rollins on an episode of Monday Night RAW. He would then aggravate his injury while undergoing weight training, fully tearing the muscle in the process.

The second part of WWE's statement is correct, at the very least. Dave Meltzer reported this injury a few hours prior to the pay-per-view, saying that Rhodes hurt himself while doing some weight training. Meltzer would go on to say that the injury was a “weightlifting injury,” not an in-ring one.

How bad is his injury?

Well, pretty damn bad based off of this image:

The brutally graphic imagery of Rhodes' injury caused quite a few fans to wonder whether this injury was a work. While it might seem like it was exaggerated, severe bruising like that is not uncommon for pectoral tears. In fact, Triple H shared an image after he tore his pec (more on that later) back in 2018 that looked similar to Rhodes' bruising:

Have any other wrestlers suffered injuries like this before?

Yes. In fact, two of the most iconic WWE wrestlers of all time suffered a similarly torn pectoral muscle in their careers.

As just noted, Triple H suffered a torn pec in 2018. The Game's pectoral muscle tear happened toward the latter end of his career in 2018. Triple H suffered the injury during the Crown Jewel pay-per-view in a tag team match with D-Generation X partner Shawn Michaels against Kane and Undertaker.

Triple H would be kept out of action for around six months, before returning for Wrestlemania 35 for a bout against former Evolution stable-mate Batista.

Before that in 2007, John Cena suffered a torn pectoral muscle in a match against Mr. Kennedy. The injury was actually caught on live television, as it was during a live episode of Monday Night RAW.

Cena would be forced to relinquish his WWE title at the time. He'd go on to shock the world, however, as he would make a triumphant return at the 2008 edition of the Royal Rumble. Cena missed a total of four months due to his pectoral injury.

How long does recovery from a pectoral tear usually take?

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The blacked-out silhouette of Kevin Nash with a text bubble reading, "He’s the perfect f**king champion right now" next to Cody Rhodes with the WWE logo as the background.

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Toni Storm with a text bubble reading "Go see a f**king movie!" next to Cody Rhodes with the AEW Dynasty logo as the background.

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Cody Rhodes with a text bubble reading "Roman Reigns is elite" next to Roman Reigns with the WWE logo as the background.

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Rehabilitation of a pectoral tear could take from six months to a year, depending on the severity of the injury.

Many doctors also strongly prohibit people with a pectoral tear to avoid heavy lifting during their rehabilitation period. That means for the majority of the rehab period, Rhodes will likely not be able to do any ring work. That's a bummer, considering that Rhodes was already hitting his stride in the WWE prior to this injury.

What has Cody Rhodes told us about his injury?

Well, not much yet so far. Right after his Hell in a Cell match, Cody Rhodes cut an off-camera promo to address the WWE Universe. The American Nightmare told fans that the decision to work the match was his decision alone. Rhodes also told fans that he will be explaining things more thoroughly on Monday Night RAW the next day:

“I’m sure I’m gonna explain things a little further tomorrow, I’ll be very brief. No one convinced me, with a torn pec, to come out here. It was solely my decision. You would have to literally kill me from staying away from this ring. Ten times out of ten, I would have made the same decision,”

Big props to Rhodes for continuing to work this match despite the dangerous injury. Seth Rollins' in-ring work with Rhodes is also praise-worthy, as he was able to protect the latter as much as possible without ruining the match. Now, we will wait to see what the aftermath of this injury will be.