Cody Rhodes vs. Kevin Owens World title ladder match set for WWE Royal Rumble

Kevin Owens will get his Undisputed WWE Championship rematch at the Royal Rumble. In the closing segment of Friday’s SmackDown, Owens and WWE Champion Cody Rhodes successfully lobbied Nick Aldis for a ladder match at Royal Rumble with the title belts of both competitors suspended above the ring. Owens scored a visual pinfall over Rhodes at Saturday Night’s Main Event earlier this month after a referee bump took the primary official out of the match. On SmackDown, Owens was adamant that he wanted his title rematch in a scenario where the referee was not involved in counting the finish, with Rhodes suggesting the ladder match stipulation. Owens has been carrying around the “Winged Eagle” title belt used at Saturday Night’s Main Event since the show, claiming to be the real WWE Champion. A men’s Royal Rumble match and women’s Rumble are the only other bouts certain for the 2025 Royal Rumble set for Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday, February 1. WWE Royal Rumble, Saturday, February 1 — Men’s