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WWE Saturday Night's Main Event: How Cody Got Busted Open

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Steven Harrison | Last updated Dec 13, 2025 8:40 PM ET

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes opened Saturday Night's Main Event in a champion vs. champion match. NXT Champion Oba Femi received an enormous ovation from the Washington, D.C. crowd. On the night of John Cena's last match, Femi proved on the big stage that he is ready for the main roster spotlight. Anyone who did not know of Oba Femi before tonight knows who he is now.

Femi dominated the majority of the match, showcasing his strength and athleticism against the much smaller Rhodes. While the crowd never turned on Cody, they maintained vocal support behind the NXT Champion. The match ended in a no contest after Drew McIntyre interfered, but not before Rhodes suffered a slight injury.

Oba Femi did not come to play! @Obaofwwe pic.twitter.com/z6AXxI6CNW
— WWE (@WWE) December 14, 2025

What Happened to Cody Rhodes' Ear?

Oba Femi just went FLYING at Cody Rhodes! @Obaofwwe pic.twitter.com/suZKniiRCI
— WWE (@WWE) December 14, 2025

As the match spilled to the outside, Femi struck Rhodes with a running uppercut. Rhodes was sitting on the announce table, and the uppercut knocked him over the table and down to the floor. Immediately, blood was seen spilling from Rhodes' ear. Wade Barrett immediately addressed the injury, suggesting that Rhodes cut his ear on one of the sharp corners of the announce desk during his fall.

The match was short-lived after that spot, and the remaining amount of time was likely already planned. Rhodes seemed to reject referee Dan Engler's attention, who hurriedly put on the black gloves and was prepared to clean his ear. Following McIntyre's interference, Femi confronted McIntyre, and Rhodes continued to work physically, hitting Drew with a Cody Cutter (his go-to move of the night).