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WWE Royal Rumble 2025: Cody Rhodes Retains WWE Championship In Wild Ladder Match Against Kevin Owens

Sid Pullar III

Cody Rhodes showing off the winged eagle WWE Championship belt
Cody Rhodes showing off the winged eagle WWE Championship belt / WWE.com

The four-month rivalry between "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens came to an end in a Ladder Match at the WWE Royal Rumble 2025 premium live event.

This proved to be an absolute "Ladder War" as the two friends turned rivals put their bodies on the line in a hellacious brawl that went into the crowd and all over the ringside area.

After KO delivered a twisting fisherman buster off the top rope on Rhodes, Sami Zayn made his way down to ringside to check on his two friends who were both in some rough shape following a hard-hitting encounter.

After fighting to the commentary desk, Cody delivered an Alabama Slam on KO into a ladder bridge with the challenger landing neck first in a bone-crushing bump.

Following a near-30 minute bout, Cody climbed the ladder to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship and finally vanquish Owens. Post-match, Zayn checked on a bloody and beaten down Kevin Owens as "The American Nightmare" celebrated his victory to the cheers of the fans.

Stay tuned to The Takedown on SI for any further updates on the WWE Royal Rumble 2025 event.

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Sid Pullar III
SID PULLAR III

Sid Pullar III, born and raised in New York, is a lifelong pro wrestling fan who fell in love with the business when stars like Randy Savage, Ric Flair and Sting captured his imagination. In 2017, he started the Tru Heel Heat Wrestling podcast. Then in 2020, he began his writing for Sportskeeda Wrestling before moving to WrestleTalk in 2021. He is looking to capture his three decades worth of pro wrestling knowledge through his pieces and interviewing various stars.

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