The drama didn’t end with the main event victory at Saturday Night’s Main Event—Cody Rhodes’ celebration was violently cut short by Kevin Owens, who delivered a shocking and controversial post-match attack. Using his banned package piledriver—a nod to his pre-WWE days—Owens sent the Undisputed WWE Champion out of the Nassau Coliseum on a stretcher, leaving fans and the wrestling world in stunned silence.
Post-Match Chaos
After falling short in his championship bid, Owens clearly wasn’t ready to let bygones be bygones. As the NBC special went off the air, Owens stormed back into the ring where Rhodes was basking in the glow of his hard-fought win. What happened next was nothing short of jaw-dropping: Owens delivered his devastating package piledriver, a move synonymous with his pre-WWE career as Kevin Steen.
The maneuver, long banned in WWE for its dangerous nature, left Rhodes incapacitated in the ring. Medics rushed to the champion’s aid, ultimately wheeling him out on a stretcher while fans in Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum looked on in disbelief.
A Finisher from the Past
Owens’ package piledriver is a move steeped in independent wrestling lore. As Kevin Steen, Owens used the move to capture championships in promotions like Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. Its shocking return to the WWE ring marks the first time Owens has used the move under the WWE banner—a clear sign that “The Prize Fighter” is willing to go to any lengths to make a statement.
Where Was Randy Orton?
Throughout the match, Owens dropped multiple hints that Randy Orton might make an appearance, even taunting the camera with a sarcastic “hello” to the Viper. But Orton never emerged, leaving Rhodes to fend for himself in what became one of the most brutal endings to a WWE event in recent memory.
The question now isn’t just about Cody Rhodes’ health, but what consequences Owens might face for breaking WWE’s rules in such a public and dangerous fashion.