Jade Cargill To Undergo Neck Surgery?, Cody Rhodes Reacts To A Possible Heel Turn, News On The Lilly Doll Becoming A Real-Life Character

John Cena threw away his legacy five months ago when he turned heel on Cody Rhodes at WWE Elimination Chamber: Toronto.

But on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown, Cena appeared to return to his old self, thanking Cody for helping him rediscover who he truly is.

In an interview recorded prior to SmackDown, Cody Rhodes spoke with Gabby LaSpisa on the “Gabby AF” podcast and was asked about the possibility of a major WWE turn. He said,

“People talk about, ‘Oh, I bet they’re going to do this double turn.’ No. I think, to take a page out of [Cena’s] book, if they think I’m a heel, then I’m a heel. To me, I’m not changing my game. It would be detrimental to the place I work to make a pivot. No more Kingdom, no more promos, no more merch. Real bad guy stuff. However, I have ears open, and I’m well aware that sometimes it’s not your night.”

Jade Cargill recently opened up about the injury that kept her out of action for the latter half of 2024.

In storyline, Cargill was written off TV ahead of WWE Survivor Series 2024, with it later being revealed that Naomi was behind the attack out of jealousy. Cargill made her dramatic return at WWE Elimination Chamber: Toronto, seeking revenge on her former friend.

Appearing on the “Club 520” podcast, Cargill revealed that she had been dealing with a serious neck injury that nearly required surgery. While she’s been able to delay the procedure for now, she admitted that surgery is still likely in the future. Cargill also spoke about the emotional toll of being forced to the sidelines, saying it was tough being away from the ring due to something beyond her control.

As a result, the crowd reaction she received upon returning became one of her favorite moments in her career to date. She said,

“I was coming back from an injury, and I didn’t know when I was coming back. So it took a lot, because me being an athlete, I’ve never been injured in my life. I’ve had a bone bruise, and I still played through that. You play hurt. Whatever, whatever. But this was something that I had to sit out, and that was the first time, and that can mess with you mentally… Because there’s nothing I can do. I can’t go out there to show you. I have to just take it, take it, take it. I couldn’t say anything. So it was just taxing. But Elimination Chamber, I would say [is a favorite], because I had a lot to prove right then and there, and I was excited to be back. It was kind of out of the blue. I wasn’t even in shape yet, but I guess that the crowd reaction for that and our storyline.

“I didn’t tear anything. It was more of a neck injury that could have been like, led to surgery, but I didn’t need it. Well, I didn’t need it. Eventually, I will, like all wrestlers do.”

When Alexa Bliss aligned with Bray Wyatt’s Fiend persona, she embraced a darker character and introduced a haunting doll named Lilly. Despite eventually moving away from the supernatural elements of that era, Lilly remained a consistent part of her presentation — proof of the doll’s lasting popularity with fans.

In a new interview with Sports Illustrated’s Rick Ucchino, Bliss revealed that Chelsea Green once pitched the idea of portraying Lilly in a live-action form. She said,

“She had actually texted me, I think it was when I was on maternity leave, and she was like, ‘Hey, one day I will be Lilly.’ We’ve actually had a lot of people pitch to be the real life Lilly. For me, I like keeping Lilly as something that’s a little more mysterious. I like not putting a face to the name, but if the time ever came when they’re like, ‘Hey, we need to make Lilly come alive.’ I think Chelsea would be the perfect fit.”