Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn participated in a highly praised segment on this week’s episode of Raw, but Roman Reigns is not impressed.
This week’s episode of the Red Branded Show saw Zayn jumping the barricade once again. He called out Rhodes and asked if Cody really believes Sami can beat the Tribal Chief at Elimination Chamber.
The American Nightmare said that it doesn’t matter what anyone else believes. He said that he is here to finish his story and told Zayn to finish his own.
This segment between the two title challengers received high praise from the fans but it failed to impress the WWE Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion.
Roman Reigns posted a message on Twitter saying that everybody thinks they’re the guy until they meet the guy. He targeted Sami Zayn in the video, saying he’ll see the Honorary Uce in Montreal:
“If you gotta have a pep rally to convince each other that you can beat me? You don’t stand a chance. I’ll see ya in Montreal.”
Cody Rhodes will be main eventing WrestleMania 39 after winning the Royal Rumble. Sami Zayn on the other hand, is set to challenge Reigns for the Undisputed titles this Saturday, February 18 at Elimination Chamber from Montreal, Canada.
Cody Rhodes won the 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble match, but there was one aspect of it that was a bummer for the former AEW star.
Rhodes recently spoke to The New York Post about his big win last month. As noted, Rhodes actually popped his eardrum during the match.
It was especially disappointing given Rhodes just returned from injury, and wanted to avoid getting back on the medical list.
Thankfully, the injury wasn’t significant enough to sideline him again. However, Rhodes did explain how much of a bummer it was that he couldn’t fully hear the packed Alamodome crowd after his career-highlight victory.
“So if you’ve ever had your ear drum popped, it’s a ringing sound, it’s unmistakable, there’s air blowing out of it. I was just tickled by it, hilariously, that it happened because I’m finally back, came back two months early.
“The last thing we need to do is get hurt because you don’t want to be on that medical list. Anyways, I was able to get through it just fine, just a tiny little perforation. The funny thing was on a night that you’re surrounded by 60,000 people in the Alamodome, excited, you’d like to hear them, and I could only hear half of them.
“That was a little bit of a [worrisome moment]. I could feel them, if that makes any sense, but you’d like to hear them more. That was a night that was a bummer not to fully hear it.”
Rhodes has already punched his ticket to the main event of WrestleMania 39. Currently, he’s slated to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. However, that could all change should Sami Zayn pull off an upset over “The Tribal Chief” at Elimination Chamber.
Cody Rhodes says he’s got a different mentality this year as he gears up for the crowning moment of his professional wrestling career.
Rhodes’ WWE return at WrestleMania 38 will go down as one of the most memorable moments of 2022. The American Nightmare sent shockwaves throughout the industry when he walked through the curtain at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Unfortunately, his feud with Seth Rollins was cut short when he suffered a pectoral tear prior to June’s Hell in Cell PLE. He toughed it out and still wrestled in a HIAC match that night, delivering a performance for the ages. He’d soon undergo surgery and took six months to recover.
Rhodes returned from injury last month at the Royal Rumble. He won the men’s Rumble match and punched his ticket to the main event of WrestleMania 39. During an interview with Peter Rosenberg for Hot 97, Rhodes explained that he is taking a very different approach for this run.
2022 Cody vs. 2023 Cody
Rhodes told Rosenberg that he could barely sleep in the month leading up to the Royal Rumble. He tried everything to quiet his mind, but he was just so excited to get back to what he loves doing. He explained his mood as “giddy” in the weeks leading up to his return, but he’s made a conscious effort to tweak his outlook on things.
“The final month before I came back, I really couldn’t sleep,” he said. “I was trying everything I possibly could just to quiet my mind down and go to sleep, because I was really giddy. Very giddy about returning to wrestling”
“I don’t know if ‘giddy’ is the most masculine of words, but very giddy, but also at the same time, giddy is what got me into trouble. Lifting and just going nuts because i was so excited and i felt so much responsibility.”
He may have pushed himself a bit too hard last year. He felt the pressure to perform and that probably got to him. This year, he’s
“This time i just tried to be calm an cool and come in and do my thing and help in the best way i can. Not that WWE needs help, but it did feel like there was this absense on Raw perhaps, maybe it was just my absense, i’m glad to jump back in and take that responsibility.”
There are many aspects that make Cody Rhodes’ journey back to WWE very unique. One such aspect is his relationship with Triple H. He took some serious shots at the WWE Executive during the initial days of AEW, only to now find himself working under the guidance of The Game after his return.
The American Nightmare was asked about his relationship with the Chief Content Officer during an interview with Ariel Helwani. Rhodes claimed that the relationship has been great because neither of them are trying to force a friendship:
“So far? A plus. In terms of not, I hope this isn’t too divulgent, nothing has been forced. I’m not trying to force my ideas or a friendship. He’s not trying [either]. Everything he has said to me, or we’ve talked about has been very deliberate. Very much I get the sense [that] he’s expecting me to hit a home run every time. [I’m like] ‘Okay,’ I have had great education and great experience. I want to go out there and do that every time.”
‘It’s Been A Very Good Relationship’: Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes said that he expects struggles in the future but his relationship with Triple H so far has been good. Addressing his time in AEW, the former TNT champion explained that his actions were aimed at lifting the whole industry up:
“We’ve yet to really hit a road bump. They’re gonna come. I keep using different sports analogies, but we’re gonna fumble the ball. We’re gonna have these moments. They’re gonna come but right now, it’s been a very good relationship. Because it’s not performative. Right, it’s you call the play, and I’m gonna go out there and try to do the damn thing.
I’ve really enjoyed that because I don’t think there was necessarily bad blood. But that was a contentious thing on Wednesdays in a way for a while. If anything, I hope he would look at that and respect the hustle. I don’t think I’ve ever said respect the hustle. Respect what I was out there trying to do. Cause what I was out there trying to do then was for everybody.”
You can check out Cody Rhodes’ full interview below:
Cody Rhodes vs. Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.
Cody Rhodes Vs. Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Sami Zayn.
Why not both?
Since winning the Men’s Royal Rumble match last month, it has been known that the American Nightmare will challenge for WWE’s richest prize at WrestleMania 39, but who he’ll face remains uncertain.
Elimination Chamber
At this time, the WrestleMania 39 main event will see Rhodes attempt to dethrone Reigns and end his historic reign as WWE’s sole World Champion.
Before that though, Reigns will defend his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Sami Zayn at this weekend’s Elimination Chamber event.
During last week’s Raw, Rhodes said he believes Zayn can defeat Reigns in Montreal, and reiterated that point this week in a face-to-face segment with Sami.
Triple Threat
While the Royal Rumble winner has traditionally competed in singles action at WrestleMania, Rhodes is open to the idea of facing both Zayn and Reigns in Los Angeles.
“I don’t really have a preference [between Reigns and Zayn.] Solely because I want to wrestle the best. People wanted a contender forever. So if two show up, don’t be mad. Don’t make it about A or B, or B or A, or one or two. Enjoy it all. That’s really been kind of the challenge. I can’t begrudge a dude getting super hot. I have no preference in terms of the direction it goes.
“I have no preference in terms of the direction it goes.”
Cody Rhodes.
“I really look forward to the moments when I’m in there, if they happen, Sami, whether that’s just on the road to WrestleMania. I think it’s different than people think. I think he’s doing amazing.”
Rhodes remained aware that what happens this Saturday at WWE Elimination Chamber could significantly affect his WrestleMania future.
“I feel like I’ve been able to really do some great stuff too. So bring it all together. Who knows what happens in Montreal? Who knows what happens at WrestleMania?”
Cody Rhodes.
If WWE does have a triple-threat match at WrestleMania, it will be the eighth time the stipulation will be used at a WrestleMania for a World Championship (2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015-albeit thanks to Seth Rollins, and 2021.)
Cody Rhodes made his big return to WWE at Royal Rumble. After staying away from wrestling for 7 months, the American Nightmare picked things up right where he left off. He won the battle royal to earn a shot at the Undisputed World Championship at WrestleMania 39. His return, however, wasn’t free of criticism. Many fans thought that it would have been better to keep his comeback a surprise.
The former AEW star addressed this criticism during an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. Rhodes explained why he preferred the way things went down, saying that he wanted to call his shots:
“The Rumble was about, in my opinion, as a character that people like on the show, and I’ve been a character on shows that they don’t like but as someone currently, they like and vibe with and I really love and like them. I wanted to call my shot.
Calling your shots sometimes makes it obvious. Like ‘oh, hey, they’re making it seem like he’s gonna win the Royal Rumble.’ I wanted to call my shot because I still believe in those type of wrestlers. The type I grew up with, who said something and did it. That doesn’t happen that often in wrestling.”
‘It Just Felt Good’: Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes noted how he has been talking about winning the world championship since he returned to the company. He mentioned that many fans wanted his return to be a surprise, but the wrestling veteran explained that he felt good sharing the story of his return with fans:
“I’ve been telling you since WrestleMania, this is what I want. I want to win this championship that my dad never got his hands on. Then I want to start a whole new chapter. I’m wrapping up something that started in 1978, seven years before I was born. 77 maybe actually, but I want to wrap this up, and then wrap that part up for me. Then start a whole new chapter. I kind of stand by that.
There was a lot of people like ‘maybe it should have been a surprise.’ [I’m like] ‘Yeah, that might have been really cool.’ But it just felt good about telling them ‘Hey, I’m coming back’ It was really nerve-wracking and anxious. Watching those vignettes, because they’re not vignettes. It’s real surgery footage and real PT footage at my gym. I didn’t want to let anyone down and I felt like I didn’t.”
Cody Rhodes got made fun of when he decided to get a giant neck tattoo in 2020 ahead of his match against MJF at the AEW Revolution event. Many fans laughed at him for doing so. However, it’s just part of his look now.
It turns out that Rhodes had another questionable tattoo idea years ago. He discussed this while making an appearance on ‘My Mom’s Basement with Robbie Fox.’
Rhodes revealed that he almost got the faction logo of Legacy tattooed on his hand prior to their Triple Threat showdown at WrestleMania 26 in 2010 when he took on Randy Orton and Ted Debiase.
Luckily for Rhodes, Kofi Kingston stepped in and talked him out of it.
The Tat
“I almost got a tattoo on my hand of the Legacy logo before the match. I want to say, and I hope I’m giving credit to the right guy, Kofi Kingston was the one who told me absolutely not to do that.
Like, yeah, Legacy was cool. Yes, I was excited about having this first real WrestleMania, but it’s not that place on the card that you need this tattoo. I thought, okay. I also liked the L. I thought it was a pretty cool logo, but I didn’t get the tattoo, so Kofi was right.”
Rhodes is expected to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title at WrestleMania 39.
Sami Zayn called out Cody Rhodes on this week’s WWE Monday Night Raw episode.
This was days before Zayn steps into the ring to challenge Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns for his title in the main event of Saturday’s Elimination Chamber PLE event.
Some fans have felt that Zayn should be in Rhodes’ spot, as the former AEW star made his return from injury last month by winning the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match to earn the right to challenge Reigns for his title at WrestleMania 39.
The Segment
Zayn said he came to Raw to hear Rhodes say again that it’s looking more like Reigns won’t make it to Mania as champion and Zayn would be in the spot to make it Cody Rhodes vs. Sami Zayn at WrestleMania.
Zayn wanted to know that Rhodes believed Zayn could beat Reigns.
Rhodes stated he believed Zayn could win this Saturday and asked Zayn if he really believed he can. Zayn said he didn’t know because he’s been in the trenches with The Bloodline, and Reigns somehow finds a way to win. Zayn said he believes he is compatible of winning and worthy of being in the headliner role at WrestleMania 39 but isn’t sure whether he can walk out as champion on Saturday night.
Rhodes stated there are cracks in The Bloodline because of Sami Zayn and they both need to finish their own stories. Rhodes told him that he didn’t want to see Zayn next week because he wanted to see him at WrestleMania 39.
???BOTH THESE GUYS ??? For reals this promo work by both Sami Zayn and Cody Rhodes was extraordinary. They did so much here to further elevate the entire story. #WWERAWpic.twitter.com/cGAzLu42tC
Cody Rhodes opened up on the fight between The Elite (Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks) and CM Punk at the AEW All Out pay-per-view last September.
The Elite have since returned to TV while Punk, who suffered an injury in the All Out main event, is still on the sidelines. AEW President Tony Khan has yet to comment on Punk’s status with the promotion.
Rhodes was one of the names that helped launch the promotion in 2019. While appearing on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour, Rhodes commented on the Brawl Out incident.
The Next Day
Rhodes recalled waking up to 63 text messages and was worried that someone from AEW said something about him at the press conference.
Rhodes noted he still has a great relationship with The Young bucks and Omega. He admitted it was tested by them being younger executives and having different opinions on wrestling, but that made them work. He said they’re bonded forever because of that. He also had a great relationship with Punk and had dinner with him every week in AEW.
Rhodes went on to talk about his relationships with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks, noting that it was indeed tested by their differing opinions on the sport of pro wrestling. Rhodes also talked about his relationship with CM Punk, noting that they had a great relationship despite not talking much.
“So when I watched it just from me sitting there, I was not — there was some people texting me. I remember somebody texted me, ‘Man, you’re the smartest guy in the room. I wanted to write back like, ‘F— you, man.’ I don’t feel that way. I feel this thing we built got damaged. I’m not putting any blame on anybody. Sorry, super Switzerland.”
The Brawl
Rhodes stated he doesn’t put any of the blame on anybody but didn’t like to see it.
“I just hated seeing that, because as the company grows, and I hope it continues to grow, I hope people remember the mission in the first place and why we were there. If you bring in people who don’t know the mission, then things like that can happen.
I’m not saying he didn’t know the mission or anything of that nature, but I was just bummed out. That’s how I felt, I was bummed out. because I have — you win the title, it’s a feather in your cap. You win the Royal Rumble, it’s a feather in your cap. Building an alternative wrestling promotion is definitely a feather in the cap. I don’t want that to be erased. I don’t want that to go away.”
“Plus, there’s not as many jobs in wrestling as people think. There’s about 1000 people who work there structurally, infrastructure and talent. I’m proud of them. I want to make sure they’re able to feed their families and that was a situation that was so big and heavy. I don’t think it was helpful. I don’t know, maybe you could make it helpful. Maybe you can do something with it. That’s how I felt.
No heat on Punk. No heat on Matt, Nick, Kenny, or Tony, I was just bummed out when I saw it. That’s not how we envisioned it. The spirit of ‘All In,’ if you ever lose the spirit, you’re lost. I think the spirit was gone in that moment, doesn’t mean can’t get it back, but it was just a bummer.”
Rhodes departed from AEW last year to make his return to WWE at WrestleMania 38. Rhodes will challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title at WrestleMania 39 this month.
Last year, Cody Rhodes shocked the wrestling world when he jumped ship from AEW to WWE. He made his return after 7 years at WrestleMania 38.
He famously wrestled with a torn pectoral at the 2022 Hell in A Cell before having surgery. Rhodes returned at this year’s Royal Rumble to enter the Rumble match at #30. He battled with Gunther to win the Rumble and become the #1 contender for Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39.
Matt Hardy’s Comments
(via AEW)
On the latest episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Hardy said he was “very proud of him.” He reflected on their time together during in Jacksonville during the Pandemic Era. Due to spending so much time at Daily’s Place and “filming Dark until 2 AM”, Hardy and Rhodes spent a lot of time together.
“It was cool, man. I thought Cody killed it when we first came into WWE. I think him leaving AEW and going to WWE — the first major jump from an AEW to WWE deal — I think it’s good for business. I think it’s good for interest, I think it’s good for wrestling fans, I think it’s good for the entire biz, just in general.”
“So I was very happy for him to come back and I was happy that he won the Royal Rumble. And I think he’s the guy that should have won the Royal Rumble. I like that direction. And I’m really interested to see what him and Roman are going to do at Mania.”
WrestleMania 39 takes place in Los Angeles on April 1 and 2.
This week’s episode of WWE Raw featured a heavily praised segment between Cody Rhodes and Paul Heyman that saw them both get emotional.
The promo segment was done to promote further Cody Rhodes challenging Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39.
Fightful Select had details on the backstage reaction to the promo that was said to have benefitted from looser scripting under Triple H compared to what he had been under Vince McMahon.
Those close to Heyman stated that he was surprised by Rhodes mentioning Dusty Rhodes getting booked by ECW in 2000 and that the family needed those bookings. People close to Cody stated they weren’t sure whether Heyman had been told how important the ECW bookings were to the Rhodes family in general.
The Reaction
Heyman wrote his part of the promo, while Cody wrote his. Those involved with the segment were very pleased with it, and WWE officials were thrilled with the content and the reactions from fans.
One WWE higher-up source told Fightful: “Cody Rhodes is a star, and Paul Heyman is a starmaker. They were in a difficult position, and made something that seemed like a manufactured booking decision become a personal, WrestleMania main event if it ends up going that direction.”
Cody Rhodes has offered his thoughts on WWE’s creative control transferring from Vince McMahon to Triple H.
Rhodes recently took part in an interview with Alex McCarthy of Daily Mail and was asked about the transition of creative power going from McMahon to Triple H.
The 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble winner was out of action (pectoral injury) from June 2022 through January 2023. A lot happened in WWE during that time, to say the least. Most notably – the exit and return of Vince McMahon. Vince is back as Executive Chairman of WWE’s Board of Directors, but Triple H is very much in control of day-to-day operations.
Rhodes says both Vince McMahon and Triple H were in touch during his hiatus. He acknowledged they each have very different visions for WWE. At the end of the day, he’s focused on being the best WWE Superstar he can be.
“At the time when the transition happened, I wasn’t even close to coming back and I was communicated with every step of the way,” he said. “I was communicated with by Vince and by Triple H. That was very nice. I was never left in the dark on anything and obviously, these are different visions, they change.
“My transaction needs to be simple. I don’t need to be caught up in whatever is happening behind the scenes. Those stories can be fun but I need my story on the screen to be the more important story. For that to happen I need to be at the very best. Best as a superstar, best as a wrestler because then the other stuff will come.”
– Cody Rhodes
Rhodes to WrestleMania
Cody Rhodes returned to WWE in April of last year as Seth Rollins’ surprise opponent at WrestleMania 38. After a tremendous rivalry with Rollins, Rhodes was forced to be sidelined for most of the year with a pectoral injury.
Upon making his in-ring return at the Royal Rumble last month, winning the match, Rhodes has now punched his ticket to WrestleMania, where he will challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE World Heavyweight Title.
WWE had an important objective to achieve in booking Cody Rhodes and Paul Heyman’s memorable in-ring segment on Monday’s Raw.
Rhodes has a one-way ticket to the main event of WrestleMania Goes Hollywood. As of this writing, he’s scheduled to challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Of course, Sami Zayn is the X-factor that could change everything when he challenges Reigns for the titles at Elimination Chamber in less than two weeks.
We’re most likely going to see Reigns vs. Rhodes at WrestleMania, but WWE has to walk a thin line and make sure this long-planned bout is not derailed by Zayn’s surging popularity.
On the Feb. 7 episode of Monday Night Raw, Rhodes addressed the Orlando, Florida crowd. While he was talking, Heyman came out to continue the build for Rhodes’s match against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39. Rhodes and Heyman got personal because of Heyman’s history with Cody’s father, Dusty.
The segment struck a chord with WWE fans and created anticipation for the inevitable confrontation between Rhodes and Reigns. According to Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer, it’s reported that the segment was made to make the WrestleMania 39 match the primary focus for fans.
This was done because they were well aware of how hot the Sami Zayn thing is, and it was imperative to not have this WrestleMania main event angle feel secondary. So they knew going in that they had to do something. And they did.
– Dave Meltzer
He added, “It’s very important to the entire company that the Cody match is not the secondary match. But it’s also important that people don’t look at it as a competition between the two of them (Rhodes and Zayn), and then the people get behind Sami Zayn, and then that screws up Cody as a babyface.”
Walking a Fine Line with Rhodes & Zayn
WWE is entirely behind Rhodes vs. Reigns for the Undisputed Universal Championship at WrestleMania 39. However, they will first have Reigns defend the title against Zayn in his home country of Canada at Elimination Chamber on Feb. 18. The WWE fans are behind Zayn. Still, they also support Rhodes and seem to look forward to the WrestleMania match.
It seems WWE is in a good position with two great babyfaces. WWE may have already figured out a way to get to Rhodes vs. Reigns without the fans complaining about Zayn. However, we will have to wait and see how the story will transpire.
The emotional in-ring war of words between Cody Rhodes and Paul Heyman has got everybody talking, including a member of the AEW roster.
During Raw, Cody Rhodes’ address to the WWE Universe was interrupted by Heyman, who spoke about the close bond he had with Cody’s father Dusty.
After some heartwarming reminiscing, Heyman spoke about the names Dusty trained, including Roman Reigns (Rhodes’ WrestleMania 39 opponent), and noted that the American Dream did not train his son.
Heyman (fighting back tears) recalled his final talk with Dusty, who said that Cody was his favorite son, but Roman Reigns is the son he always wished he had.
In response, Cody said that since Heyman has made this personal, he vows to dethrone Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania
Reaction
Cody may have been Dusty’s favorite son (according to Heyman) but the American Nightmare isn’t the only son of the American Dream.
Dustin Rhodes now works in AEW, and in a tweet, showed his support for his brother, and had a piece of advice for what Cody should do to Heyman.
Dustin Rhodes and his father would share the screen throughout the respective careers of both men.
As part of Dusty’s feud with the ‘Million Dollar Man’ Ted DiBiase, the father and son teamed at the 1991 Royal Rumble in a losing effort to DiBiase and Virgil.
After making appearances together in WCW and outside televised wrestling, the two reunited for Goldust’s green card wedding to Aksana on NXT in 2010.
The American Dream would also be present for his son’s tag-team match against The Shield (Reigns and Seth Rollins) at Battleground 2013, which earned a Match of the Year nomination at that year’s Slammy Awards.
Cody Rhodes has already confirmed that he will challenge for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 39, a title currently held by Roman Reigns.
Rhodes earned the shot by winning the 30-Man Royal Rumble match. If Reigns retains the title against Sami Zayn at the Elimination Chamber on February 18, Reigns will meet Rhodes in the main WrestleMania event.
For nearly a year, WWE had hoped to have The Rock back for a match with Reigns at Mania. However, The Rock didn’t feel like he was in good enough ring shape for a WrestleMania main event match and turned it down.
Some fans have been pushing for Sami Zayn to be inserted into the WrestleMania main event because of his strong storyline with The Bloodline.
While speaking to Alex McCarthy of Daily Mail, Cody talked about the ongoing story between Zayn and The Bloodline. Rhodes noted that sometimes fans think it should be one wrestler or another in a top spot. He thinks the fans can get everything if decided upon by management.
“I was fully expecting these things to converge, and I’m still expecting them to converge just because we have these wonderful options.”
This was when he noted that the current WWE stories are better than having The Rock back at WrestleMania 39.
“With all the respect in the world to one of the GOATs The Rock, it looks like the options we have here within the roster are even better because of the stories that are happening. One story about finishing something that started in 1978 – seven years before I was even born – and another story of really the tragedy of being welcomed into the Bloodline and then what you saw unfolds.
I think with the amount of time between now and WrestleMania, it’s important I keep my eyes squarely fixed on WrestleMania, squarely wrestling for the WWE Undisputed Championship and as you hinted that may not be against Roman Reigns. Now I don’t know if anyone can beat Roman Reigns, I truly don’t, but for me, it’s about picking up the chip. I love the melodrama,I love the heaviness in these stories that develop in our industry, but I am very simply a man who’s looking for a belt.
I’m looking for a championship title belt, the most important one in our world the biggest in all – not just in the WWE bubble but in all the bubbles – and be the first to say as a Rhodes I did it, and it wasn’t Dusty Rhodes and it wasn’t Dustin Rhodes it was Cody Rhodes.”
The Rock has reportedly left the door open to doing the match at WrestleMania 40 next year.
Royal Rumble was one of the biggest nights of his career for Cody Rhodes. He was making his return from a gruesome injury after months and he went on to pick up one of the biggest wins of his career. In the heat of the moment, however, Rhodes committed what he calls a ‘cardinal sin’ in the wrestling business.
The winner of the 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble recently appeared on After The Bell podcast. Speaking about his performance at the PPV, Rhodes revealed that he did not know where the hard cam was:
“I did commit what I’d call kind of a cardinal sin in the wrestling game. My dad would be really irked if he knew this. I did not walk the arena earlier in the day. I did not walk the ramp. I did not get in the ring. I was very much held behind doors. Because of that, I will admit I had no clue and I still have not figured it out. I didn’t know where the hard cam was.”
“Okay, Welcome Back”: Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes explained that his father the late great Dusty Rhodes would have not been too happy knowing this detail. It ended up not mattering in the end per Rhodes because the cameras managed to capture the best moment of the night:
I tried. Then at a certain point, I just figured I had found it but then the sign was that way and I figured ‘Nope that can’t [be it]’. So I really was just looking to get all [corners] ‘Let’s just get all fours.’ That was one of those [reminding moments] ‘Okay, welcome back.’ Because that’s something you absolutely have to cover.
That’s part of being a professional. Put your face to the camera and here I am claiming to be one of the world’s top professionals [not knowing]. I would have got a kick in the ass from the old man, and my brother for that matter, but it didn’t [matter in the end]. In the case of WWE, there’s 1000 cameras who captured every second of it. They got to capture the sweetest second of it and that’s when Gunther went over the top rope.”
Cody Rhodes has come a long way in the last few years and established himself as one of the top stars of the current generation. After winning the Royal Rumble, he is only one step away from realizing his life’s dream. His journey, however, wasn’t always as glorious. The American Nightmare had to go through some dark times before he was able to get on the path to redemption.
The former AEW star opened up about his journey and his mental health struggles during an appearance on After The Bell. Rhodes was asked about a conversation he had with his wife Brandi Rhodes before leaving WWE. The WWE star recalled how he was tired of not being considered a top guy:
“I’m sitting in a rental car with Brandi. It’s freezing because we were in Scranton, it’s freezing, freezing. We were outside the bus. [The] crew bus was right in front of us. It had The Rock and had the John Cena photo on it from the second Mania. So we’ve already seen this bus for over a year now but this story was encompassing really two years. This story, the John vs Rock saga and it was wonderful. But when you’re on the card, not close to that [it’s discouraging].
At my level, I had been chipping away a little bit as brass rings here and there, brass rings here and there but I hadn’t broken through by any means. I just got so tired of seeing their dang faces. I love John. He was my role model in the business. He’s a rental car guy with me until he got a bus but as much as I did, I just was getting so upset. I told her ‘I can’t keep looking at the same guys. I can’t.’ I got out the car and I threw a yoo hoo glass bottle up against beautiful Dwayne Johnson’s face.”
‘That Was Rough’: Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes detailed his mental state at the time saying that he was ‘dead’ inside. He mentioned how being Stardust in front of Brandi was especially hard and he didn’t want to lower himself in front of her. The conversation ultimately led to him making the decision to leave the promotion:
“Getting it out for me, ultimately would lead to me leaving. It was the only way I could get it out. It was pinned up. It was pinned up for too long. Today you’ve got a medical team at WWE that includes mental health services. I’m not saying that I was deep down the rabbit hole, but it’s still so helpful to talk to somebody. I only had other wrestlers to talk to. Myself to talk to. You never want to lower yourself in front of your beloved. In front of your wife.
One of the hardest things for me was being Stardust in front of Brandi. That was rough. When Brandi married Cody Rhodes, he was the Intercontinental Champion. He was wrestling Randy Orton every night and we were absolutely tearing the joint down. Next thing you know, I’m running around in a space outfit and trying to make the best of it but I was very dead inside. Also to this day, I don’t know why I was drinking a yoo hoo.”
WWE is doing serious business on the road to WrestleMania 39, but who are the biggest names when it comes to merchandise?
These days, merchandise sellers may not be WWE’s primary source of income (thanks to the promotion’s lucrative TV deals and Saudi contract) but still earn WWE a hefty sum.
More important merchandise sellers are a quantitative way for WWE to see who is the most popular among the fans.
Top Merchandise Sellers
With WrestleMania 39 drawing near, every WWE Superstar will hope to get the attention of the promotion’s higher-ups by moving a serious amount of merchandise.
On the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer named the stars who are shining above the rest of the roster in terms of merch.
“A lot of the big characters are very over when it comes to selling merchandise right now. Bray Wyatt, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, I’m sure Sami Zayn. They’re hot. That’s the deal. Things look good for them going into WrestleMania season.”
Dave Meltzer.
WrestleMania 39
We already know plans for two of WWE’s top merch sellers for WrestleMania, as Cody Rhodes will challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal title this April.
As for Sami Zayn, it has been rumored that he and Kevin Owens will challenge Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions The Usos at WrestleMania 39.
It’s worth bearing in mind that these rumors began before Jey’s exit from the Bloodline at last weekend’s Royal Rumble event.
As for Bray Wyatt, all signs are pointing to an eventual clash with Uncle Howdy (played by his brother Bo Dallas) at WrestleMania.
Cody Rhodes says he wants to bring back the iconic Winged Eagle WWE Championship belt if he can defeat Roman Reigns at WrestleMania Goes Hollywood.
The American Nightmare won the Royal Rumble this past weekend to punch his ticket to the main event of WWE’s biggest show of the year. Earlier this week, he posted a photo of the winged eagle on Instagram, which set off a frenzy of excitement on social media.
During a Wednesday appearance on WWE’s The Bump digital series, Rhodes spoke about why the Winged Eagle is so important to him.
“Through my youth, the WWE I was watching, was really synonymous with the Winged Eagle. I think there’s a lot of people who love the Winged Eagle design, some people like the Big Eagle, but the Winged Eagle was the one for me. Today’s design with the giant W is also incredibly special because it’s this walking billboard for the promotion.
If anybody can get the Winged Eagle brought back, it’s Cody Rhodes. He was the man responsible for reviving the since-retired Intercontinental championship belt design held by legends including Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect and The Mountie.
“It was just a pipe dream. I posted that, I don’t want people to think I’m calling a shot, I don’t want people to think I’m going into business for myself. The reality is, I was able to change the Intercontinental Championship once before, which seemed before.
So, if I’m able to get to the finish line, the biggest WrestleMania of all time, SoFi, in Hollywood, if I’m able to get to the finish line and get my hands on these things that like I said, have eluded my family up until now, maybe it’s just a pipe dream, a glimmer, but it would be fun to just say lets just boil ‘em down and bring back the winged eagle.”
Winged Eagle Dreams
Rhodes knows his comments are going to get a lot of people buzzing. He made sure to clarify that he’s just sharing how he feels about this particular subject. However, that’s how he got WWE to bring back the classic IC title, so there is some cause for optimism.
“Listen, this is me just talking. I feel like I’m going to leave and get a bazillion texts like, ‘No, no!” All the titles, it’s the equity within them that makes them special. But just from a design standpoint, I have a lot of love and reverence for that one. It’s just a little pipe dream.
I had the same pipe dream for the Intercontinental title and I was lucky enough to make that come to fruition. So, follow along, because this is where the fun begins.”
Watch Cody Rhodes’ comments about wanting to bring back the Winged Eagle WWE Championship belt on The Bump:
Cody Rhodes is back in WWE and on the road to WrestleMania 39, and fans will soon get to play as the American Nightmare.
Rhodes made an emphatic return at last weekend’s Royal Rumble Premium Live Event, entering the men’s match at #30 and eliminating five Superstars.
Cody tossed out WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER to win the match after the Austrian broke the record for the longest time in a 30-Man Rumble match.
In the Game
Cody Rhodes’ return to WWE has been cemented with the American Nightmare’s inclusion into WWE 2K23.
On Twitter, fans caught their first glimpse of Rhodes’ entrance in the upcoming video game.
Rhodes is known as an avid video game fan, and early into his career, would include the Tri-Force from the Legend of Zelda on his ring attire.
While some had hoped that Rhodes would be included in WWE 2K22, possibly as DLC, it was said that there wasn’t enough time to include the former AEW TNT Champion.
WWE 2K23
This will (if you include WWE 2K Battleground) be the tenth installment into the WWE 2K franchise, which began with WWE 2K14.
WWE 2K23 will focus on the incredible career of John Cena, with a Showcase mode dedicated to some of the most important matches in John’s 20-year career.
The upcoming game will also see the video game debut of the WarGames match, with 3v3 and 4v4 matches available to play inside the double-cage structure.
WWE 2K23 will be released publicly on March 14, 2023 and you can pre-order the game by clicking here.
Cody Rhodes has nothing but praise for WWE’s Nick Khan and Bruce Prichard.
As noted, Rhodes won this year’s 2023 Royal Rumble match, punching his ticket to WrestleMania this April. Rhodes made his return in the match after missing several months due to a torn pectoral muscle.
While he was away, Rhodes admitted in a post-Rumble interview with Ariel Helwani that he did, indeed, have doubts before making his return. However, those were dispelled thanks to support from the likes of Nick Khan and Bruce Prichard.
“I was embarrassed, I really was. I was on top of my game. All the measurables of, ‘this is working, we’re selling this, people are tuning in.’ I’m doing it. Then I got hurt bench pressing at my gym. Probably a lot of wrestling was involved in that, but I didn’t know. I was just embarrassed. I’m really sorry. I am.
“I didn’t want to leave. I had almost a 30-minute match and then had to go get surgery. I was embarrassed. That was one time where I thought, ‘I’m worried now. Maybe I don’t have it.’ Everyone has doubts, even the most confident people. Maybe I didn’t have it. I’ll tell you two people that really kept me in check, Nick Khan and Bruce Prichard. I don’t know why they have reputations.
“They’ve been nothing but angels to me. Nick and Bruce don’t see Dusty (Rhodes) when they see me, they see me. That’s big. That’s big with me. They kept me on and never told me, ‘You’re going to do this, this is going to happen.’ Just, ‘get better, get well, we need you back, we’re going to go for it,’ but we never talked about what it was. To be able to come back and punch this ticket, Thank God, just have to stay healthy.”
Now after winning the Rumble, Rhodes will likely go on to headline WrestleMania opposite Roman Reigns for one of his two World Titles. Rhodes has been adamant that his biggest goal upon his WWE return is to win the World Title for the first time in his career.
It will be interesting to see if he can make it happen this year at “The Show Of Shows.”
Cody Rhodes’ road to the main event of WWE WrestleMania 39 will see him make a stop as the guest of Logan Paul’s ImPaulsive podcast.
Rhodes returned to competition at last Saturday’s event, entering the Men’s Rumble match at #30 and winning the entire thing.
The American Nightmare eliminated five Superstars (including Paul) to win, last tossing out Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER, who was the #1 entrant.
ImPaulsive Podcast
In a video from the official ImPaulsive podcast Twitter account, Cody confirmed that he and the Maverick had just wrapped up recording an episode of the show.
Rhodes also brought up the fact that he eliminated Paul, to which the young Superstar insisted “I’m not mad, because you did our show.”
Like Rhodes, Paul made his own return from injury as part of the Men’s Royal Rumble match, his first time in the 30-man contest.
Entering at #29, Paul lasted over 10 minutes in the match and was the penultimate person to be eliminated.
WrestleMania
With his win, Rhodes has earned the opportunity to challenge for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania, currently held by Roman Reigns.
Rhodes infamously vowed to become WWE Champion during his promo on the post-WrestleMania 38 Raw, and fulfill a promise to his late father, the American Dream Dusty Rhodes.
As for Paul, the YouTuber had pitched to compete with John Cena this April, and at a time, it was reported that this match was in the works.
With more recent reports of Cena Vs. U.S. Champion Austin Theory, it is now rumored that Paul will face Seth Rollins, who was eliminated by the Maverick at the Rumble.
Saturday night “The Road to WrestleMania” officially kicked off with the Royal Rumble.
The men’s Royal Rumble match saw a guest spot from Booker T along with the returns of Edge and Cody Rhodes. GUNTHER also set a record for the longest time in a Royal Rumble match.
WWE superstar Cody Rhodes wants fans to know he is sorry for his injury from last year.
Rhodes shocked wrestling fans when he wrestled injured against Seth Rollins at Hell in a Cell on June 5, 2022. He hurt himself while lifting weights, resulting in a torn pectoral muscle. Despite the injury, Rhodes competed in a Hell in a Cell match and defeated Rollins.
While fans have praised Rhodes’s effort in the match, he wants his supporters to know he is sorry for the injury. In the post-royal rumble press conference on Jan. 28, Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp asked Rhodes about the injury, and the WWE superstar apologized for getting hurt.
“…I do want people to know I’m really sorry. I’ve never been hurt; I felt genuinely bulletproof. I’m very sorry that I got hurt, and it happens right, but I’m just glad that I had the chance to go out. …Once a doctor says it can’t get hurt any worse, then I have to be out there. Chicago means so much to me, and I’m myself on the chair, and I’m so embarrassed and defeated. Half my body is no longer functioning. I know that match registers with people and I really appreciate it. It doesn’t register with me, because that’s what I’m supposed to do.”
-Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes and Triple H
Triple H Praises Cody Rhodes’s Return From Injury
Although Rhodes is apologetic about his pectoral injury, Chief Control Officer Triple H has praised Rhodes for his return and how he dealt with the injury. After Rhodes, the press conference, Triple H credited the WWE superstar’s dedication.
“…Going through what he did for all of us, for this industry, for himself, I know what’s the like. I’ve been in that spot. Unfortunately, a few different times, and I can admire what goes in with that, and for him to turn that around and come back tonight and do what he did is amazing in it of itself,” said Triple H. He also added that Rhodes is a special talent and human being.
The American Nightmare is one step closer to fulfilling his promise to his father the American Dream.
Entering the Men’s Royal Rumble match at the coveted #30 spot, Cody Rhodes eliminated 5 Superstars to win the match, earning a Championship opportunity at WrestleMania 39.
Rhodes’ final elimination saw him throw out GUNTHER, who broke the record for the longest time in a traditional Royal Rumble match.
Biggest Night of My Career
For Cody Rhodes, the road to this victory has been far from easy.
Cody was not with WWE this time last year, and plans for his return were severely delayed by his torn pectoral muscle injury last June.
Throughout his recovery, Rhodes has been on the receiving end of well-wishes from fans and those within the industry.
Speaking after the match to Ryan Satin, Rhodes thanked the fans for their support
“Thank you for everything. I can’t thank you enough [from the] bottom of my heart. The biggest night of my career so thank you very much.”
Cody Rhodes.
WrestleMania Moment
With this victory, Rhodes now has a World Championship match assured for WrestleMania, something that alluded the American Nightmare during his first run with WWE.
In a separate interview with Cathy Kelley, an emotional Rhodes made it clear he’s looking forward to walking into his first WrestleMania main event.
“I don’t have a, sorry I’m very emotional. I don’t have a frame of reference. I’ve never punched a ticket to WrestleMania.
“I don’t have any words other than, I’ve got to finish it, right? There’s no one better in the world than Roman Reigns. I can’t say I’m better, but I have to beat him to say I’m better.”
Unless Reigns drops the title before April, the Tribal Chief will face the American Nightmare at WrestleMania 39.
