WWE star Cody Rhodes is set to headline WrestleMania 40 in a tag-team match with Seth Rollins against Roman Reigns and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and a one-on-one match with Reigns for the Undisputed Universal Championship, while expressing his mixed feelings about Johnson’s involvement.
Cody Rhodes is in a unique position. He’s straddling the line between reality and fiction as he heads into the most significant weekend of his career.
He’s the star of WrestleMania 40, a two-night event. Rhodes is in the main events on both Saturday and Sunday.
On the first night, he’s teaming up with Seth Rollins. They’re facing off against Roman Reigns, the current WWE kingpin, and his cousin, Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson. It’s a tag-team match.
The second night, it’s a one-on-one match. Rhodes versus Reigns. They’re fighting for Reigns’ Undisputed Universal Championship.
WrestleMania is a big deal. It’s the culmination of WWE’s calendar year. The 2024 edition is no different. There’s drama aplenty. Rhodes is seeking revenge for his WrestleMania 39 loss to Reigns.
The return of Johnson, one of WWE’s most successful wrestlers, adds a twist. There was a moment when it seemed like he would face Reigns instead. But fan outcry put Rhodes back in the spotlight.
Rhodes talked about Johnson on The MMA Hour. He respects him, but he doesn’t like him.
“The Rock has become so many things,” Rhodes said. “Movie star, billionaire, philanthropist, business owner, president of divisions, Under Armor, the connection, all that stuff. But at his core, he’s a pro wrestler. I don’t have to like him — and I really, genuinely don’t like The Rock — but I respect him. He’s a pro wrestler. It’s in there.”
Is Rhodes just playing a role? Or is he genuinely frustrated with Johnson’s involvement? We can’t tell. But their on-screen feud has captured the imaginations of pro wrestling fans everywhere.
Rhodes won the right to face Reigns again after winning the “Royal Rumble” in January. But then Johnson returned to WWE television.
Rhodes gave up his WrestleMania 40 main event spot to The Rock. Fans weren’t happy. This led to a twisting storyline that saw Rhodes reclaim his match with Reigns and start a dramatic rivalry with The Rock.
Rhodes wasn’t bothered when he heard Johnson would be part of WrestleMania. “I kept telling everybody, ‘Not flinching,’” Rhodes said. “I really meant it, not flinching. After I had conceded the main event of WrestleMania to The Rock, I still thought I’m going to find my way there. I stayed silent. I didn’t want to put an opinion on it.”
Rhodes didn’t want to discuss the backstage details. “What was out there is what was out there. I just felt like I was still going to make it, and then, thankfully, literally millions of people made it so that I did get back.”
Rhodes is making a big deal out of the on-screen drama. But remember, he played second fiddle at WrestleMania 39. He was expected to defeat Reigns and claim the WWE’s top title. But Reigns retained the belt.
Rhodes and his family were disappointed. “My mother-in-law, Jill Reed, she tore down the suite they were all in,” Rhodes said. “Cursing, screaming. That high stakes of a situation, WrestleMania 39 — and for those who are from the MMA world who maybe don’t understand fully pro wrestling, there are parts of it that are so much more real than you can ever imagine, and that was just a real moment for everybody.”
There are big egos in pro wrestling. Rhodes was hurt by his past WrestleMania failure. But he’s inspired by how the past year has proven he is one of the names fans are most eager to see given the crown.
He thinks The Rock is in a tough spot. “I’m not going to explain this to The Rock by any means,” Rhodes said. “I think it’s really gotten under his skin. The whole ‘We Want Cody’ thing, the dislikes on the video, all that, and I don’t think he realizes that some of the people chanting ‘diarrhea’ or ‘Rocky Sucks’ or ‘Die Rocky Die,’ whatever it is, some of them are wearing Rock merchandise. They still believe in ‘The People’s Champ’ being under ‘The Final Boss,’ they just didn’t [like] it at the expense of the investment, what we had been doing.”
Rhodes understands if The Rock doesn’t like him. “I feel like him finding out, if he was to come on your show and reveal to you that he hates my guts, I’d totally understand. I get it. I created this situation. The fans made it even larger for me and got me to the dance here, so I would get it if he didn’t like me.”