“Him not being there,” Cody Rhodes comments on Stone Cold after he reportedly missed WrestleMania due to financial disagreement with WWE

Stone Cold was reportedly slated to be the one to take down The Final Boss.

“Him not being there,” Cody Rhodes comments on Stone Cold after he reportedly missed WrestleMania due to financial disagreement with WWE

Steve Austin and Cody Rhodes (via WWE)

WrestleMania XL was the perfect mix of nostalgia and adrenaline rush. In the main event between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns, stars like The Rock, John Cena, and The Undertaker made their appearances. However, fans expected the return of Stone Cold Steve Austin as well, who was penciled out at the last minute. Recently, The American Nightmare commented on this with a heartfelt message for the Hall of Famer.

Speaking with Sports Illustrated, the Undisputed WWE Champion stated that he has nothing but love and respect for Stone Cold Steve Austin. He added that, due to a financial disagreement, he was unsuccessful in making an appearance at WrestleMania XL. Rhodes expressed his respect for the Texas Rattlesnake by saying that he walked so that today’s generation could run. Therefore, he is always going to be the star people are looking forward to seeing.

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I'll say this. I know a lot of people talked about Stone Cold Steve Austin and him being there, him not being there, and stories and all that. I have nothing but love for Stone Cold. Again, the most profitable and unbelievable wrestler for his time. - So nothing but love for The Texas Rattlesnake.
Cody Rhodes on SI

Initially, the spot for The Undertaker was planned for Austin. However, WWE and him were not able to come to an agreement on terms. Hence, he was replaced by the Deadman at the last minute. In the end, it worked out well as the main event garnered overwhelming positive reviews from the WWE Universe.

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The American Nightmare cited WrestleMania as an emotional ride for the people involved with the production and the story itself. Besides, Cody Rhodes also talked about how the product of today has been getting compared to that of the Attitude Era. With a nod to wrestling legends like Steve Austin, Rhodes hyped the fans about the stories yet to be finished in WWE.

Cody Rhodes talked about the moment that stood the most to him on the road to WrestleMania XL

The road to WrestleMania XL was one of the best in the past few years. It was the first time in over a decade that The Rock was actively involved in a storyline. Cody Rhodes was asked about his favorite moment from the whole build-up to his WrestleMania match against The Bloodline this year. He mentioned a moment from SmackDown as the one that stood out to him the most.

Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes (via WWE)

Speaking with Sports Illustrated, The American Nightmare recalled the moment where he and Seth Rollins confronted the Final Boss and Roman Reigns on SmackDown. He said that it was the exact moment that made The People’s Champion realize that he was messing with a player. During the segment, Rocky took a personal jab at Rhodes, leading to the latter slapping the Black Adam star.

There was a moment, in the ring, live, happening in real time where Seth and I came down through the people to confront the Tribal Chief and Final Boss. I got a big kick out of seeing them see us. I’ve given a lot of respect to The Rock, and will certainly continue to do so, but I think he didn’t know who I was as a player.
Cody Rhodes on SI

It all came down to the war between The American Nightmare and The Visionary taking on The Bloodline in the shadows of the setting sun in Philadelphia. Of course, all of this was a prelude to Cody Rhodes finally dethroning The Tribal Chief and finishing his story.

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