Cody Rhodes Labels His Lackluster WrestleMania Bout with John Cena at Par with Epic SummerSlam Rematch

Cody Rhodes has given the rationale behind rating both of his matches with John Cena at the same level, which indeed surprised many fans.

Cody Rhodes Labels His Lackluster WrestleMania Bout with John Cena at Par with Epic SummerSlam Rematch

Cody Rhodes and John Cena at WrestleMania 41 [via- WWE]

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Beefing with a good old-fashioned babyface that Cody Rhodes fancies himself as ate up a good chunk of John Cena‘s WWE farewell tour. The shocking Cena heel turn on Rhodes at the Elimination Chamber was the prelude to their WrestleMania 41 match, which ended up as one of the worst main events in recent years.

Cena and Rhodes, however, made up for it by wrestling their hearts out in a Street Fight at SummerSlam. Despite there being a day and night difference in the quality of those matches, ‘The American Nightmare’ has revealed why he looks at both of them in the same light. Rhodes, while speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, spoke highly of his world title-winning performance against Cena at MetLife Stadium.

……..Sometimes the long game is the game. It’s like going on last, it’s a hard spot occasionally, but the bigger picture — I treat them as the same match and then we just got to use all the bells and whistles.

Cody Rhodes via The Pat McAfee Show

The former AEW EVP affirmed that the beauty of its greatness partly lies in that underwhelming WrestleMania showdown, the ending of which saw Travis Scott getting involved.

Rhodes emphasized the pros of the long game in the pro wrestling business, but it’s a hard spot to be in, admitted the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion.

However, when it comes to the feud he had with ‘The Cenation Leader’, Rhodes doesn’t segregate either of the two times he got to share the ring with the 17-time world champion.

The vitriolic on-screen dynamics between Cena and Rhodes would’ve unraveled more layers of storytelling had it not been for its orchestrator, The Rock, abruptly opting out of the storyline. Because at one point, ‘The Final Boss’ was believed to continue his unholy alliance with Cena, at least up to WrestleMania.

Cody Rhodes reveals The Undertaker giving the WWE locker room a pep talk ahead of Raw’s Netflix debut

On January 7, WWE moved its flagship show to Netflix on a ten-year commitment. Cody Rhodes recalled that The Undertaker gathered the WWE locker room and offered a motivational address ahead of its premiere. As cited by Rhodes on Pat McAfee’s show, ‘The Deadman’ spoke with quiet authority and genuine warmth. He reminded everyone their motivations behind choosing this form of entertainment.

Cody Rhodes and The Undertaker
Cody Rhodes and The Undertaker [via- WWE]

For Rhodes, that small but sincere gesture from a veteran helped steady the roster and left a lasting impression before a high-profile night. It was the last time anyone addressed the entire locker room in such a capacity.

‘The Prodigal Son’ pointed out that some of the younger wrestlers might not fully understand Undertaker’s stature as a performer. As such, when the Phenom explained how significant the Netflix deal was, it pumped up everyone.

The WWE Hall of Famer had an on-screen role to play that night. He came out to celebrate with Rhea Ripley after she’d won the women’s world title from Liv Morgan. Taker was portraying his ‘American Badass’ gimmick. Taker later explained on his podcast that he doesn’t need to be showcased on WWE programming at this stage of his life and called for the younger talent to unleash themselves.

Cody Rhodes comments on teaming up with Randy Orton on SmackDown

Tonight on SmackDown, Cody Rhodes will team up with Randy Orton to battle Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. Reflecting on the upcoming all-star tag team showdown, the son of the late great Dusty Rhodes described it as more than just another pairing on the card. For Rhodes, Orton isn’t merely a teammate for the night—he’s someone who played as a mentor in his career back when they used to be a part of The Legacy.

Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton
Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton [via- WWE]

The 40-year-old also acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding The Viper’s in-ring career, noting that no one really knows how much longer he’ll be able to perform. Rhodes called the match a chance for a classic, crowd-pleasing “Mega Powers”-style pairing that pays tribute to The Apex Predator’s influence on his career.

Above all, Rhodes made it clear that this is about more than titles. It’d be interesting to see when these men will inevitably cross paths. The WWE Universe has been longing for a full-fledged rivalry between these former stablemates. The company dropped a number of Easter eggs on its programming last year suggesting an Orton heel turn on Rhodes but didn’t quite pull the trigger.

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