Cody Rhodes has looked back on his return to WWE and how the fans have always remained behind him no matter what.
From the moment that The American Nightmare ascended through the stage at WrestleMania 38, Rhodes has been beloved by the fans in attendance and would often receive one of the loudest reactions of the night. While there was a fear that fans may lose faith in Rhodes following the loss to Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 39, the Undisputed Champion’s popularity only grew further with many believing that the story would be finished in Philadelphia the following year.
While Rhodes has been a top star consistently ever since he returned, his popularity went into overdrive at the start of the year when it seemed that The Rock was going to be responsible for plans being derailed. With “We Want Cody” trending for days and being reflected in front of live fans, WWE pivoted to allow Rhodes to still be a part of the main event and win the Undisputed Championship.
Speaking with Diamond Dallas Page about the road to WrestleMania, Rhodes stated that there is nothing he would have changed about the build to the show:
“I know we could have made anything work in any direction we took it, however, I feel like if I had to do this all over again, I wouldn’t want anything to change. The story was different in terms of it wasn’t as simple as comes back to WWE, wins WWE Championship. There was things that needed to happen, individuals I needed to be in the ring with, people I needed to be around.”
Continuing, Rhodes discussed his relationship with the fans. Stating that he is thankful to the fans for always believing in him, Rhodes also added that the way he left in 2016 and what he did while away from the company could have created a different perception:
“Also, the WWE audience, the wrestling audience, I have nothing but positive things to say about the fans ever. I can’t find a negative in anything that they do. But they didn’t have to respond to me the way that they did. You can set the booking or the matches that you’re in or the TV time that you get, these things we’re trying to lead the audience, but they could’ve fully rejected me.
Here’s this guy, he went off and started his own company, he was real bitter about how he left, midcard, jobber, all of this, they really could’ve gone a different way with it and that wasn’t the case. Somebody asked me at Mania, why do you think [they’ve stuck with you] and the only thing I could tell them was that I think it resonated with them, my story is a real story. Wrestling is a suspension of disbelief, but when it’s real it’s just the best.”
Cody Rhodes Addresses Common Comparison
While Rhodes has always gone the extra mile for fans and is a constant professional, some have compared The American Nightmare to a superhero who is the complete opposite. Speaking in a previous interview, Cody Rhodes commented on the frequent comparisons to The Boys lead character Homelander.
H/t to Fightful.