WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes recently joined Peter Rosenberg on HOT 97 for a discussion about all things pro-wrestling, which included The American Nightmare giving his thoughts on WWE announcing his return ahead of the Royal Rumble rather than letting him be a surprise in the Rumble matchup.
Rhodes explains in the interview that while he wasn’t the one who made the call on leaking his return, he does think it helps the story he’s trying to tell on his road to WrestleMania 39. Check out his full response in the highlights below.
Thinks there was something powerful in the idea that he was calling his shot at the Royal Rumble, and didn’t need his return to be a surprise:
I think that’s a great point of contention, your point (that the vignettes leading up to the Royal Rumble, getting the #30 spot & winning the Rumble could be too much) and really up to the fans to decide. The way I look at it is this, I want fans to know — again, forever, it was, ‘I’m gonna do this.’ ‘No, he can’t do this.’ ‘I’m gonna do this.’ ‘No, they can’t do this.’ I’m telling you now this time, this is what I’m gonna do. I’m telling you. Joe Namath style, I’m calling the shot and I think there’s something that I do like. I really didn’t have an opinion on whether it should be a surprise or not but I do think there’s something about, especially as a character that is being received positively and warmly, hey, I’m gonna tell you what I’m gonna do and you’re gonna take the ride with me but what I’m saying is gonna happen and I think there’s something powerful in that messaging.
Feels like he can made these calls because he’s in the prime of his career:
Again, it’s up to fans, ‘Oh, he should’ve been a surprise’ and maybe it should have been different if it was a surprise or number #30, not number #1? I mean, again, for me, what I think is powerful is calling it and actually executing it. I don’t know if that luck runs out on me because here I am calling what’s going to happen at WrestleMania but for me at this point of my career, entering the prime of my career, having the best education of any wrestler or superstar in the business and finally be able to cash in all those points, I’m confident in calling it and I hope people can — I hope fans of mine and critics as well can go, oh, okay, well (I’ll) watch, I’m gonna follow this and think just having seeing those live events and seeing some of the metrics as far as I’m concerned on the shows, it seems like people are vibing with it. It’s a discussion, but discussion’s the best.
(H/T and transcribed by Post Wrestling)