Cody Rhodes has placed Randy Orton among a highly exclusive group of professional wrestlers.
Rhodes and Orton have been connected since Cody’s early WWE career, when the two were members of Legacy alongside Ted DiBiase Jr. Their relationship has since come full circle, with the former allies becoming rivals and Orton brutally attacking Rhodes on multiple occasions.
During an interview with James Sweetnam of SPORF (see video below), Rhodes explained why Orton belongs in what Arn Anderson once described as the “golden circle” of wrestlers.
“I think you find yourself with what’s called — Arn Anderson used to refer to it as this golden circle of wrestlers,” Rhodes said. “It’s really hard. I always struggle when we talk about GOATs or talk about Mount Rushmore because there’s so many, and there’s so many years of equity. I love the game. I’m always watching it, old and new.”
Rhodes said the group could potentially be limited to only three names, with Orton and John Cena both belonging in that elite category.
“He’s in that golden circle, and that’s a count-on-one-hand golden circle — and maybe it’s just three,” Rhodes continued. “But people like John Cena, for example, you know when you’re in there with someone who has not only a career that’s truly amazing and a legacy, but is also capable of greatness on any given night.”
According to Rhodes, Orton’s ability to produce his best performance at any moment makes him an especially unpredictable opponent.
“I mean, the RKO out of nowhere, that’s the whole bit. But one of the most unpredictable things about Randy is, on any given night, he could be the best he ever was,” Rhodes said. “You just hope that you’re better than him.”
Rhodes admitted there is also a difficult side to competing against someone he once admired and learned from.
“The last thing you want to do is wrestle the guys who you loved and revered and who taught you, and the last thing you want to do is be the one that’s, ‘Hey, it’s got to be me,’” he explained. “I appreciate that, and I appreciate that pressure, but [it’s] a bit of a downer. So he’s definitely in that golden circle.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Rhodes discussed his early acting experiences and his role in the upcoming Street Fighter movie.
“Honestly, just having come into this very new, wanting to tell stories, but not always wanting to fall down as we do in pro wrestling,” Rhodes said. “One of the most warm ways to enter this all [was] because Street Fighter, which is coming out next month, is so good.”
Rhodes praised director Kitao Sakurai for creating something that he believes will appeal to longtime fans across the franchise’s different forms.
“Kitao Sakurai did such an amazing job. I think for fans of all of its lore — whether it was the graphic novels, whether it was the anime, whether it was the old movie, whether it was just the games — he’s done something for everybody and told the story unique for our time. That was such a beautiful experience.”
Before filming Street Fighter, Rhodes made a brief appearance alongside Liam Neeson in The Naked Gun. He recalled asking Brandi Rhodes whether he should accept the opportunity despite the travel involved.
“I told Brandi, ‘Hey, you think I should do this? It’s one day, it’s kind of hard to get back, but it’d be amazing,’” Rhodes said. “She actually said, ‘Well, I mean, he’s a Jedi.’”
Rhodes said he and Brandi immediately thought of Neeson’s role as Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars rather than the actor’s many other acclaimed performances.
“We didn’t think about Schindler’s List or the various other movies that Liam Neeson has been part of and been amazing,” Rhodes said. “We just thought, ‘Oh, it’s Qui-Gon Jinn. He’s a Jedi.’ And, of course, I did it.”
Rhodes described Neeson as gracious and said the experience provided a welcoming introduction to acting.
“We were able to banter a little bit, and then to come and see the movie and just have that bit be in there — it was a really warm way to enter this world,” Rhodes said. “Now we’ve got some potential big projects with Street Fighter and beyond that I really am excited about.”
