Tag: Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes a ‘virtual lock’ for WWE WrestleMania 42 title match

Posted on by Ian Carey

An update is available regarding the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania 42.

Two matches have officially been confirmed for the show thus far: CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship and Stephanie Vaquer vs. Liv Morgan for the Women’s World Championship.

As for Drew McIntyre’s WWE Championship defense at Mania, Dave Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Rhodes challenging for the belt is a “virtual lock.” However, there has reportedly been frustration within WWE regarding a singles match between the two, with the feeling that Rhodes and McIntyre have already wrestled three singles matches, including two on WWE PLEs in recent months.

Meltzer wrote that if anyone is added to McIntyre vs. Rhodes at Mania, it would be Jacob Fatu.

“The other talk regards McIntyre’s WWE title match. It’s a virtual lock Rhodes would be involved in that. Whether it’s a singles match or a three-way with Jacob Fatu, or even more that would involve Randy Orton, Sami Zayn or others is unclear, and may not even be finalized. What we have been told is that a match involving more than three people is not being talked about right now.”

Meltzer continued to say that he believes the WWE title match has already been decided for Mania, despite the rest of the show being rewritten.

“My impression is that this has already been decided even though plans for the rest of the show are being rewritten. There has been frustration that the original plans were ditched and the idea of McIntyre vs. Rhodes has been questioned as a single because it’s too predictable and is what people expect.”

Rhodes is scheduled to compete in the men’s Elimination Chamber match on Saturday at the United Center in Chicago. Fatu, meanwhile, did not qualify for the match.

The full edition of Friday’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter is available for subscribers here.

Cody Rhodes ‘so proud’ of fellow WWE star Chelsea Green

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Cody Rhodes doesn’t think Chelsea Green even realizes how much she matters to WWE fans.

Because of how she prioritizes entertaining the audience above all else, Green has become a fan-favorite in WWE. The Chicago Sun-Times published a feature story on her this week, with the article including a quote from Rhodes about how proud he is of Green.

“Chelsea Green is, I think, [someone] people in the business will say, like a survivor,” Rhodes said. “I’m very, very proud of her. I don’t think she realizes how special she is to the fans. And I think she still thinks the glass of water in front of her is her last, and it’s not, but the good wrestlers always think that’s the last one. And I wish that she could take an outside perspective and look at what she’s done, and know she’s done a lot, and it’s an indication that she can do even more.”

WWE legends The Undertaker and Mick Foley have both recently expressed that they feel Green is underutilized by the company. She is a former Women’s United States Champion and AAA Mixed Tag Team Champion but has not held either World Championship in the women’s division.

Reaching those kind of heights is something Green would like, but she isn’t getting too caught up in her win-loss record right now.

“I lose, and honestly, I lose often,” Green told the Chicago Sun-Times. “I lose probably more than any other woman on the WWE roster. But at the end of the day, I’m traveling the world with some of my best friends, doing my dream job. I’m putting on sparkly gear, and I’m doing what I love in front of hundreds of millions of people.”

At the moment, Green is out of action with an ankle injury but remains on TV as an on-screen character. She spoke to the Chicago Sun-Times about her ambitions in Hollywood, saying she would like to follow in the footsteps of John Cena.

“I want to improve my acting skills, my public speaking skills and my hosting skills to make sure that I’m constantly building a resume that is undeniable,” Green said. “I would love to be the next John Cena of professional wrestling for the women’s division. I would love to be in movies and TV and elevating the next generation of WWE talent, but that’s a big goal. So, you know, I’m going to continue to work on that and put it out into the universe, and I’ll manifest, and whatever happens, happens.”



Updated WWE SmackDown lineup: New segment added

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Before facing off at the PLE, all six men’s Elimination Chamber participants are set to appear on WWE SmackDown.

WWE has announced that Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, LA Knight, and Jey Uso will take part in an in-ring segment on SmackDown this Friday night. Those six are the wrestlers who will be competing at Elimination Chamber on Saturday to determine Drew McIntyre’s WWE Championship challenger for WrestleMania 42.

“One night before battling inside the Elimination Chamber for the opportunity to challenge Drew McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Je’Von Evans, Jey Uso, LA Knight and Trick Williams will stand in the ring together on SmackDown,” WWE.com wrote. “Don’t miss all the action of SmackDown, Friday at 8 ET/7 CT on USA.”

The KFC Yum Center in Louisville, Kentucky is hosting this SmackDown episode, with Elimination Chamber then being held in Chicago at the United Center the following night.

Here is the updated SmackDown lineup:

WWE SmackDown (Friday, February 27) —

  • Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, LA Knight, and Jey Uso appear ahead of Elimination Chamber
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY defend against Lash Legend & Nia Jax
  • Oba Femi vs. The Miz
  • Jordynne Grace vs. Candice LeRae
  • Uncle Howdy vs. Solo Sikoa

Cody Rhodes addresses controversial WWE promo line

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Cody Rhodes hopes he didn’t offend anyone by referring to himself as “Raheem” on a recent SmackDown episode.

The February 6 edition of SmackDown included a promo segment where Rhodes — speaking about a “you-know-what measuring contest” between himself, Roman Reigns, and CM Punk — said that he “didn’t get the nickname Raheem for no reason.” The line drew a mixed response from fans online with some finding it funny and others not liking how Rhodes played on Black stereotypes.

During an appearance on Under the Hood with J-Hood, Rhodes said he gauged his wife Brandi’s reaction before saying the line — and she urged him to go through with it. Rhodes’ intention was to respond to Reigns and Punk in a lighthearted way that wouldn’t escalate things too much given that he is not involved in their WrestleMania feud.

“I had told [Brandi] that I might say it, and I felt bad because I told her, and then she said, ‘Oh, you have to say it. It’s funny.’ I didn’t want to come at Roman or Punk in an adversarial way,” Rhodes said. “I’m not wrestling either of you. You guys are wrestling each other, and it’s awesome. I feel that those things will come. I wanted to come at it with a little bit of levity, because I knew others were going to come at it from a different perspective. And I thought that was funny. But then I felt bad because I don’t ever want anybody to get married to a line. Like, ‘Oh, well, if I can’t say that.’ You know?

“I did my field testing of it, and I hope I didn’t offend anybody with it. I very much stood by it. And when you see [anonymous people on social media with] Manchester United in the bio and an anime picture as the avatar complaining about it, I’ve got to ask, like, what are we really complaining about here? This is more of a positive joke than there could ever be about gifted men. Yeah, I can’t really be mad at that and I can’t really walk that one back. But also that was my entire, I knew — I said I’m not going to spend my road to WrestleMania talking about two other guys. This is where it ends for me. And I picked a great place to do it. Charlotte, North Carolina was the place. So, yes, I said it. And that’s where I’m at.”

When he was feuding with Anthony Ogogo in AEW, Rhodes cut a promo about the history of race relations in the United States. That led to Rhodes becoming a meme on social media with fans joking about Rhodes “ending racism.” Rhodes has said it’s “truly special” for him and the Rhodes family to be welcomed by fans in the Black community.

The World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 42 will see Punk defend against Reigns (if Punk retains against Finn Balor at Elimination Chamber this weekend). Rhodes’ path to a Mania title bout goes through Saturday’s men’s Elimination Chamber match, which Rhodes needs to win to earn a WWE Championship shot against Drew McIntyre.

Cody Rhodes says he’ll be with WWE for rest of wrestling career

Posted on by Joseph Currier

It doesn’t sound like Cody Rhodes will be exploring any other options whenever his current WWE contract expires.

Rhodes addressed his wrestling future during a Wednesday appearance on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike, saying he has not set a date for when he plans to retire. He does expect that his next wrestling contract will be his last, though — and he’s certain that contract will be with WWE.

“I don’t have an end date like I used to. I do know that whatever the next deal that I sign with WWE, I ain’t going nowhere, that next deal will be the last,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes noted that, at 40 years old, he feels like he’s in his wrestling prime in terms of his ability to put promos and matches together. He used to be more wary of the idea of hanging on too long, but Rhodes thinks wrestlers are now able to extend their peak longer than they used to.

“Wrestling’s so unique in terms of, it’s hard to determine your time,” Rhodes said. “Especially in 2026 with the level of athlete that you can grow to be. Look at what Brock [Lesnar] is doing currently at this level, he’s in peak form. Roman [Reigns], older, peak form. [CM] Punk, Punk is the best he’s ever been. So age is really not what it used to be in the industry.”

At Elimination Chamber this Saturday, Rhodes, Randy Orton, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, LA Knight, and Jey Uso will compete in the men’s Chamber match. The winner earns a WWE Championship shot against Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 42.

Cody Rhodes on his WWE crowd reactions: ‘Not every game is a home game anymore’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Cody Rhodes has noticed a shift in how some WWE crowds are responding to him.

While appearing on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike, Rhodes discussed how much he loves doing promos, saying they’re the best way to connect with the audience. Rhodes is grateful that his WWE character is just himself and he can be genuine with the fans. He’s received some mixed or negative reactions recently but just hopes the crowd brings energy, whatever the reaction is.

“I’m in a funky spot as a wrestler on the show now, where not every game is a home game anymore,” Rhodes said. “Started getting some, ‘Let’s go Cody, Cody sucks.’ Started just getting some ‘Cody sucks’ places. No [he’s not hinting at a heel turn]. I’m just telling you from a crowd perspective, there’s some games — we did one when I was in Germany not too long ago. Bobby Roode walked up to me backstage, he goes, ‘They just showed you on the screen, it’s going to be an away game.’ I thought, ‘All right.’ The energy is all that matters, so it’s not a thing. But there are places like Florida, and there’s places like Texas, that you still, it’s like, ‘Ahh, I still feel good.’ You know? Like, we’re cool. We’re cool still.”

Rhodes said that, from city to city, the most important thing is that his character remains consistent and he doesn’t allow any one reaction to change who he is. The next time around, a crowd that responded to him negatively might switch things up and give him a better reception.

This Saturday, WWE Elimination Chamber is taking place at the United Center in Chicago. Rhodes, Randy Orton, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, LA Knight, and Jey Uso are the participants in the men’s Elimination Chamber match. The winner earns a WrestleMania 42 title shot against WWE Champion Drew McIntyre.

WOL: Janel Grant, threat & power

Posted on by Jim Valley

It’s the Saturday Wrestling Observer Live with Jim Valley.

When Janel Grant spoke on Thursday, she talked about “the level of threat” and “the level of power” that has made her feel so unsafe she only went outside ten times last year. Is she saying that she’s experienced actual threats? We’ll talk about that and other notable and important things she said this past week.

Plus, we’ll touch on WWE SmackDown, Captain Cody Rhodes, H.O.G., Prestige, AEW Collision, Brett Wolverton, Ken Hamblin and more.

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Royce Keys shares how Cody Rhodes, CM Punk helped him after death of mother

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Cody Rhodes and CM Punk helped Royce Keys get through a difficult time when his mother passed away in 2021.

All three of Rhodes, Punk, and Keys were with AEW at the time Keys’ mother passed away five years ago. On a new episode of Stephanie McMahon’s “What’s Your Story?” podcast, the former Powerhouse Hobbs detailed how he reached out to Rhodes when his mother was sick. Though Rhodes’ daughter had just been born, he dropped everything to check on Keys.

“I remember getting on the phone and I called Cody Rhodes to tell him, like, I don’t know what to do. I just got off the phone with my sister, my dad, my mom’s sister, my auntie Joy. And she went straight up to the hospital. And it’s just like, I guess maybe Cody thought I was talking about wrestling because I always bug him with wrestling,” Keys said. “And I’m like, ‘No, my mom is sick.’ He immediately dropped everything and called me. Like, he called me, he checked on me. I believe his daughter might have been a month old, and he still called me.”

Keys worked a match against Punk on AEW Rampage shortly after his mother’s death. Punk made sure to dedicate the moment to his mother and let Keys know that her presence was still there, even if she couldn’t be in the building physically.

“And I remember having a match with CM Punk a month after my mom died,” Keys said. “And he goes, ‘None of this sh*t matters. Your mom’s sitting front row there tonight.’ And after the match he pins me and he taps me on the chest. And, you know, my mom’s nickname was Nita. And he goes, ‘This was for Nita.’ And I just lost it.”

Keys has been through a lot of tragedy in his life, but he’s grateful to have been surrounded by love throughout it all. He’s also grateful to be raising amazing children, including his son Royce who his WWE name is inspired by.

In the environment Keys grew up in, being open about your struggles wasn’t encouraged. But he hopes that he can help other people by sharing his story. Keys also hopes that his deceased loved ones are proud of him for what he’s accomplished in wrestling.

“Everything that’s happened to me, whether it’s just like being shot, losing my mother, you know, I’ve had guns pulled on me, knives, like guns jam up in my face where I shouldn’t be here. All that has shaped me to be here,” Keys said. “And I think to myself, like, there’s somebody out there in this big world that if I tell them my story, it could help them.”

Keys spent nearly six years with AEW before arriving in WWE last month as an entrant in the 2026 Royal Rumble. His goal is to make his mark on WWE and become a Hall of Famer.

Cody Rhodes: If my dad were still alive, Solo Sikoa would have been his guy

Posted on by Joseph Currier

If Dusty Rhodes were still alive today, his son Cody believes he would have been a huge fan of Solo Sikoa.

A new episode of Cody’s “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” podcast debuted on Wednesday with Rey Mysterio appearing as the guest. During their conversation, they discussed how Dusty always spoke highly of Mysterio on commentary in WCW. Cody said that, as an old-school wrestling booker, Dusty would quickly become attached to wrestlers he saw something in. He thinks that same thing would have happened if Dusty were still around to watch Sikoa.

“I think classic wrestling booker, producer 101 sometimes is going, ‘That’s my guy. That’s my girl. There’s something about them.’ You saw something they did one night or two nights and whatever maybe and that’s my guy,” Cody said. “That’s what it was. It was, ‘That’s my guy.’ A couple matches in with Dean [Malenko], whatever, that’s my guy.

“And I wanted to bring this up because there’s someone today that I was watching, and I can’t believe I’m going to say it because I don’t have a great, like, interaction with him. But there was a guy I was watching and I shared it with one other legend backstage the other day because I thought if my dad was still alive, that’d be his guy. And it was Solo Sikoa.

“And I couldn’t figure it out. I’m like, he would just eat him up. Just something about exactly what you just said. Go out there and take what I have, but also we’re going to have a good time. We’re going to have a good time. Like, there’s pressure. You know when you get to those points when there’s pressure and it’s almost like that’s all there is. Well, this is just all pressure. And then there’s also, we’re going to have a good time.”

Sikoa, the son of WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi and younger brother of The Usos, is a former United States Champion and now holds the WWE Tag Team titles with Tama Tonga. He has not held his first World Championship yet but did work a WWE title program against Cody Rhodes in 2024.

Before passing away in 2015, Dusty Rhodes worked behind the scenes in NXT and helped shape the careers of some of WWE’s modern stars. He was especially important to Becky Lynch and would help pick her up whenever she felt discouraged.

WOL: Are WWE stars suffering from overexposure?

Posted on by Jim Valley

Happy Valley-tine’s Day or Greg Valentine’s Day. Whatever you celebrate, it’s time for Wrestling Observer Live.

TNA No Surrender Friday night was a mix of action, surprises and the usual booking.

As WWE SmackDown builds towards Elimination Chamber, does it feel like some fan favorites are running out of gas? We’ve seen them do so much during their tenure, there’s just not much else to get excited about.

Plus, AEW Grand Slam (no spoilers), WBD and politics, the WON Awards and more. Check it out.

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MJF credits Cody Rhodes, Tony Khan, Adam Sandler for where he is today

Posted on by Joseph Currier

MJF wouldn’t be where he is today without the support he’s received from Cody Rhodes, Tony Khan, and Hollywood star Adam Sandler.

On Insight with Chris Van Vliet, MJF said he and Rhodes still remain in touch despite working for different companies. It was Rhodes who got MJF booked on the first-ever All In back in 2018, and MJF will always appreciate Rhodes for making that happen.

“Yeah, absolutely,” MJF responded when asked if he and Rhodes are still in contact. “Look, I’m not sitting here without Cody Rhodes. Cody Rhodes booked me for All In, which got me in front of Tony Khan, which got me signed to a contract. Like [CM] Punk, I hope whatever he’s doing, he’s happy right now. And, I mean, you would think he would be.”

Rhodes and Khan were critical to helping MJF’s wrestling career get off the ground. As he branches out into Hollywood, MJF feels that same level of gratitude toward Sandler after working together in “Happy Gilmore 2.”

“When I got to work with him, it was so apparent to me how — obviously, you already know how talented he is, but how much of a good down to earth human being he is,” MJF said. “Like, whatever happens to my career now is because, no different than Cody and Tony taking a chance on me, in my career in LA, is because Adam Sandler took a chance on me. And that’s something I’m never going to forget. And when I make it big, which I will, it’s something I’m never going to let him forget.”

The next movie role for MJF is “Violent Night 2,” which is scheduled to be released this December. In AEW, he is the current World Champion and has a title defense this weekend against Brody King at Grand Slam Australia.

Cody Rhodes would like to see Bad Bunny vs. Logan Paul WWE WrestleMania match

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Cody Rhodes was a big fan of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show — and he’s hoping that the music superstar will step back into a WWE ring again when his schedule allows.

TMZ Sports caught up with Rhodes this week during a media tour in New York City. During the brief conversation, Rhodes was asked to give his thoughts on Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance.

“Oh, he killed it. So good,” Rhodes said. “I hope we get him back. He did a wonderful job. But he’s on top of the world right now. That show is an all-timer. Prince might still be my favorite [halftime show], but that’s an all-timer.”

TMZ then asked Rhodes who he would like to see Bad Bunny face in a potential WrestleMania match.

“Good one,” Rhodes responded. “Maybe Logan [Paul]?”

Bad Bunny and Logan Paul are two of the most successful celebrity crossovers in recent WWE history, with Paul even now considering himself a full-time wrestler. Paul, who has stated his desire to face Bad Bunny in WWE, defended Bad Bunny over the weekend when his own brother Jake called the Puerto Rican musician a “fake American.”

Bad Bunny wrestled for WWE three times from 2021-2023. Despite his busy schedule, there are rumors he could appear for the company again soon.

Cody Rhodes: Being a babyface is ‘so much fun,’ I don’t want to leave it

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Cody Rhodes is fully committed to being a babyface in WWE.

On Wednesday, Rhodes stopped by Live with Kelly & Mark to promote WWE on the road to WrestleMania. He discussed his role in the company and said he’s having so much fun being a babyface. It’s a role that Rhodes never wants to give up.

“For a long time, there were a lot of anti-heroes,” Rhodes said. “Just recently it felt like WWE hit this stride with so much youth in the audience that it felt like babyfaces came back to life. Jey Uso, for example, is somebody that the kids go crazy for. Sami Zayn is out there doing it. And for me to be able to be in that spot, I don’t want to leave it. It’s so much fun.”

Rhodes has been the top babyface in WWE since returning to the company in 2022. While there have been times where he’s mentioned the possibility of turning heel, it’s not going to happen anytime soon. Dave Meltzer reported last month that Rhodes’ merchandise numbers are strong and a heel turn would only happen if it’s deemed necessary.

WrestleMania 42 plans for Rhodes have yet to be officially announced. After dropping the WWE Championship to Drew McIntyre, Rhodes’ path to a WrestleMania title shot now goes through Elimination Chamber. SmackDown this Friday night will feature a Chamber qualifying match between Rhodes, Zayn, and Jacob Fatu.

WOL: Cody’s manhood measuring contest, do The IInspiration fit in AEW?

Posted on by Jim Valley

Image: WWE

It’s time for the Saturday Wrestling Observer Live with Jim Valley.

On Friday’s WWE SmackDown, many fans were puzzled by Cody Rhodes bragging about what he has below his belt, rather focusing on winning the WWE belt.

Also, we had Drew McIntyre, Jacob Fatu, Jade Cargill, Jordynne Grace, Oba Feminists, and lemon pepper steppers on another three-hour show.

Also: The IInspiration coming to AEW seems like an odd potential signing, and why AEW’s successful media week can help explain why and where it fits in the larger wrestling war.

Check it out.

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Cody Rhodes: Popularity of The Bloodline made it ‘very hard’ to get attention outside of WWE

Posted on by Joseph Currier

When The Bloodline saga was gaining steam, Cody Rhodes felt like it was difficult to “turn heads” with the work he was doing outside of WWE.

Rhodes was with AEW when The Bloodline story began but later became part of the saga himself, dethroning Roman Reigns for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 40 in 2024. Rhodes also had a brief Tag Team title reign with Jey Uso — and those two linked back up on this week’s episode of Rhodes’ “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” podcast.

During their conversation, Rhodes credited The Bloodline for being a “massive” part of WWE’s recent business boom, comparing it to some of the biggest storylines in wrestling history. The popularity of what was going on with The Bloodline made it difficult to get fans to pay attention to anything else.

“I was away trying to turn heads with what I was doing, and it’s very hard to do that when the Tribal Chief is becoming a thing, when the Ula Fala is becoming a thing, all of that,” Rhodes said.

Uso noted that, when the story started, they didn’t know how big it was going to become. Whenever it felt like things were maybe getting stale, a new element like Sami Zayn’s involvement would be added to reinvigorate things. Uso feels one big factor in their popularity was Roman Reigns trash-talking during matches, and it was important to keep that going when audiences returned after the pandemic era.

“Him talking, like, just elevated the product more, I think,” Uso said. “And when the people got back, I felt like we have to keep some of that style. And also for the live people, we gotta go too. I think that’s what made the WWE style today — and you know what they say today? It was like cinema, right? That’s all they kept calling us: ‘cinema, cinema, cinema, cinema.’ And I didn’t even know, we were just cooking every week.”

As for the future of The Bloodline, Uso said he believes there is still more story to be told whenever things pick back up.

“It’s still alive,” Uso said. “I don’t think it’s dead.”