Last yr, WWE celebrity Cody Rhodes was on the verge of “finishing the story,” a phrase that captured the collective anticipation of the WWE universe. They have been fervently hoping for the blonde protagonist to clinch the one belt that had at all times been out of attain for his bloodline — the WWE Universal Title.
Now, 12 months later, Rhodes joins Billboard on Zoom whereas proudly displaying a brand new addition to his assortment. This shiny new toy, a logo of his hard-earned victory towards the once-indomitable Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 this previous April, would undoubtedly convey a smile to the face of his late father, Dusty Rhodes.
“When we spoke, I did not have the North Star of our business in terms of the WWE Championship,” says Rhodes, referencing our 2023 dialog about his documentary, American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes. “It’s a nice piece of hardware to bring around with me now.”
Undoubtedly the brand new face and quarterback of WWE, Rhodes is having fun with his champion run, together with wins over AJ Styles, Logan Paul and Kevin Owens. Rhodes’s recognition has additionally crossed over to the music facet, the place he spoke to Jay-Z final month at Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Fest, shot a business with Metro Boomin for the WWE’s upcoming premium life occasion Bad Blood, and was a presenter this previous week at this yr’s ACM Awards.
Bad Blood will happen this Saturday (Oct. 5) at 6 PM EST on Peacock in Rhodes’ residence state of Georgia. His homecoming must be memorable, as he’ll crew up with his one-time adversary Roman Reigns in a tag-team match towards Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu. Billboard spoke to Rhodes about working with Metro Boomin for his or her Bad Blood business, WWE having fun with its golden period, chatting with Jay-Z and extra.
You thought I used to be loopy for supplying you with the LeBron comparability if you returned to the WWE. You need to see the similarities now by way of you profitable your first belt and him profitable the ring in Cleveland, proper?
Well, he got here again residence and he obtained it for town. In phrases of his story, you actually needed to grasp in, you needed to keep on-board. It took a detour by way of him being away from his residence. Then to return again and to meet that promise is extremely particular.
For me, I feel lots of people perhaps trying outdoors of my journey in professional wrestling and sports activities leisure this was the way it was meant to be and this was the way it was at all times gonna be. I have a look at this with the second that we’re in now and it’s a gifted interval. It’s a chapter I didn't actually count on. I had taken such a detour. I had been so away from my roots and my authentic objective within the business that new targets had popped up. But to have the ability to drop again in, to go and get [the title] and to be one of many leaders in its most prolific period for an organization that’s actually has had prolific eras, I’m not taking this without any consideration. This is a really blessed time.
After 20 years, Bad Blood is coming again to your state this Saturday. Talk about this full-circle second for you by way of coming residence with the title in-hand.
It at all times feels Game of Thrones-like in a way. Here’s the belt from previously the World Wide Wrestling Federation and the Northeast Territory and I used to be simply this Georgia Championship Wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions, WCW child. To be capable to be the primary Rhodes to have it, but in addition convey it again to the place The Omni as soon as stood. I imply, I obtained goosegumps after they put The Omni within the scene from [Smackdown’s] Georgia Tech [episode] as a result of having the ability to be on the bottom of that constructing and to have this [belt], was not anticipated. It’s a homecoming. I’m very a lot trying ahead to it.
Speaking of the Georgia Tech episode the place you and Roman met up and reduce an intense promo, that was high-level cinema on show.
I feel wrestling followers, in the event that they could possibly be sitting within the stands at Bobby Dodd Stadium when it occurred, they'd have been so rewarded as a result of the factor that isn't being reported and on no account must be reported, is not one of the verbiage was mentioned — none of it. Maybe he thought I’m going to make my level and I believed I used to be going to make mine as nicely, however to have the ability to have that second and to say issues to 1 one other [was special].
When pro-wrestling is at its greatest, it’s very actual. That scenario that we discover ourselves in at WWE now with the person who carried it by means of the pandemic and who held it for all these days because the perennial main-eventer no longer being the quarterback of that firm, that’s a really actual factor. Roman has my utmost respect. If something, he pulled one thing out of me that I didn’t know I had. I hope I did the identical for him.
Why do you suppose Roman’s redemption tour is having such a robust begin with the followers?
What’s to not like, proper? In phrases of confidence, we noticed the health TikTook of how dialed in bodily he's and what he’s already contributed. You’ll hear individuals say, for thus lengthy that they have been making an attempt, and making an attempt and the followers have been rejecting it. I feel if you happen to look again at these occasions, it’s all contextual and completely different causes. Perhaps, they didn’t react the best way you thought, however I feel you’re now seeing for the primary time not simply admiration, not simply, “I wanna cheer for this guy and buy his t-shirts,” you’re seeing respect.
When you will have the respect of the followers, you’re in uncommon air. He has the respect of each fan. People neglect WWE has a large viewers of younger kids, and they’re simply extremely essential as us. When you will have their respect and they'll have a look at you and really feel that presence, man, it’s a basic case of what’s not there to love. Now, if I have a look at it from a story perspective and look again at Smackdown and Raw, he’s made lots of people’s life a dwelling hell. That could possibly be what’s to not like, however going into Bad Blood, I’m doing my greatest not to take a look at any of that.
You lately spoke to Jay-Z at Fanatics Fest. How does it really feel seeing wrestling so valued and appreciated by not simply hip-hop, however popular culture, total?
I've to thank Michael Rubin at Fanatics for that. He was simply having a standard, common chat like he does with someone like Jay-Z. That entire second was unimaginable for me to go Fanatics Fest, first time ever, and to listen to from the horse’s mouth himself what I solely been informed about a few of WWE’s merchandising numbers and my very own particularly. To be within the high 5 of all the athletes represented, as a child, making an attempt to inform everybody round him, “Hey, wrestling is really cool. You should come over to my house, you’ll like it. Hey, come to the show with me, you’ll be a fan,” to see it hit this mainstream degree once more, I don’t wanna take it without any consideration.
With Bad Blood, Triple H and Nick Khan, they requested me to do the packages and sizzle reels with Metro Boomin. I’m pondering, “Yes!” This is what we do. This is what we wish. To be capable to have achieved the stakeout [with Metro] and hopefully it goes someplace as we head in the direction of Bad Blood, that was such a very candy second. It was actually cool to attach with somebody like that, not simply an artist in a distinct medium, however with somebody making an attempt to inform tales like how we’re making an attempt to inform tales.
You’ve turn into a beloved determine within the Black neighborhood, from individuals on social media altering your identify to “Raheem Rhodes” to even Arkansas Pine Bluff, an HBCU, having its college band play your theme music “Kingdom” at their school soccer recreation. How does all of the love really feel?
You talked about the band. They performed that on primetime after they performed Arkansas, and it’s fairly potential you would possibly see them enjoying it dwell within the State Farm Arena at Bad Blood. That was extremely touching. In phrases of your query, I’m at all times so cautious about how I reply as a result of the reality is, I don’t know. I simply need to do all I can to maintain it going. That’s such an honor.
I do know among the memes are supposed to be humorous and I’ve seen the identify and all that stuff, however that was my dad’s greatest fan base. I may see issues just like the Southern Baptist church and issues that linked the tissue. With me, I’m unsure a lot, however I don’t wanna do something to disrespect it or lose it, as a result of not solely do they do this enjoyable stuff on-line, the neighborhood has additionally been actually energetic within the arenas and as a part of the journey. I don’t get to WrestleMania 40 with out that group of followers. I’m touched simply listening to it. I attempt to do the whole lot that I can to not screw it up.
You talked about your father, and there’s a quote that you simply’ve stated some time again that’s resurfaced on social media: “Sometimes, I just revert back to Dusty’s kid. I’m trying to chase his ghost and it’s a pretty hard ghost to chase.” Even after lastly profitable that elusive belt that when haunted your loved ones, do end up nonetheless chasing that ghost of Dusty, professionally or personally?
In the latter, I keep in mind saying this in my documentary: Following him as a professional wrestler is one factor, however he was an outstanding father. You know if you meet somebody who had an outstanding father, mom or each, that’s a particular factor you will have a chance to do as a mother or father. Now I've the chance with my daughter, Liberty, and I simply hope that I could be remotely pretty much as good as he was with me as a result of he was completely the very best mother or father you possibly can probably get.
In phrases of chasing the ghost, it'd really feel or sound considerably detrimental and on no account is it, that’s the best ghost to chase. This man had such an affect on professional wrestling and sports activities leisure. Time has handed and there’s nonetheless issues that he’s linked to. Just the cage dropping, that’s a Dusty idea and right here I'm watching the cage drop on the Smackdown premiere. These have been issues that he dropped at the sport and I at all times stated after a sure level in my profession that I need to be probably the most influential individual of my period.
That’s a distinction between being the very best champion, the largest celebrity, and the very best in-ring wrestler. I at all times wished to be probably the most influential individual in my era, and the explanation was is as a result of I felt that he was. His affect continues to be being felt right now. That ghost, I gladly attempt to get to as shut as potential.
Your buddy Jey Uso received his first singles title after 14 years within the enterprise. Knowing the battle it took so that you can attain that mountaintop, from a fan’s perspective, what was it like seeing him having the ability to seize that second for himself?
That’s the enterprise, proper? That’s the great things. I keep in mind Kerry Von Erich hitting the backslide on Ric Flair. I keep in mind Bret Hart placing Ric Flair within the sharpshooter. The feeling of what we do within the ring, the tales being informed, the great things. So a lot surrounds our wrestling house whether or not it’s controversy or whether or not it’s inside dialogue of this and that, finally, an important factor we do is within the ring.
Jey Uso is so beloved, and they obtained to have this actual second with him profitable his first singles title. I really feel like they purposely stored me away from the constructing as a result of we might have simply showered Wheatley Vodka on that whole area. I’m so comfortable for Jey. That dude is the person. You can inform from the post-match interview that he did with Jackie, it was all actual. When it’s actual, that’s when it’s at its greatest. We gotta intention for it to be as actual as potential. Very comfortable for Jey and cheers to a long term I hope.
Next yr is John Cena’s ultimate yr wrestling full-time for the WWE. From a fantasy reserving perspective and eradicating your self, who would you need to see go towards John for his ultimate WrestleMania match?
Such an important query. I feel perhaps it’s finally one thing that’s as much as John. Wrestling John in any capability — he has a championship, you simply don’t see it. The mantle of accountability, the person who he was by way of how he carried himself because the quarterback of WWE, I’m very curious what goes down.
I can’t fantasy e book it, as a result of there’s issues that make sense and there’s previous adversaries he’s had that might be nice matches, however the concept of another WrestleMania with the champ, I hope wrestling followers have sturdy opinions on it and I hope he has the identical, as a result of whoever that's, not simply being in that match however what comes after having that match win, lose, or draw, that’s an enormous choice to make. That could be an important resolution in WWE.
