Cody Rhodes admits to a backstage outburst ahead of WWE WrestleMania 42.
Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, Rhodes said he felt proud of how he handled the overall pressure of the premium live event, especially given the mix of crossover personalities involved in WWE, including Pat McAfee and Jelly Roll.
“I think I hope wrestling fans can understand that behind the scenes for me, it was probably the most proud I’d ever been of how I dealt with anything. It was probably the most calm I’d ever been on the day, and even though my eye was shot afterwards, it was probably the most calm I’d ever been leaving the ring,” Rhodes said.
Cody Rhodes said this environment forced him to balance multiple moving parts
“There were a lot of new factors. Companies change, directives change, that’s part of every walk of life, every type of entertainment. I really just wanted to take a page out of the guys who had been mentors for me. I thought a lot about my dad, and I thought a lot about Hunter, and how they would deal with something that was unique.”
Rhodes also credited Triple H as part of the leadership mindset he tried to emulate while navigating the situation.
“I just wanted to make it work for the night, and for everyone to feel that we had given them our best efforts. Internally, I was so proud. Because you’re dealing with a lot of big names and potentially a lot of big egos. I wanted to do right by the people who raised me in the business,” he said.
When asked if there was anything he would have done differently, Rhodes admitted to a brief emotional reaction backstage.
“I had a bit of an outburst backstage, which shockingly didn’t get reported. Nothing too intense, just me muttering some curse words, yelling, knocking over some water bottles,” Rhodes said.
Cody Rhodes says that in hindsight, it was ‘probably’ a non-factor
He later reflected on the moment as a sign of personal growth.
“I remember getting to my bus and thinking, yeah, you outgrew that. I don’t need to be having temper tantrums, I need to be helping provide solutions.”
Rhodes declined to disclose what triggered the reaction.
“I’m not going to tell you that, Ariel. You’ll get me in trouble,” he said, adding that it was likely a minor issue, possibly involving profanity during the broadcast environment.
“Hey, you know what? It’s probably such a non-factor. I think it was an F-bomb being dropped in the ring, because I am genuinely a goody two-shoes, whether people like to believe it or not,” Rhodes said.
“And there’s really no room for those on our show, because we get blacked out. Not only do you think you’re saying something cool, but they black the feed out in the States. So you’re missing the show. And we’ve got kiddos in the crowd. Their first experience with the F-word does not need to come at a WWE show.”
Cody Rhodes is set to defend his Undisputed WWE Championship in a triple threat match against Sami Zayn and Gunther at Night of Champions this Saturday. All three competitors appeared on SmackDown in London last night, ahead of their high-stakes clash. WrestleZone has spoilers from the show, which fans can read here.
READ MORE: Cody Rhodes Sees Two Ways To Finish the Story With The Rock’s ‘Final Boss’
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