April 17, 2024 • 59 mins
Episode 490 of "SI Media with Jimmy Traina" features a conversation with the new WWE Undisputed Heavyweight champion, Cody Rhodes.
Rhodes talks about "finishing his story" at WrestleMania 40 by beating Roman Reigns for the title, the epic main event which featured appearances by John Cena and The Undertaker and whether he had a moment with Reigns after the match.
Rhodes also discusses the WWE changing the WrestleMania event after it was announced that it would be The Rock vs. Reigns, the WWE pushing the envelope with its content during the storyline of Rhodes vs. The Bloodline, the special gift that Triple H gave him after the WrestleMania main event, the Undertaker taking the place of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin during the main event and Paul Heyman's Hall of Fame speech.
Other topics covered during the interview include Rhodes' tour bus catching on fire during WrestleMania weekend, his love of giving out gifts, issues with going to Disney World, being a "needy" superstar and much more.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome everyone to SI Media with Jimmy traina thank you
so much for listening. We have an unbelievably awesome show
for the wrestling fans out there. The new undisputed Champion,
Cody Rhodes, who finished his story at Russell Maania forty,
gives his first extensive interview since that unbelievable main event
(00:23):
where he finally won the ww title from Roman Reigns.
We get into everything from WrestleMania, a lot of things
about where the WWE is going forward, and just excellent
conversation with Cody. If you're a wrestling fan, I guarantee
you will love it. If you're not a subscriber at
Simeda with Jimmy Training to make, hit that subscribe button.
(00:46):
And if you've missed any recent episodes of SI Media
with Jimmy Training, going to the archives check him out.
We had Jim Miller on last week to talk about
ESPN changes. We had Chris mandog Brusso on two weeks ago.
So plenty of episodes of the Archives in case you
missed them. And if you're new here, hit the subscribe
button and you can rate and review on Apple. All right,
(01:07):
let's get to it. A great interview with the new
WWE Undisputed Heavyweight Champion finished his story at WrestleMania forty
Cody Roads all right, joining me now, absolutely thrilled to
have the new I'm not going to try to do
like a Samantha Irvin. I can't do it. She's way
(01:27):
too good. But the new WWE Undisputed Champion fresh well,
finishing his story the American Nightmare, Cody Roads. Cody, thanks
for doing the podcast. What's new?
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Thank you? Thank you for having me. I mean, what's
what's new? It's it's all new. Right. We finished, We
finished one story. You gotta gotta start a brand new one.
And uh, I feel I have officially perhaps come down
off of the the high the WrestleMania. I thought maybe
a week, but more realistically about two weeks to kind
(02:05):
of just to just hey, we were in that moment.
We had that moment. Now let's move on to making
more great moments.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
I cannot believe you just said that, because I've been
racking my brain trying to figure out the first question
I was going to ask, or how we're going to
start the interview, and I think I had settled on
are you still on a high? And you came right
out and talked about being on a high. So we
have good chemistry here. It seems like because that was
gonna that's what I was gonna ask, That's what I
(02:35):
was gonna ask.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
No, it's it's a question that even some of the
management in WW that's been the big like, hey, that
was amazing. Are you how are you feeling? Are you
still up in the clouds about it? And it was
also large and grand and epic and those things that
it was just an experience I've never experienced before. I'll
(03:00):
chase I'll chase that type of feeling forever. It was
really really, really special and now looking forward to nothing
like w TB is really good about great WrestleMania. Amazing show.
We got to show tomorrow, we got to show Friday.
I'm getting ready to go to the UK to do
Birmingham and Cardiff and London and Belfast, and that those
(03:24):
are all markets that needs to be serviced and get
their own WrestleMania. So it's just you got to get
right back on it there.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
There. We do have to move forward, but we have
to go back a little bit because I have about
a billion questions about WrestleMania and what took place. I
mean for starters. I don't remember many things in the
world of professional wrestling that I followed over my life
where it was sort of universal that something was awesome.
(04:00):
It's pretty universal that that main event was awesome. Obviously
it caps off with you finishing the story winning the belt.
But Sina Undertaker Rock did you when?
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Did?
Speaker 1 (04:14):
When do you know this is awesome? Is it during
the match? Is it when it's over and you're in
the ring with all your peers, is it backstage? When
does it first hit? Cody Rhoads like, this was pretty
ef and awesome.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
I feel like sometimes, as like a competitor or performer,
you're checking these boxes in your head, like, oh, that
went great, and that went great, and how you know?
There's an energy that's hard to describe. We always want it,
but we know the nights we don't have it, and
we know the Knights that it's there, like a complete
understanding between you and the audience. I know that might
(04:51):
sound all mystical and such, but I knew from the
moment I did my entrance that we were in some
rare air. I knew then because there was a feeling
and not unlike the feeling of Russelmania thirty nine. There
was a feeling just in the air of the potential
change and the big fight feel that sometimes when we
(05:14):
say it on commentary there's not a big fight feel,
but it's a great, great little way to describe or
maybe perceive something. This was very much a big fight
feel and it kind of continued and snowballed into Roman
and I are looking at each other in the ring
and you can see it on camera, but he said
(05:35):
one more dance and I thought, oh, we are we
are cruising into something, and he just came so dialed
in and so prepared, just just an outstanding It felt
like everything, I guess the way to put it is,
it felt like everything that was happening hit, everything that
(05:57):
was happening was was succeeding. And that's just such a
beautiful piece of music to ray Because that audience, I'll
forever have some link to Philly. I mean, it's a
worldwide audience that comes to WrestleMania, but it was really
special that that happened in Philly. I have a lot
of love for Philly, as people know, and and that
they were with me the whole way from the beginning
(06:20):
to the celebration.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
It was the perfect crowd for that WrestleMania following up
sort of on when you know it's awesome. Well, the
highlight outside of you finally finishing the story, I think
was the appearance of the Undertaker. There were rumblings about
Sina showing up stone Cold. There's been reports that Stone
(06:43):
Cold can work out a deal. It ends up being
the might have worked out for the best if that's
actually the case, And I'm curious. I think at the
time when he when we heard the dong or is
it the bong? Yeah, strikes man don gonging? Yeah, Yeah,
I'm using words I probably shouldn't be using. I don't
(07:04):
know what's going the gong, the god. I think you're
laying on the mat at that point, and obviously rocks
in the ring, gong goes off, lights go down, same
kind of question in your head. Are you thinking about
what you need to do, what you have to do next,
or can you think, Okay, this crowd's going batshit crazy,
(07:27):
this is awesome.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
For me. What I was thinking was, I was so
I was so excited that Seth and myself and Roman
were on the same the same playing field, because I
think we might have I might have told you this before.
(07:51):
A really overused word in in you know, sports entertainment,
pro wrestling is over. And I tell everybody you can
ask all the students to the nightmare factory. I try
to let them know, don't use that word, because nobody
in this generation is over. Rock is over, sina is over.
Over means you cannot step outside your house, you cannot
(08:12):
walk into an airport. I mean it sounds like sounds
like hell, but over is just where you have such
an interest level and you've captured the imagination of the audience.
And I feel like this generation roman seth rollins h.
If there were guys who were over and or if
(08:32):
there are guys who were close and I'm gonna go
and said they were the former. If there were guys
who were over, it was it's those two and to
be part of that fray. I didn't really have time
to celebrate it in a sense because we've we've got
we've got more match to go. But I got a
fun kind of parallel where I don't know if people
(08:54):
have seen the documentary on Netflix about the We Are
the World song where they get everybody together.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
I tried to get Lionel Richie on this podcast after
I saw it. That's how crazy I went.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Oh Man, for me, I feel like I didn't know
enough about Lionel and now I'm thinking, oh my gosh,
you did the amas. He did this. He's just he
owned it. Watching that was really kind of the entire
wrestlemanting experience, from Rock and Birmingham, to the commercial shoots,
to the change at the press conference, to all that.
(09:28):
It felt a lot like that documentary in a sense
that again rare air, You're around these luminary, unbelievable presence
who've done all that they can do, and then here
they are doing even more, giving even more, maybe to
put a little bow on it. When I heard the
gong and there was the Undertaker, the one thing I've verbally,
(09:53):
I might have even said it out loud, was this
is forty years of WrestleMania. Gosh, the sheriff showing up,
the judge showing up. It certainly that that energy in
the building, you know. I asked him later, if you
wanted to do a tag team, I could ride in
a little sidecar on the on the on the bike.
(10:13):
Just a really special thing. I'm I'm forever grateful too
to everyone who was involved on my side and everybody
who was involved, even on Roman side.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
I'm gonna in my head now, I'm going to try
to like think, who, like do a comparison of the
we all the world people to the WrestleMania people. Who
would who would Cody be?
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Oh, you know that's a that's a really good question.
Uh well, I think you got to give Roman. If
we're looking at that documentary and the importance of the
people in it, you really, I guess you want to
be Quincy, Lionel or Jet And I want to say
that that maybe Roman and I shared the Lionel the line,
(10:56):
you know, or maybe maybe he was and I was
Quincy because I was trying to to get the music
together our hell. I mean, Bruce spring stands on that
sucker too. Everyone yeah is on is on that sucker.
And uh, I'll say this. I know a lot of
people talked about Stone Cold, Steve Austin and uh him
being there, him not being there and stories and all that.
(11:18):
I have nothing but love for Stone Cold. That just again,
the most profitable excuse me, sorry again, the most profitable
and uh unbelievable. You know wrestler for his time and
that attitude era has been held up against what we've
(11:38):
what we've been doing for so long. It's such a
great feeling to know that we're we're now out kicking it.
We're now they set that bar for us, and they
set this table for us, and now we're we're doing
it all again. So nothing but love for the Texas Rattlesnak.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Yeah, same thing here. I mean, listen if who doesn't
love Stone Cold? But it it kind of is weird
in a way that me maybe it did work out
the way it was supposed to because I'm thinking the
way it plays out, obviously the iconic class smashes, but
he's got to come out to the ring. Yes, everyone
will be going crazy. But the way it played out
with the Gong lights out undertake on the ring, I
(12:17):
mean that could not have worked out any better either.
So it was it's you know, sometimes things work out
the way they're supposed to.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Yeah, and not to get not to get two inside baseball,
I suppose, but I'll tell you two guys who are
equally important to that match and the just the overall
everything the builds as people love to sit now to WrestleMania.
But Bobby Rude and the free Bird himself, the free
(12:46):
Bird Michael Hayes just because he has a magic about him.
You know, maybe he's the quincy in all of this.
But those two, those two did an incredible job.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
I was gonna throw a couple of questions that I'm
not sure if you want to get into Hi, if
you don't want to get to it, you just tell
me to shut the hell up, because it is kind
of you should. That's the sign of when you're friends
with someone, they can tell you to shut the.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Hell up on answering the difficult questions. But then I
look back, I'm like, you didn't really answer it.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Well, it's not even difficult, but if you know, listen,
you don't want to give all the secrets way. But
I'm just curious how many people had an input into
the match, like I would assume obviously Triple H, Bruce Pritchard, Hayman,
you Roman rock Are and you just mentioned Bobby Rude
and you mentioned Michael Hayes. I'm just talking about like
(13:35):
the collaborative of effort, Like how many people get to
say in how it all not the finish but just
you know, everything in terms of how we should Obviously
there's got to be a layout for seeing it to
come in the rock. How many just like a like
a round number, like how many people get to say
and what happens? You could say, shut the hell up,
I don't care, no.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
No, no. I think this answer though, well you'll probably
feel is a bit of aut answer, but that's fine.
I would say literally millions of people, because millions of
people created the match in the first place. The match
wasn't going to happen right right, and then it was
brought back, and then it was also millions of people,
(14:18):
hundreds of thousands of people, almost eighty thousand people in
that stadium, who had an opinion on what is this?
We've been here, this is Wressemania forty, this is a
ten year mania. What uniqueness is going to be brought out?
And I think fan feedback, like genuine fan feedback, and
the things we saw on the way there, because this
was something that was talked about like, oh, I wonder
(14:39):
if Cody will finally have some allies on his side,
you know, the what about these other victims of the bloodline,
all of that. I would say that it was a
collaborative just unbelievable moment that that truly, it's not a
lie to tell you it's provided by the fans. WrestleMania forty,
(15:00):
the beginning of Triple H's era as the head of
creative and matchmaker and booker and all those those terms.
He uh, he had millions of consultants on it with him,
and that's the way it should be. And uh, he knew,
he knew what he wanted to see. He knew, he
knew what we need, where we needed to go. So
(15:22):
millions of people.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Well, full credit to them for actually switching, because it's
out there now. I mean, I think The Rock spoke
about it and at least one maybe two interviews.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
You know.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Additionally, he comes back and we think it's going to
be the Rock versus Roman at WrestleMania. The Cody cry babies,
myself leading the charge, go crazy. We're pissed off, we're livid.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
I remember, I remember the night you came out on
smack Now where you where you it all started, where
you said you wanted the match, but you weren't going
to have it at WrestleMania. I remember, you know, I
remember tweeting like what was that? It was more confusing
than bad, Like it just did makes sense. I would
love to know the process and that gets undone and
then we get to where it was supposed to be
(16:06):
with you and I know Triple H has talked about
calling an audible. I would love to know your role
in that if if you can get into that, like
are you do you you're a company man, it's supposed
to be Rock versus Roman. You stand back, the fans
go crazy. Can you say, like, guys, you see what's
going on here? Do you have to lay low and
not push yourself in that spot?
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Well, not to kick the can down the road, but
we we filmed a hole behind the scenes. They filmed everything,
you know, Rocks team films everything. Our team filmed everything.
I think they're finishing it up in terms of they
had it ready and now I think they put some
other elements on it just from the fallout of WrestleMania,
(16:53):
and that's so good. Hopefully that that hits YouTube sooner
than later. I'm thinking that's where WW is gonna put
just because that's a that's a lot of people who
had questions about the exact how much this and that
the answer, But really my role in all of this
was was to stay silent throughout the chaos. And uh,
(17:16):
I don't always stay silent. I mean, here we are,
we're talking now. I'm very active on social but sometimes
you just have to shut your mouth. And this was
a great time when I shut my mouth and all
these people came out, and and I even thought, I
wonder if I can quell the storm. I wonder if
(17:36):
I can tell them I think I did. I've sent
a post out like hey, calm down, you know it too,
because I couldn't believe, like, oh man, this it's flattering,
no doubt, but I don't want I don't want anyone
getting unnecessary hate, anything of that nature in that space.
And and yeah, I just decided to keep silent. And
(17:56):
and in the weirdest of ways, having won the Royal
Rumble and having been in there last was seeing Punk,
who had such an opportunity to win the Rumble himself,
such an absolute great I just still thought it'll be fine.
I maybe I was in denial that, you know, because
a lot of people around me were very angry, But
I just thought, no, it's gonna be fine. It's gonna
(18:17):
be fine, it will work out. Gotta you know, We've
been just shouting people out here on this this conversation.
But ddph, he's so positive and I'm not a positive person,
you know. I feel like I'm in the middle positive.
(18:38):
But he said something to me, He goes, no matter
what happens to you, it will be the best thing
that ever happened to you. And I wanted to be
mad at that answer, like, what the what does that
even mean? You know? And he told me that, and man,
was he right? Man? Was was was he right? Because hey,
let's look at a what if? What if we didn't
(18:58):
what if I didn't decide to, you know, say I
choose you at that press conference? The what if I
think would have been probably a great, great story as well.
I mean, wrestling what it is. But this was the
right story for the right time, right moment, right place,
right people all that.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
But yeah, well what I had said, I may have
said this to you and I saw you a couple weeksgo,
but I wrote this in my column, I said on
the podcast, I mean the reaction they got initially when
it was supposed to be Rock versus Roman, and you
were getting screwed, my term, not Cody's. And then I
say this as a positive. It's going to sound like
a negative. I mean it's a positive. It's their fault.
(19:39):
They built the story perfectly. It like what you and
Roman did for the past year, you know, because people
were livid at the end of WrestleMania thirty nine and
when you and and I was living that night tune
and then I look as a wrestling fan, then I
look back, that was the right move because look what
look what ended up happening, Like that was the right move,
even though people at that time didn't think it. I
mean I even saw today doing research for the interview
(20:02):
that shot of you at the end of thirty nine
in the ring. I think you're on your knees maybe
and over your shoulder. The camera has the but you know,
Roman and Hayman like it was a year of that
to get to where we got last week two weeks
agoing now at Mania. So again, I mean it as
a positive, like, you guys did such a brilliant job
(20:23):
with the story for a year. If forty did end
with you finishing the story, you know, they would have
burned down lincoln Field. Basically, the Eagles wouldn't have a
stadium to play in anymore.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
There's this great scene. You've seen the movie. Remember the Titans, right,
I feel like everyone remember the Titan Yep.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Good old Dentzel.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Yeah, where he says he says that the assistant coach
says to Denzel or the former head coach, he says,
run it up herman, leave no doubt. It's a big saying,
a big thing between my sister and I my sister
til I looked at the time from WrestleMania thirty nine
to potentially what could happen to WrestleMania forty as Let's
(21:04):
leave no doubt. Let's leave absolutely no doubt as to
as to who I am, who I want to be,
the future that I see for WWE, and that comes
with a lot of you know, patting on the back.
Here we're breaking records, breaking records, breaking records, but those
stats really help inform where hey, this is working. We
(21:29):
are leaving no doubt. And man, I feel like people
give wrestling fans a bad Sometimes they'll say, oh, they
can't handle their like short term and their attention spans.
That's not I mean, take a look at the feeling
at the end of WrestleMania forty It's just been a
long time since wrestling fans had to wait a long time.
(21:54):
And really, I'm incredibly blessed. So many people reached out,
texted me all just it was an endless after that.
That match is still happening. And the thing I tell
everybody is I'm very lucky. I'm very lucky to be
in that mix. I did all this work. Yeah, sure,
I worked very hard. I like I like everything you see,
(22:16):
none of it's political. I stay after the shows because
I like it. Uh. Just now I going over to
the UK. I have a car that's going to take
me from town to town so that I don't have
to make the guys on the bus wait because I
might be out there all night. You know. Just I
that's it's It's how I like to be and what
I like to do. But I still am very lucky
(22:37):
to be in that mix. So many things needed to happen,
needed to go right, and and and very lucky and
blessed to be in that mix and to have had.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
This looks good, looks good. It was funny I I had.
I had people on Twitter congratulating me after you one
because I made such a big stink about it. Cody
has to finish this end there like you love the Rock,
You're turning on the rock. I'm like the Cody has
this is it? You know? So it was funny. I
had people it was funny too. Do you watch Curb
your Enthusiasm by any chance?
Speaker 2 (23:06):
My mom's a big Curb fan.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Just good take it because the finale, the series finale
was right up against your match.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Nice.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
That was the only negative about the WrestleMania forty main event.
It was at the same exact time, so a lot
of us were torn. But I tweeted that day, I
am blessed to be able to watch Larry David and
Cody Rhodes finish their stories tonight. So oh it was
a perfect perfect things.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
I'm in great company. I mean absolutely, He's basically in
the ring with me as a cameo as well.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
I'm gonna ask you one last WrestleMania really inside baseball question,
and I know you're not going to answer this, but
I got it. Just I gotta go for it. Yeah,
I feel like I feel like me personally, Roman almost
not from you guys, but maybe from the fans hasn't
even gotten the credit he really deserves for WrestleMania and
(23:58):
what he's done over the last years. The match is
over your backstage. Does Cody have a moment not with Roman,
but with Joe and what is going on in that
moment if you want to, if it's too personal to private,
I understand.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
I'll uh, I'll say this. When you do something so
special and epic, and I'm specifically talking about his run
as champion, not anything I did, nothing, not of my
When you change the landscape of a company, when you
(24:40):
help better the locker room situation for the talent surrounding you,
when you bring the entire you know, tied up for
one company, which Roman did, and then you're part of
something like WrestleMania forty I believe it was ninth or
his tenth main event of a WrestleMania you're part of that.
(25:02):
In the oddest ways, this might tell Odd we don't
need to have a moment. He was nowhere to be
found in Gorilla when I when I got back, and
I look forward to when we actually do have that
moment and get to see one another. No doubt, my
entire time in WW has been like a wartime situation.
(25:23):
There's always been somebody, It's always been, you know, some
sort of fight and issue. And and even with all
that said, it's you're bonded to degree over the battles
that you have. I might be speaking very kindly about
him right now, and he might be thinking in his
mind that he wants to smash me and h and
(25:46):
murder me when he when he comes back. And if
that's the case, that's okay. I'll be ready for it.
But of all the people I did see, the one
I didn't. And and I think in maybe in his mind,
if I could put myself in issues, he knew that
his run had been generational, that he had changed the industry,
which very few people can say they changed the industry.
(26:08):
I mean we're talking to you can count ten people
in the last thirty years who changed the business. I
think he knew that he could walk out of the
ballpark knowing that the ball was still sailing and wwe
is going to be just fine, if not even better,
and we await the return of Roman reigns.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
So he didn't take it as like a personal snub
that he wasn't there.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Okay, good, No, I mean we just got finished punching
and kicking each other, eating each other to death, leading
belts chairs. No, I didn't take it personal at all,
and I wouldn't take it personal if he hates my guts.
To this day, I just feel a little differently.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
Right, all right, we'll move forward. Actually, one more question,
not about many give me outside of WrestleMania forty take
that out of it. From the minute the Rock came
back and the storyline started till two days before Lemania,
did you have a favorite moment in the build up,
whether it was Vegas, whether it was when he made
you bleed an did you was something like, oh my god,
(27:07):
this is really cool, like this is what was it
all just great?
Speaker 2 (27:13):
Well, it all happened so quick. You know, there's never
really any downtime, uh, in this because even without the title,
even without the championship, I feel like I've been in
a position as a champion, just without without the chip,
without the Master Sword, without the crown, all those things.
I feel like there's never enough time to really sit
(27:36):
and go, wow, that was fun, that was cool, that
was violent, that was But there was a moment in
the ring, live and just happening in real time where
Seth and I came down through the people to confront
the tribal chief, to confront the final Boss, and I
got a big kick out of seeing them see us
(27:58):
because I think, well, I've given a lot of respect
to the Rock certainly will continue to do so. But
I think he didn't know really who I was as
a as a player, and I think in that moment
he saw, geez, they're all doing the whoe he signed
(28:22):
an autograph on his way down here. It's a different
type of individual than perhaps he maybe saw a picture
online and one clip. You know, we we based so
much stuff off gifts and social media and all that
I might. I know people don't like how I pronounced Jeff,
but I've heard that's correct.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
So you say it correctly. Which irritates me, is I
go with Giff like the people who say correctly like
to show off and off. Yeah, they're above it all.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
But that moment is right before I slapped him and
I brought that slap. That moment was I thought, a
nice moment amongst the my up and seth and our
place and all this and our place on Monday Night Roll.
I'm really struggling with the idea that I may not
be on Monday Night Roll. I may be on Monday
Night Roll, but that's just been that's been our show
(29:13):
and I love it and it's unique. It's three hours,
there's challenges presented every week, but that that'll be a
unique transition if my day is on Raw are numbered.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
I was gonna ask if you're gonna be on Row SmackDown,
But I guess that answers that question because you're not
gonna tell me right now. That's fine.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
I mean, the draft is approaching the draft right right,
all right? But then, but then as well, I try
to sometimes I say things out loud to try to
will them in new existence. I mean, that's been happening
since the original all in And I remember I went
on Pat McAfee shows, the Golden Boy of ESPN, and uh,
I said, I want to be on Wrong on SmackDown.
(29:50):
I was saying things on that show to see if
I could will you know, hey, if I put them
out there can will them in new existence. But I
also remind everybody I am not part of the corporate structure,
part of the management, the top brass. I'm on the field.
They're the they're the coach and they're calling the play.
So I kind of a wait, like everybody else where,
I'll where I'll land all right.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
We've done a lot on Mania. I'll shift gears, We'll
do some other things. This this, this is a little
bit about the build up. But you just mentioned you're
not in management, but I'd love to get some insight
here from you on this if possible. We saw people
were saying Attitude era. It was not quite the Attitude era.
I mean, let's let's put it in perspective. The Attitude
era was bonkers on many levels. But the Rock was
(30:35):
cursing up a storm. I believe you said he had
a small penis one night on Monday night? Raw Are
we are we seeing a little more it was that
strictly for that storyline or do you think permanently now
we'll see a little bit more edge. You know, I
know Roll's going to Netflix. I don't know if that's
a factor in all this, But you guys are very
(30:57):
very pg. This storyline was not pe g your thoughts.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
I think it's a situation where, like even I said earlier,
how much respect I have for the Rock, get to
a point though, where you can't have so much respect
that you that you put your hands down. And I
had been really diplomatic, and diplomatic was not It wasn't
(31:27):
so much that it wasn't working with the fans as
much as it I don't think it was resonating with him,
and it just was a moment specifically, the one interview
I did, I was wearing a black suit, I remember,
and that that's where the LDS comment is and all
of that going in. Called McCartney. I wanted to just
(31:47):
speak his language. He came from that era of that
cutthroat crash TV. He's been in every era, but I
wanted to just speak his language and let him know someone,
if not a few people on this current roster, can
can speak your language if you'd like. I in a
weird way, because it was it was very very Fans
(32:11):
in the arena loved it. It was it was. There
was a huge joy to this interview I did. However,
for me, I felt a little. I felt a little
guilty because I have a lot of young, young, young
fans right and I would never want them to ask
(32:32):
their mom about LDS or this and that. And I
remember telling myself like, hey man, there's like twenty thousand
YouTube videos of me on BT cursing and yelling and
ridiculous stuff, But just my run with WWE has been
really really a for the family audience and really for
(32:53):
the little nightmares these little kiddos, and I just wouldn't
want to lead them astray in any way. And and
hopefully that interview didn't, uh didn't, didn't turn them off
to me as a as as if I am their guy,
as as their guy. I really everyone afterwards was so
pumped about it, and my wife she was digging it.
(33:15):
And I I remember thinking, I felt a little guilty.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
You didn't look guilty in the time we watched it.
You you put I have to say, yeah, you went
when you said it, you you went for it.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
I mean, when you're talking to somebody of such you know,
power and and and and such such aura I guess
as the term, then you have to commit. You have
to bring it. Anytime I said something in the build
to WrestleMania that I felt I didn't believe you could
tell right away you can look on my face and
no he didn't. And I had to remind myself of
(33:47):
these individuals, particularly the bloodline, particularly mister Haymond, that they
they will not accept if I'm half if I'm half cocked,
that doesn't work. And uh, and I was able to
get all.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
The way that speaking of mister Hayman at the Hall
of Fame, he singled you out, talked about how proud
your dad would be, the legendary Dusty Rhodes. And you know,
it's the night before you have your tag match and
then two nights before you're gonna face Roman. Were you
(34:20):
taking aback when he did that, because I know, the
Hall of Fame is different and it's you know, you're
not maybe sticking to storylines hardcore like you normally would.
But you know he made it. You know, it was
typical Paul Hayman fashion. He turned around to the podium
so he could face you and brought up And there's
a great if people don't know who are listening to this,
(34:40):
there's a great story that Hayman tells about helping Dusty
out when Dusty was down on his luck. It's in
the Hayman documentary on WW network. And also Dusty's the
one who let Hayman get into production meetings when he
was like, I don't know, ten years old, crashing the
crashing the So obviously there's a very strong and important
Dusty Hayman connection, and obviously Dusty was a presence at
(35:04):
WrestleMania forty weekend. There's no doubt about it. Your mom
was there, finished the story, but I was specifically on
the Hall of Fame when Paul did that. I'm just
wondering what was going through your head.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Well, the Hall of Fame, I think with some wrestlers
and some fans, it's the most exciting thing. And since
I was introduced to WDW via the Hall of Fame
in two thousand and seven, I really look forward to
the whole the pomp and circumstance, the whole grandeur of it. Gosh,
I love pull Nakano's speech. I know she had worked
(35:38):
on it for a great time. I loved seeing so many,
you know, of those luminary figures get their moment. I
do you know here, I am trying to will something
in new existence. I do wish we could move it
back into the theaters, and maybe not after SmackDown.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
I understand here, yeah, and has to switch.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
Yeah, I just listen. I'm not in charge anything, and
anyone who think please don't get mad at me for
saying but I was. I was am for watching everybody,
particularly mister Haymon. Here's kind of my outlook on it all.
I think in another lifetime I probably would have made
the best Paul Hayman guy. I probably could have been
(36:23):
his absolute ace. But it just didn't work out that way.
It worked out that I was the adversary for his
number one guy of all time, and that being Roman Reigns.
So there's part of me that looks at that, and
even with the questionable decisions that mister Hayman makes, part
(36:46):
of me that and says that might have been fun that,
you know, that might have been a good car to
be in, that might have been a good person to
lean over to right before one of the bigger moments
of your life and just have of have something to share.
You know. I had that same enjoyment when I had
Arn Anderson with me, just just to have someone, hey,
(37:09):
he's been here before. You know, there's also a beauty
in being there totally by yourself. There's also a specialness
of being there totally by yourself. But all that said, I,
even with the blood and the violence and how bad
things had gotten, I was very understanding that he was
(37:32):
gonna mention Dusty, and you know that that was something
that I felt like I stood up when Paul walked out,
mister Haymond walked out. I was there. You know that
all of this was a conscious decision because of what
we were celebrating and how he looked and revered revered
(37:55):
my father. If anything, I'm not a Paul Hayman guy.
That never happened. But we do share the bond that
is that is Dusty, and he's one of the very
few guys that when they talk about Dusty, I don't
roll my eyes, I don't bang my head against the table.
Because he did know him. He knows some things about
(38:15):
him that I don't even know. And I was glad
he was present in mister Haymond's speech. Wild as a.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
Speech, I was gonna say, do you you felt guilty
about LDS? You think he felt guilty when he told
people what to do with if they thought ECW died
in a certain time.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
I obviously I don't not agreeing with the way about it,
but I will say, the spirit of ECW and you
could have done ECW nostalgia, fun little ec moments here
and there. But what I got from his speech was
it was the spirit of ECW. He's somehow still pushing
(38:58):
the envelope that specific moment was one he's somehow still
challenging people to go ahead, cancel me, I will, I will,
I will return and uh in a weird way. I
don't agree with how he delivered it. The message on
being canceled and then rising back up was a really
great message that that that he provided, because today we
(39:20):
feel like the world so small. Everyone sees everything we do.
People forget we're human beings. We're gonna make mistakes, We're
going to be bold, and fortune favors the bold, and
nobody more bold than mister Hayman. So I didn't mind.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
Yeah, good, no, no, finish, No I had I had
people asking me for a couple of weeks before maybe like,
you know, how do you think that you finished? How
do you think what? How do you think? I'd love
to see Paul Hayman turn on Roman, help Cody win
and they could use the Dusty connection as so many
people for a long time thought the Rock was gonna
turn on Roman because he was not doing the right
(39:57):
signal and all this stuff. But I'm glad. I you know,
it couldn't have worked out better. So that was a
stupid idea by me. I want to talk about some
light fun stuff. But I got to ask you about
the rolex since we're talking about Dusty. I saw the clip.
I think the WW posted it earlier this week. I'll
say that for when we're taping this where if you
(40:19):
don't mind giving people a little background, If for those
who don't know, after you or your match at wrestleming
and forty where you win the title from Romanu, Triple
H gives you a box in the box is a
watch and you get you did? You gave rolexes to
the guys who were in the main event with right
that Seth and Roman and the Rock. Now when you're
(40:41):
buying a gift for the Rock, are you thinking like, like,
is it like one of those situations like for what
do you get? The person who has everything like the
Rock probably has a rolex? Is it harder to shop
for a rolex for the Rock?
Speaker 2 (40:53):
If not confirm, I can't confirm that I gave them
one to Rock or Roman, I think people probably.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
Oh, I thought you did, Okay, my bad, and confirm okay, okay, right,
you might be right, but okay, I remember for WrestleMania
with Sean Michaels versus Rick Flair, they had the custom
role access for each other with I think it was
twenty three.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
It was the number. I have a great student from
the Nightmare Factory who runs an outstanding jewelry company in Atlanta.
He does a lot of NBA, a lot of the
rap community, just wonderful gotta. His name is Diamond Cheek.
I I gotta probably find out what Diamond Cheek's actual
name is, but we just he's a he's he was
a great student at the Nightmare Factory, remains a good
(41:39):
ally to us. But I got it into my mind
that I wanted to do something for Seth. We've we've
had such a unique, competitive, challenging relationship, but also we
we really were going to do this together. And the
fact that he was going to be in the main event,
a WrestleMania spot A lot of people thought he should
(41:59):
have been in multiple times already. I wanted to have
that moment with him. And and I'm a I like
to give gifts, I do not like to receive gifts.
I gave every department in WWE, you know, whether it
was the makeup team and edible arrangements, whether it was
Amazon gift cards for the travel department. I wanted everyone
to know we're at the end of our season. I
(42:22):
appreciate everything you do. I'm I'm a very needy talent.
I'm a mess. And I wanted to know how much
I appreciated them and needed them, and Seth particularly so
I love giving giving gifts like that, and that was
a really great thing to be bonded over again. Like
this documentary. I wanted to capture how many things we're
doing here because who knows if we'll ever be in
(42:43):
that place again, that specifically for us forty, we will
never be in again. And and that's that's that was
the thing. Now, the rolex you're talking about, it was
a week where you came into the rust of any
week with no rolelexes, and you left with you left
with two. The roles that my dad had growing up,
the Jubilee bracelet and the whole deal. I wanted it,
(43:08):
always wanted it. I assumed I would get it. I
used to go into his room and his jewelry dish
and I'd put it on my wrist and it was
far too big. And when he passed away, I just
assumed it was coming to me. And then I thought, oh,
you know, that's selfish to me. Maybe it comes to Dustin.
You know, Dustin has deserves it just as much. And
then I found out none of us were getting it.
(43:29):
We're gonna get pocket knives instead and his cowboys stuff
because he had pawned it so that I could go
to the Howard Fine acting studio in LA And that
was the cash he handed me when I was pulling
out of Maryetta, Georgia to drive all the way over
to studio city there. So Nick Con triple h Bruce Richard.
(43:51):
I want to say Conrad Thompson probably had some involvement
in it as well, just because he's kind of like
the watch and belt guru him. And then they tracked
the watch down. There's this big discussion on is it
the watch? Is it the watch? And the best thing
I can tell you is it is. If that makes any.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
It's yeah, totally, I get it.
Speaker 2 (44:17):
It's the watch. And I was so I don't like
giving gifts. That's a moment that the whole world got
to see. I don't know how to react when getting
a gift other than I wore it last night on
Monday night. AWL. It's such a full circle moment, especially
to come from a Nick Con Bruce and of course
(44:38):
a triple h. I can only hope that all of
this we pay forward, all of this we do incredible
record breaking business as a team together, so that it
feels justified that they gave me this extremely expensive and
beautiful piece of my history.
Speaker 1 (44:58):
Well, records are certainly broke. I mean Peacock Live Show
Raw the next night. It was. It was quite a weekend.
We know, we didn't discuss time for this. Can I
ask you a couple more? If you got to run,
let me know, I don't want to keep you. It's
two oh eight.
Speaker 2 (45:14):
Yeah, go ahead, let's ask a couple more. Sorry, well
let's do this.
Speaker 1 (45:16):
Where are you right now? It looks like you're in
a hotel.
Speaker 2 (45:19):
Hotel. I will literally leave here to go to the
gym after these questions. I will then go immediately to logan.
I'm in Boston. I bust down to Boston to fly
to London to then drive to Birmingham, England.
Speaker 1 (45:34):
Oh wow, all right, I appreciate you doing this. You
mentioned you're gonna bust down. Your bus caught on fire?
What was that about?
Speaker 2 (45:41):
Uh? The air conditioning un on top of the bus
completely exploded. I was in bed, I thought it was
a gunshot because all the buses were in the same area,
and I thought maybe we were getting robbed. We were
literally in a back alley at Lincoln Financial. We were
parked alongside of it, and so the bus is the
air conditioning unit blows up. Here. I hear my driver
(46:05):
we got to get off this bus and terrified. I
can hear his feet running, and I thought, probably wasn't
gonna be that big of a thing. In my mind.
I've got kind of some adrenalitis, so yeah, it's okay,
grab my stuff. And I opened the door. And the
only way I can describe it from when I opened
the bedroom door is if you've ever been on like
the Mummy ride at Universal Studios, there's an effect where
(46:26):
they light the ceiling up with fire where it comes
in and it creeps down the ceiling. That's what I
was looking at. So now I'm of the thought, oh
my god, my life on this bus. I it's gonna
this bus is definitely blowing up. My life is on it.
And for whatever reason, egg because I'm a psycho wrestler
at E because I do this all for my family,
(46:50):
I grabbed my boots for night one, so they had
set andized logos on them, and I grabbed a picture
of the girls and I ran out in my short
snow shirt, windy, rainy, freezing cold there in Philly, and
I just saw the fireball on the top of the bus.
So then I went and got the fire extinguis shirt,
(47:11):
thinking maybe I can help. And one of the other
drivers he rushed me down to the to the other
bus and said, just get over here. And I think
the scariest part for me we were watching Seth and
I the fireball on this bus. I think the scariest
part for me was they started backing up the Missus
bus as if hey, this bus is going to blow up.
We've got to get this one out here. And I thought, oh,
(47:33):
how is this happening a few days before WrestleMania, right yeah,
And then the next thing, you know, the fire department
there in Philly pulled right in blasted that bus and
saved it to you know, that bus will eventually roll again,
but it had a big hole in it. So people
who see me getting off that bus at WrestleMania, it
(47:54):
was just parked there with a giant hole in the ceiling.
But we wanted to make sure our friends at Wheatley
Vodka who had wrapped that bus, and I worked closely
with them. We wanted to make sure that it was
still seen on That.
Speaker 1 (48:06):
Is unreaking believable. What time like was this like in
the middle of the night.
Speaker 2 (48:11):
So it was a yeah, one hundred I was asleep
is probably two am. I had to go to the hotel,
which I told my wife I will never step foot
in that hotel. I had to bring my back hair
all sad uh it was. It was really the week
before US Mania. It was the best thing that could
happen in a weird way, because it made it so
that like, hey, whatever happens now, you know what I'm saying.
(48:34):
Whatever if I fall through the Cody Vader on the stage,
I'm all right, It's just things happened. That was something
that happened. I'm very grateful for the Philadelphia Fire Department
because the speed and efficiency they put it out was
was unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (48:47):
Yeah, I thank god your wife and daughter weren't there,
you know.
Speaker 2 (48:50):
Oh yeah. They let me have that space during the
big you know, the summer Slams and the Mania where
you're out in the city for the week, just because
mine rosis and obsession with what we do. And I
don't think they want to watch Who's Your Dome WrestleMania.
I think they'd rather watch Gabby's Playhouse, you know, So
they give me a little space.
Speaker 1 (49:11):
You said, you said a few minutes ago that you're
a needy talent. What makes you a needy talent?
Speaker 2 (49:21):
Well, needing may not be the word, but in the
last maybe five or ten years, even longer than that,
wrestlers have really started to uh lean into their athletic side,
lean into being an athlete, and lean into being an
athlete means you have to have your meal prep, which
(49:43):
is hard to do when you travel. So you've got
to You've got to have your meal prep. Your diet
has to be dialed in. You have to have trainer,
whether that's a zoom training session, whether that's a written
out report or if that's that you bring your trainer
on the road with you. You have to get to sleep,
You have to take the supplements that you take. You
have to be hydrated. You got to have the amino acids.
(50:05):
It's a level of So I got like three of these.
This is a storm trooper one forgive me three of
them that go with me because I'm so used to
the bus. Because I just want to make sure as
an athlete, I have all these things. The game is
different than when you used to hit the ropes and
not actually hit the ropes. The game today is fast,
(50:28):
it's very high impact, it's incredibly violent, and if you're
not if you're not leaning into being an athlete, it's
tough to do right. So that's where I think I
need is the most.
Speaker 1 (50:41):
Yeah, I got it, okay, Because I was gonna say,
you seem like a very easy going person.
Speaker 2 (50:46):
I don't know as as John Cone I have. I have,
I have my moments. But I also I learned a
lot from how rodden of a EVP I was. So
there was things I did that were great in that role,
and then there were things that were just blowney and
I again, people make mistakes, they learned. I learned and
grew a lot from that experience.
Speaker 1 (51:08):
I saw you the week before Mania at a at
a Make a Wish Foundation event. Make a Wish is
unbelievable things partnership with the WWE. Everyone knows John scenes
in volopment, Cody is involved. And I asked you that
day how tired you were and you were. You said
you were pretty exhausted after Monday night Raw, the day
after WrestleMania. How tired were you?
Speaker 2 (51:32):
I mean physically tired.
Speaker 1 (51:34):
I needed both physically and mentally.
Speaker 2 (51:37):
I needed to sleep like Odin, like go into like
the deep, deep sleep. But one of the most exciting
things for me was Liberty. We had told her she
was coming to Philadelphia. We couldn't really get her too
excited about Philadelphia. I don't know why. She just we
told her all the people you'll see, and everyone just
like fawning over It was amazing moments. But we also
(51:58):
told her We're going to take her to Disney World
if I want. So that was really like weigh on
her mind. And the next day was as tired as
I could be. Was maybe the best day of my
life was the next day because just to have her
I didn't see her much the week before, and to
be with her, to be with Brandy or so so
(52:21):
freaking proud of in terms of and so happy she
was part of WrestleMania. She's been there every step of
the way, sometimes in front of me and leading me
on in the best of ways. But that was just
the best day ever. So as tired and as exhausted
as I was. Anyone who if you could have come
up to me and slapped me in the face and
I'm like, yeah, that's all right. I just I was
just on such a such a cloud and great spot
(52:44):
and to share that there's this kind of old outlook
on wrestling that you can't do this and have a family.
I do this for my family, and that's that's just
how I roll. And that was that was the best day.
So tired, like needing the sleep, sure, but also ready
ready for war all over again.
Speaker 1 (53:04):
Can you even walk around Disney? I hope you do.
You have like a security people have to recognize you.
I mean, the hair along is a little bit of
a giveaway.
Speaker 2 (53:13):
So we've we've discovered that it's uh, it's it's getting
to the point where you got to always have the
hood and hat on and we we always have a guide.
We're again incredibly lucky to be able to share this
with our daughter. And I don't take any of it
for granted, but it has become a little maybe maybe
(53:37):
maybe I sit out on a couple of these just
just because I don't want to ever take time away
from the girls, and they understand that. You know, to me,
no fan is a bad fan. I love all fans,
so I always stop. But anytime we go there's there
is we do have some help to get us through.
It doesn't help when you take one of your friends though,
who's also a wrestler, like when I've gone with Matt
(53:59):
Cardona and the and he's essentially in his gear like
tank top, arms oiled, the shades, the zach Ryder shades
on doing this as he walks by people. That's difficult.
Ricky Starks also is not helpful. Brandy with her purple
hair when she had it wasn't helpful. And she's always
like dialed.
Speaker 1 (54:17):
And you're there with the hat and the hood trying
to lay low.
Speaker 2 (54:19):
Yeah, I'm just trying to get by all. I'm just
trying to get you know.
Speaker 1 (54:24):
I'm going to ask you one last thing and then
I'll let you go. I went in on a really
weird one because I've wanted to ask you this like
the other two times I've had you on the pod
and it never came up, but worked out where I
could squeeze it in. I figured I got to get
it in, you know. I tried to do a lot
of research before the interviews. Go back watch old interviews,
watch youtubes. I have to say, I think one of
the best things of your career. I don't know if
(54:46):
you agree, I hope is. But the vignettes you did
is dashing Cody Rhodes is some of the most historically
funny things I've seen. And I don't remember at the time.
It might have been a little period where I was
on top of Monday night raw you could, you know,
sometimes you go in and out of it, and I
didn't remember it. Those things were hysterical and I would
(55:08):
have and I was wondering, I'm like, when you did those,
were you like laughing off camera? Did you think some
of these are I mean you talk about trimming your nose, hair,
trimming your ear hair, grooming your breath, going out on it.
It was real. I thought it was historically funny. What
did you make of those old vignettes?
Speaker 2 (55:24):
Well, I was always really tickled that the vote for
the most handsome Superstar was a real vote, so that
I feel like I let it slide to my head
a little bit. But I will say a lot of
these things that were news to me, Like I was
talking about proboscis. I guess that's the nose and trimming
the nose hairs. Things that were things that were like
(55:46):
news to me. I actually learned right there was informational
aspect to those grooming tips. Yeah, still used now. I'm
not shaving my legs with a straight razor, which in
one of them in the d roll you see me doing,
which is the most terrified I've ever been. And I
think I've told some people this. When the first set
(56:08):
of them were filmed, the shop we were in, the
salon was open for business. So I was in the salon, Well,
guys are getting you know, their nails done and then
the hair and having like cocktails being they was in
the back of the salon as they kept having to say, hey,
quiet guys, and I do I do a take? Yeah.
(56:29):
So when that when, when that situation arises, you have
to really commit to it. And I feel like, prior
to Dash and Cody Rhoades, maybe I didn't know all
those things. Outside of those vignettes. I still use all
that stuff to this day, all of iteen all that
I want to maintain that I.
Speaker 1 (56:45):
Find it'sthartically funny because I've always said to people I might.
I don't know if I've ever said this on Twitter,
but I've said this to people. I said, you know,
when you go to school, high school, college, they teach
you so much stuff you don't ever like. I've never
used algebra in my life. I would have liked someone
to tell me that when you turn about thirty five ish,
you're gonna have hair growing out of your ears, and
(57:07):
your nose and your eyebrows are going to be caught
and you need to take care of this stuff. That
is a life lesson I would have liked to have
learned in school. So when I saw the vignette, I said,
you know what, this is hitting me right right where
I could feel it.
Speaker 2 (57:18):
Well, I had a great teacher, my sister Tiel. We
used to skip school and she would take me to
go get like our eyebrows waxed. And this is in
high school, you know, and stuff like that to the
point where at that well we go to the tanning
bed you get our eyebrows wax. Really vanity based things.
(57:40):
So they help a lot with the world of pro
wrestling and sports entertainment. Is there for all the world
to see and be judged. So, yeah, you're right, though
more people need that type of class and information. It's
better to learn early than learn the hard way.
Speaker 1 (57:59):
Hell yeah, got that right. Well, I can't tell you
how much I appreciate this. I I really was. I
wanted you on the pod after after finishing the story,
and I appreciate you doing it so soon after. And uh,
enjoy your run here as the Universal Champion. We'll see
you on either Raw or SmackDown or both. We'll see
the draft. Is uh that you're doing the draft at
(58:21):
the same time as the NFL, So that'll be good.
There'll be draft media going on, and uh, hopefully you
get a little rest, but there's no rest for the WWE.
Now you're the next pay per view is in France,
right if I'm not mistaken.
Speaker 2 (58:32):
Leon France for Backlash, Wressel, La Knight or aj Styles.
And I really have of the thought like, hey, you
know the classic sleep when We're Dead. You know this
is uh ww's setting records, breaking records, the consecutive sellouts,
and it's for good reason. These these these that seem hollow,
(58:54):
But if you come into an arena and you feel it,
you know exactly what's happening and why. Wrestling kind of
on the tip of everybody's tongue. Again, so as the
one of the people hopefully leading that into the you know,
into people's living rooms. I'll figure the rest thing out later.
Speaker 1 (59:13):
Absolutely well and again wrestle many forty. It was. It
was perfect though.
Speaker 2 (59:17):
Thanks, thank you sir very much. Until the next time.
Speaker 1 (59:22):
All right, my many many thanks to Cody Rhodes. He
was tremendous. I don't know how you cannot be a
fan of that guy so good. Uh and it was
a great WrestleMania So my thanks to Cody for giving
me his first extensive interview since that night. If you're
not a subscriber to s I mediate with Jimmy trying
to hit that subscribe button. And if you can leave
a review and rate the podcast on Apple. All right,
that wraps it up. We'll see you soon. Stay safe,
(59:44):
take care,
Welcome everyone to SI Media with Jimmy traina thank you
so much for listening. We have an unbelievably awesome show
for the wrestling fans out there. The new undisputed Champion,
Cody Rhodes, who finished his story at Russell Maania forty,
gives his first extensive interview since that unbelievable main event
(00:23):
where he finally won the ww title from Roman Reigns.
We get into everything from WrestleMania, a lot of things
about where the WWE is going forward, and just excellent
conversation with Cody. If you're a wrestling fan, I guarantee
you will love it. If you're not a subscriber at
Simeda with Jimmy Training to make, hit that subscribe button.
(00:46):
And if you've missed any recent episodes of SI Media
with Jimmy Training, going to the archives check him out.
We had Jim Miller on last week to talk about
ESPN changes. We had Chris mandog Brusso on two weeks ago.
So plenty of episodes of the Archives in case you
missed them. And if you're new here, hit the subscribe
button and you can rate and review on Apple. All right,
(01:07):
let's get to it. A great interview with the new
WWE Undisputed Heavyweight Champion finished his story at WrestleMania forty
Cody Roads all right, joining me now, absolutely thrilled to
have the new I'm not going to try to do
like a Samantha Irvin. I can't do it. She's way
(01:27):
too good. But the new WWE Undisputed Champion fresh well,
finishing his story the American Nightmare, Cody Roads. Cody, thanks
for doing the podcast. What's new?
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Thank you? Thank you for having me. I mean, what's
what's new? It's it's all new. Right. We finished, We
finished one story. You gotta gotta start a brand new one.
And uh, I feel I have officially perhaps come down
off of the the high the WrestleMania. I thought maybe
a week, but more realistically about two weeks to kind
(02:05):
of just to just hey, we were in that moment.
We had that moment. Now let's move on to making
more great moments.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
I cannot believe you just said that, because I've been
racking my brain trying to figure out the first question
I was going to ask, or how we're going to
start the interview, and I think I had settled on
are you still on a high? And you came right
out and talked about being on a high. So we
have good chemistry here. It seems like because that was
gonna that's what I was gonna ask, That's what I
(02:35):
was gonna ask.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
No, it's it's a question that even some of the
management in WW that's been the big like, hey, that
was amazing. Are you how are you feeling? Are you
still up in the clouds about it? And it was
also large and grand and epic and those things that
it was just an experience I've never experienced before. I'll
(03:00):
chase I'll chase that type of feeling forever. It was
really really, really special and now looking forward to nothing
like w TB is really good about great WrestleMania. Amazing show.
We got to show tomorrow, we got to show Friday.
I'm getting ready to go to the UK to do
Birmingham and Cardiff and London and Belfast, and that those
(03:24):
are all markets that needs to be serviced and get
their own WrestleMania. So it's just you got to get
right back on it there.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
There. We do have to move forward, but we have
to go back a little bit because I have about
a billion questions about WrestleMania and what took place. I
mean for starters. I don't remember many things in the
world of professional wrestling that I followed over my life
where it was sort of universal that something was awesome.
(04:00):
It's pretty universal that that main event was awesome. Obviously
it caps off with you finishing the story winning the belt.
But Sina Undertaker Rock did you when?
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Did?
Speaker 1 (04:14):
When do you know this is awesome? Is it during
the match? Is it when it's over and you're in
the ring with all your peers, is it backstage? When
does it first hit? Cody Rhoads like, this was pretty
ef and awesome.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
I feel like sometimes, as like a competitor or performer,
you're checking these boxes in your head, like, oh, that
went great, and that went great, and how you know?
There's an energy that's hard to describe. We always want it,
but we know the nights we don't have it, and
we know the Knights that it's there, like a complete
understanding between you and the audience. I know that might
(04:51):
sound all mystical and such, but I knew from the
moment I did my entrance that we were in some
rare air. I knew then because there was a feeling
and not unlike the feeling of Russelmania thirty nine. There
was a feeling just in the air of the potential
change and the big fight feel that sometimes when we
(05:14):
say it on commentary there's not a big fight feel,
but it's a great, great little way to describe or
maybe perceive something. This was very much a big fight
feel and it kind of continued and snowballed into Roman
and I are looking at each other in the ring
and you can see it on camera, but he said
(05:35):
one more dance and I thought, oh, we are we
are cruising into something, and he just came so dialed
in and so prepared, just just an outstanding It felt
like everything, I guess the way to put it is,
it felt like everything that was happening hit, everything that
(05:57):
was happening was was succeeding. And that's just such a
beautiful piece of music to ray Because that audience, I'll
forever have some link to Philly. I mean, it's a
worldwide audience that comes to WrestleMania, but it was really
special that that happened in Philly. I have a lot
of love for Philly, as people know, and and that
they were with me the whole way from the beginning
(06:20):
to the celebration.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
It was the perfect crowd for that WrestleMania following up
sort of on when you know it's awesome. Well, the
highlight outside of you finally finishing the story, I think
was the appearance of the Undertaker. There were rumblings about
Sina showing up stone Cold. There's been reports that Stone
(06:43):
Cold can work out a deal. It ends up being
the might have worked out for the best if that's
actually the case, And I'm curious. I think at the
time when he when we heard the dong or is
it the bong? Yeah, strikes man don gonging? Yeah, Yeah,
I'm using words I probably shouldn't be using. I don't
(07:04):
know what's going the gong, the god. I think you're
laying on the mat at that point, and obviously rocks
in the ring, gong goes off, lights go down, same
kind of question in your head. Are you thinking about
what you need to do, what you have to do next,
or can you think, Okay, this crowd's going batshit crazy,
(07:27):
this is awesome.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
For me. What I was thinking was, I was so
I was so excited that Seth and myself and Roman
were on the same the same playing field, because I
think we might have I might have told you this before.
(07:51):
A really overused word in in you know, sports entertainment,
pro wrestling is over. And I tell everybody you can
ask all the students to the nightmare factory. I try
to let them know, don't use that word, because nobody
in this generation is over. Rock is over, sina is over.
Over means you cannot step outside your house, you cannot
(08:12):
walk into an airport. I mean it sounds like sounds
like hell, but over is just where you have such
an interest level and you've captured the imagination of the audience.
And I feel like this generation roman seth rollins h.
If there were guys who were over and or if
(08:32):
there are guys who were close and I'm gonna go
and said they were the former. If there were guys
who were over, it was it's those two and to
be part of that fray. I didn't really have time
to celebrate it in a sense because we've we've got
we've got more match to go. But I got a
fun kind of parallel where I don't know if people
(08:54):
have seen the documentary on Netflix about the We Are
the World song where they get everybody together.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
I tried to get Lionel Richie on this podcast after
I saw it. That's how crazy I went.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Oh Man, for me, I feel like I didn't know
enough about Lionel and now I'm thinking, oh my gosh,
you did the amas. He did this. He's just he
owned it. Watching that was really kind of the entire
wrestlemanting experience, from Rock and Birmingham, to the commercial shoots,
to the change at the press conference, to all that.
(09:28):
It felt a lot like that documentary in a sense
that again rare air, You're around these luminary, unbelievable presence
who've done all that they can do, and then here
they are doing even more, giving even more, maybe to
put a little bow on it. When I heard the
gong and there was the Undertaker, the one thing I've verbally,
(09:53):
I might have even said it out loud, was this
is forty years of WrestleMania. Gosh, the sheriff showing up,
the judge showing up. It certainly that that energy in
the building, you know. I asked him later, if you
wanted to do a tag team, I could ride in
a little sidecar on the on the on the bike.
(10:13):
Just a really special thing. I'm I'm forever grateful too
to everyone who was involved on my side and everybody
who was involved, even on Roman side.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
I'm gonna in my head now, I'm going to try
to like think, who, like do a comparison of the
we all the world people to the WrestleMania people. Who
would who would Cody be?
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Oh, you know that's a that's a really good question.
Uh well, I think you got to give Roman. If
we're looking at that documentary and the importance of the
people in it, you really, I guess you want to
be Quincy, Lionel or Jet And I want to say
that that maybe Roman and I shared the Lionel the line,
(10:56):
you know, or maybe maybe he was and I was
Quincy because I was trying to to get the music
together our hell. I mean, Bruce spring stands on that
sucker too. Everyone yeah is on is on that sucker.
And uh, I'll say this. I know a lot of
people talked about Stone Cold, Steve Austin and uh him
being there, him not being there and stories and all that.
(11:18):
I have nothing but love for Stone Cold. That just again,
the most profitable excuse me, sorry again, the most profitable
and uh unbelievable. You know wrestler for his time and
that attitude era has been held up against what we've
(11:38):
what we've been doing for so long. It's such a
great feeling to know that we're we're now out kicking it.
We're now they set that bar for us, and they
set this table for us, and now we're we're doing
it all again. So nothing but love for the Texas Rattlesnak.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Yeah, same thing here. I mean, listen if who doesn't
love Stone Cold? But it it kind of is weird
in a way that me maybe it did work out
the way it was supposed to because I'm thinking the
way it plays out, obviously the iconic class smashes, but
he's got to come out to the ring. Yes, everyone
will be going crazy. But the way it played out
with the Gong lights out undertake on the ring, I
(12:17):
mean that could not have worked out any better either.
So it was it's you know, sometimes things work out
the way they're supposed to.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Yeah, and not to get not to get two inside baseball,
I suppose, but I'll tell you two guys who are
equally important to that match and the just the overall
everything the builds as people love to sit now to WrestleMania.
But Bobby Rude and the free Bird himself, the free
(12:46):
Bird Michael Hayes just because he has a magic about him.
You know, maybe he's the quincy in all of this.
But those two, those two did an incredible job.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
I was gonna throw a couple of questions that I'm
not sure if you want to get into Hi, if
you don't want to get to it, you just tell
me to shut the hell up, because it is kind
of you should. That's the sign of when you're friends
with someone, they can tell you to shut the.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Hell up on answering the difficult questions. But then I
look back, I'm like, you didn't really answer it.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Well, it's not even difficult, but if you know, listen,
you don't want to give all the secrets way. But
I'm just curious how many people had an input into
the match, like I would assume obviously Triple H, Bruce Pritchard, Hayman,
you Roman rock Are and you just mentioned Bobby Rude
and you mentioned Michael Hayes. I'm just talking about like
(13:35):
the collaborative of effort, Like how many people get to
say in how it all not the finish but just
you know, everything in terms of how we should Obviously
there's got to be a layout for seeing it to
come in the rock. How many just like a like
a round number, like how many people get to say
and what happens? You could say, shut the hell up,
I don't care, no.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
No, no. I think this answer though, well you'll probably
feel is a bit of aut answer, but that's fine.
I would say literally millions of people, because millions of
people created the match in the first place. The match
wasn't going to happen right right, and then it was
brought back, and then it was also millions of people,
(14:18):
hundreds of thousands of people, almost eighty thousand people in
that stadium, who had an opinion on what is this?
We've been here, this is Wressemania forty, this is a
ten year mania. What uniqueness is going to be brought out?
And I think fan feedback, like genuine fan feedback, and
the things we saw on the way there, because this
was something that was talked about like, oh, I wonder
(14:39):
if Cody will finally have some allies on his side,
you know, the what about these other victims of the bloodline,
all of that. I would say that it was a
collaborative just unbelievable moment that that truly, it's not a
lie to tell you it's provided by the fans. WrestleMania forty,
(15:00):
the beginning of Triple H's era as the head of
creative and matchmaker and booker and all those those terms.
He uh, he had millions of consultants on it with him,
and that's the way it should be. And uh, he knew,
he knew what he wanted to see. He knew, he
knew what we need, where we needed to go. So
(15:22):
millions of people.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Well, full credit to them for actually switching, because it's
out there now. I mean, I think The Rock spoke
about it and at least one maybe two interviews.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
You know.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Additionally, he comes back and we think it's going to
be the Rock versus Roman at WrestleMania. The Cody cry babies,
myself leading the charge, go crazy. We're pissed off, we're livid.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
I remember, I remember the night you came out on
smack Now where you where you it all started, where
you said you wanted the match, but you weren't going
to have it at WrestleMania. I remember, you know, I
remember tweeting like what was that? It was more confusing
than bad, Like it just did makes sense. I would
love to know the process and that gets undone and
then we get to where it was supposed to be
(16:06):
with you and I know Triple H has talked about
calling an audible. I would love to know your role
in that if if you can get into that, like
are you do you you're a company man, it's supposed
to be Rock versus Roman. You stand back, the fans
go crazy. Can you say, like, guys, you see what's
going on here? Do you have to lay low and
not push yourself in that spot?
Speaker 2 (16:28):
Well, not to kick the can down the road, but
we we filmed a hole behind the scenes. They filmed everything,
you know, Rocks team films everything. Our team filmed everything.
I think they're finishing it up in terms of they
had it ready and now I think they put some
other elements on it just from the fallout of WrestleMania,
(16:53):
and that's so good. Hopefully that that hits YouTube sooner
than later. I'm thinking that's where WW is gonna put
just because that's a that's a lot of people who
had questions about the exact how much this and that
the answer, But really my role in all of this
was was to stay silent throughout the chaos. And uh,
(17:16):
I don't always stay silent. I mean, here we are,
we're talking now. I'm very active on social but sometimes
you just have to shut your mouth. And this was
a great time when I shut my mouth and all
these people came out, and and I even thought, I
wonder if I can quell the storm. I wonder if
(17:36):
I can tell them I think I did. I've sent
a post out like hey, calm down, you know it too,
because I couldn't believe, like, oh man, this it's flattering,
no doubt, but I don't want I don't want anyone
getting unnecessary hate, anything of that nature in that space.
And and yeah, I just decided to keep silent. And
(17:56):
and in the weirdest of ways, having won the Royal
Rumble and having been in there last was seeing Punk,
who had such an opportunity to win the Rumble himself,
such an absolute great I just still thought it'll be fine.
I maybe I was in denial that, you know, because
a lot of people around me were very angry, But
I just thought, no, it's gonna be fine. It's gonna
(18:17):
be fine, it will work out. Gotta you know, We've
been just shouting people out here on this this conversation.
But ddph, he's so positive and I'm not a positive person,
you know. I feel like I'm in the middle positive.
(18:38):
But he said something to me, He goes, no matter
what happens to you, it will be the best thing
that ever happened to you. And I wanted to be
mad at that answer, like, what the what does that
even mean? You know? And he told me that, and man,
was he right? Man? Was was was he right? Because hey,
let's look at a what if? What if we didn't
(18:58):
what if I didn't decide to, you know, say I
choose you at that press conference? The what if I
think would have been probably a great, great story as well.
I mean, wrestling what it is. But this was the
right story for the right time, right moment, right place,
right people all that.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
But yeah, well what I had said, I may have
said this to you and I saw you a couple weeksgo,
but I wrote this in my column, I said on
the podcast, I mean the reaction they got initially when
it was supposed to be Rock versus Roman, and you
were getting screwed, my term, not Cody's. And then I
say this as a positive. It's going to sound like
a negative. I mean it's a positive. It's their fault.
(19:39):
They built the story perfectly. It like what you and
Roman did for the past year, you know, because people
were livid at the end of WrestleMania thirty nine and
when you and and I was living that night tune
and then I look as a wrestling fan, then I
look back, that was the right move because look what
look what ended up happening, Like that was the right move,
even though people at that time didn't think it. I
mean I even saw today doing research for the interview
(20:02):
that shot of you at the end of thirty nine
in the ring. I think you're on your knees maybe
and over your shoulder. The camera has the but you know,
Roman and Hayman like it was a year of that
to get to where we got last week two weeks
agoing now at Mania. So again, I mean it as
a positive, like, you guys did such a brilliant job
(20:23):
with the story for a year. If forty did end
with you finishing the story, you know, they would have
burned down lincoln Field. Basically, the Eagles wouldn't have a
stadium to play in anymore.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
There's this great scene. You've seen the movie. Remember the Titans, right,
I feel like everyone remember the Titan Yep.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
Good old Dentzel.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Yeah, where he says he says that the assistant coach
says to Denzel or the former head coach, he says,
run it up herman, leave no doubt. It's a big saying,
a big thing between my sister and I my sister
til I looked at the time from WrestleMania thirty nine
to potentially what could happen to WrestleMania forty as Let's
(21:04):
leave no doubt. Let's leave absolutely no doubt as to
as to who I am, who I want to be,
the future that I see for WWE, and that comes
with a lot of you know, patting on the back.
Here we're breaking records, breaking records, breaking records, but those
stats really help inform where hey, this is working. We
(21:29):
are leaving no doubt. And man, I feel like people
give wrestling fans a bad Sometimes they'll say, oh, they
can't handle their like short term and their attention spans.
That's not I mean, take a look at the feeling
at the end of WrestleMania forty It's just been a
long time since wrestling fans had to wait a long time.
(21:54):
And really, I'm incredibly blessed. So many people reached out,
texted me all just it was an endless after that.
That match is still happening. And the thing I tell
everybody is I'm very lucky. I'm very lucky to be
in that mix. I did all this work. Yeah, sure,
I worked very hard. I like I like everything you see,
(22:16):
none of it's political. I stay after the shows because
I like it. Uh. Just now I going over to
the UK. I have a car that's going to take
me from town to town so that I don't have
to make the guys on the bus wait because I
might be out there all night. You know. Just I
that's it's It's how I like to be and what
I like to do. But I still am very lucky
(22:37):
to be in that mix. So many things needed to happen,
needed to go right, and and and very lucky and
blessed to be in that mix and to have had.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
This looks good, looks good. It was funny I I had.
I had people on Twitter congratulating me after you one
because I made such a big stink about it. Cody
has to finish this end there like you love the Rock,
You're turning on the rock. I'm like the Cody has
this is it? You know? So it was funny. I
had people it was funny too. Do you watch Curb
your Enthusiasm by any chance?
Speaker 2 (23:06):
My mom's a big Curb fan.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
Just good take it because the finale, the series finale
was right up against your match.
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Nice.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
That was the only negative about the WrestleMania forty main event.
It was at the same exact time, so a lot
of us were torn. But I tweeted that day, I
am blessed to be able to watch Larry David and
Cody Rhodes finish their stories tonight. So oh it was
a perfect perfect things.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
I'm in great company. I mean absolutely, He's basically in
the ring with me as a cameo as well.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
I'm gonna ask you one last WrestleMania really inside baseball question,
and I know you're not going to answer this, but
I got it. Just I gotta go for it. Yeah,
I feel like I feel like me personally, Roman almost
not from you guys, but maybe from the fans hasn't
even gotten the credit he really deserves for WrestleMania and
(23:58):
what he's done over the last years. The match is
over your backstage. Does Cody have a moment not with Roman,
but with Joe and what is going on in that
moment if you want to, if it's too personal to private,
I understand.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
I'll uh, I'll say this. When you do something so
special and epic, and I'm specifically talking about his run
as champion, not anything I did, nothing, not of my
When you change the landscape of a company, when you
(24:40):
help better the locker room situation for the talent surrounding you,
when you bring the entire you know, tied up for
one company, which Roman did, and then you're part of
something like WrestleMania forty I believe it was ninth or
his tenth main event of a WrestleMania you're part of that.
(25:02):
In the oddest ways, this might tell Odd we don't
need to have a moment. He was nowhere to be
found in Gorilla when I when I got back, and
I look forward to when we actually do have that
moment and get to see one another. No doubt, my
entire time in WW has been like a wartime situation.
(25:23):
There's always been somebody, It's always been, you know, some
sort of fight and issue. And and even with all
that said, it's you're bonded to degree over the battles
that you have. I might be speaking very kindly about
him right now, and he might be thinking in his
mind that he wants to smash me and h and
(25:46):
murder me when he when he comes back. And if
that's the case, that's okay. I'll be ready for it.
But of all the people I did see, the one
I didn't. And and I think in maybe in his mind,
if I could put myself in issues, he knew that
his run had been generational, that he had changed the industry,
which very few people can say they changed the industry.
(26:08):
I mean we're talking to you can count ten people
in the last thirty years who changed the business. I
think he knew that he could walk out of the
ballpark knowing that the ball was still sailing and wwe
is going to be just fine, if not even better,
and we await the return of Roman reigns.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
So he didn't take it as like a personal snub
that he wasn't there.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Okay, good, No, I mean we just got finished punching
and kicking each other, eating each other to death, leading
belts chairs. No, I didn't take it personal at all,
and I wouldn't take it personal if he hates my guts.
To this day, I just feel a little differently.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
Right, all right, we'll move forward. Actually, one more question,
not about many give me outside of WrestleMania forty take
that out of it. From the minute the Rock came
back and the storyline started till two days before Lemania,
did you have a favorite moment in the build up,
whether it was Vegas, whether it was when he made
you bleed an did you was something like, oh my god,
(27:07):
this is really cool, like this is what was it
all just great?
Speaker 2 (27:13):
Well, it all happened so quick. You know, there's never
really any downtime, uh, in this because even without the title,
even without the championship, I feel like I've been in
a position as a champion, just without without the chip,
without the Master Sword, without the crown, all those things.
I feel like there's never enough time to really sit
(27:36):
and go, wow, that was fun, that was cool, that
was violent, that was But there was a moment in
the ring, live and just happening in real time where
Seth and I came down through the people to confront
the tribal chief, to confront the final Boss, and I
got a big kick out of seeing them see us
(27:58):
because I think, well, I've given a lot of respect
to the Rock certainly will continue to do so. But
I think he didn't know really who I was as
a as a player, and I think in that moment
he saw, geez, they're all doing the whoe he signed
(28:22):
an autograph on his way down here. It's a different
type of individual than perhaps he maybe saw a picture
online and one clip. You know, we we based so
much stuff off gifts and social media and all that
I might. I know people don't like how I pronounced Jeff,
but I've heard that's correct.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
So you say it correctly. Which irritates me, is I
go with Giff like the people who say correctly like
to show off and off. Yeah, they're above it all.
Speaker 2 (28:50):
But that moment is right before I slapped him and
I brought that slap. That moment was I thought, a
nice moment amongst the my up and seth and our
place and all this and our place on Monday Night Roll.
I'm really struggling with the idea that I may not
be on Monday Night Roll. I may be on Monday
Night Roll, but that's just been that's been our show
(29:13):
and I love it and it's unique. It's three hours,
there's challenges presented every week, but that that'll be a
unique transition if my day is on Raw are numbered.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
I was gonna ask if you're gonna be on Row SmackDown,
But I guess that answers that question because you're not
gonna tell me right now. That's fine.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
I mean, the draft is approaching the draft right right,
all right? But then, but then as well, I try
to sometimes I say things out loud to try to
will them in new existence. I mean, that's been happening
since the original all in And I remember I went
on Pat McAfee shows, the Golden Boy of ESPN, and uh,
I said, I want to be on Wrong on SmackDown.
(29:50):
I was saying things on that show to see if
I could will you know, hey, if I put them
out there can will them in new existence. But I
also remind everybody I am not part of the corporate structure,
part of the management, the top brass. I'm on the field.
They're the they're the coach and they're calling the play.
So I kind of a wait, like everybody else where,
I'll where I'll land all right.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
We've done a lot on Mania. I'll shift gears, We'll
do some other things. This this, this is a little
bit about the build up. But you just mentioned you're
not in management, but I'd love to get some insight
here from you on this if possible. We saw people
were saying Attitude era. It was not quite the Attitude era.
I mean, let's let's put it in perspective. The Attitude
era was bonkers on many levels. But the Rock was
(30:35):
cursing up a storm. I believe you said he had
a small penis one night on Monday night? Raw Are
we are we seeing a little more it was that
strictly for that storyline or do you think permanently now
we'll see a little bit more edge. You know, I
know Roll's going to Netflix. I don't know if that's
a factor in all this, But you guys are very
(30:57):
very pg. This storyline was not pe g your thoughts.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
I think it's a situation where, like even I said earlier,
how much respect I have for the Rock, get to
a point though, where you can't have so much respect
that you that you put your hands down. And I
had been really diplomatic, and diplomatic was not It wasn't
(31:27):
so much that it wasn't working with the fans as
much as it I don't think it was resonating with him,
and it just was a moment specifically, the one interview
I did, I was wearing a black suit, I remember,
and that that's where the LDS comment is and all
of that going in. Called McCartney. I wanted to just
(31:47):
speak his language. He came from that era of that
cutthroat crash TV. He's been in every era, but I
wanted to just speak his language and let him know someone,
if not a few people on this current roster, can
can speak your language if you'd like. I in a
weird way, because it was it was very very Fans
(32:11):
in the arena loved it. It was it was. There
was a huge joy to this interview I did. However,
for me, I felt a little. I felt a little
guilty because I have a lot of young, young, young
fans right and I would never want them to ask
(32:32):
their mom about LDS or this and that. And I
remember telling myself like, hey man, there's like twenty thousand
YouTube videos of me on BT cursing and yelling and
ridiculous stuff, But just my run with WWE has been
really really a for the family audience and really for
(32:53):
the little nightmares these little kiddos, and I just wouldn't
want to lead them astray in any way. And and
hopefully that interview didn't, uh didn't, didn't turn them off
to me as a as as if I am their guy,
as as their guy. I really everyone afterwards was so
pumped about it, and my wife she was digging it.
(33:15):
And I I remember thinking, I felt a little guilty.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
You didn't look guilty in the time we watched it.
You you put I have to say, yeah, you went
when you said it, you you went for it.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
I mean, when you're talking to somebody of such you know,
power and and and and such such aura I guess
as the term, then you have to commit. You have
to bring it. Anytime I said something in the build
to WrestleMania that I felt I didn't believe you could
tell right away you can look on my face and
no he didn't. And I had to remind myself of
(33:47):
these individuals, particularly the bloodline, particularly mister Haymond, that they
they will not accept if I'm half if I'm half cocked,
that doesn't work. And uh, and I was able to
get all.
Speaker 1 (33:59):
The way that speaking of mister Hayman at the Hall
of Fame, he singled you out, talked about how proud
your dad would be, the legendary Dusty Rhodes. And you know,
it's the night before you have your tag match and
then two nights before you're gonna face Roman. Were you
(34:20):
taking aback when he did that, because I know, the
Hall of Fame is different and it's you know, you're
not maybe sticking to storylines hardcore like you normally would.
But you know he made it. You know, it was
typical Paul Hayman fashion. He turned around to the podium
so he could face you and brought up And there's
a great if people don't know who are listening to this,
(34:40):
there's a great story that Hayman tells about helping Dusty
out when Dusty was down on his luck. It's in
the Hayman documentary on WW network. And also Dusty's the
one who let Hayman get into production meetings when he
was like, I don't know, ten years old, crashing the
crashing the So obviously there's a very strong and important
Dusty Hayman connection, and obviously Dusty was a presence at
(35:04):
WrestleMania forty weekend. There's no doubt about it. Your mom
was there, finished the story, but I was specifically on
the Hall of Fame when Paul did that. I'm just
wondering what was going through your head.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Well, the Hall of Fame, I think with some wrestlers
and some fans, it's the most exciting thing. And since
I was introduced to WDW via the Hall of Fame
in two thousand and seven, I really look forward to
the whole the pomp and circumstance, the whole grandeur of it. Gosh,
I love pull Nakano's speech. I know she had worked
(35:38):
on it for a great time. I loved seeing so many,
you know, of those luminary figures get their moment. I
do you know here, I am trying to will something
in new existence. I do wish we could move it
back into the theaters, and maybe not after SmackDown.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
I understand here, yeah, and has to switch.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
Yeah, I just listen. I'm not in charge anything, and
anyone who think please don't get mad at me for
saying but I was. I was am for watching everybody,
particularly mister Haymon. Here's kind of my outlook on it all.
I think in another lifetime I probably would have made
the best Paul Hayman guy. I probably could have been
(36:23):
his absolute ace. But it just didn't work out that way.
It worked out that I was the adversary for his
number one guy of all time, and that being Roman Reigns.
So there's part of me that looks at that, and
even with the questionable decisions that mister Hayman makes, part
(36:46):
of me that and says that might have been fun that,
you know, that might have been a good car to
be in, that might have been a good person to
lean over to right before one of the bigger moments
of your life and just have of have something to share.
You know. I had that same enjoyment when I had
Arn Anderson with me, just just to have someone, hey,
(37:09):
he's been here before. You know, there's also a beauty
in being there totally by yourself. There's also a specialness
of being there totally by yourself. But all that said, I,
even with the blood and the violence and how bad
things had gotten, I was very understanding that he was
(37:32):
gonna mention Dusty, and you know that that was something
that I felt like I stood up when Paul walked out,
mister Haymond walked out. I was there. You know that
all of this was a conscious decision because of what
we were celebrating and how he looked and revered revered
(37:55):
my father. If anything, I'm not a Paul Hayman guy.
That never happened. But we do share the bond that
is that is Dusty, and he's one of the very
few guys that when they talk about Dusty, I don't
roll my eyes, I don't bang my head against the table.
Because he did know him. He knows some things about
(38:15):
him that I don't even know. And I was glad
he was present in mister Haymond's speech. Wild as a.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
Speech, I was gonna say, do you you felt guilty
about LDS? You think he felt guilty when he told
people what to do with if they thought ECW died
in a certain time.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
I obviously I don't not agreeing with the way about it,
but I will say, the spirit of ECW and you
could have done ECW nostalgia, fun little ec moments here
and there. But what I got from his speech was
it was the spirit of ECW. He's somehow still pushing
(38:58):
the envelope that specific moment was one he's somehow still
challenging people to go ahead, cancel me, I will, I will,
I will return and uh in a weird way. I
don't agree with how he delivered it. The message on
being canceled and then rising back up was a really
great message that that that he provided, because today we
(39:20):
feel like the world so small. Everyone sees everything we do.
People forget we're human beings. We're gonna make mistakes, We're
going to be bold, and fortune favors the bold, and
nobody more bold than mister Hayman. So I didn't mind.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
Yeah, good, no, no, finish, No I had I had
people asking me for a couple of weeks before maybe like,
you know, how do you think that you finished? How
do you think what? How do you think? I'd love
to see Paul Hayman turn on Roman, help Cody win
and they could use the Dusty connection as so many
people for a long time thought the Rock was gonna
turn on Roman because he was not doing the right
(39:57):
signal and all this stuff. But I'm glad. I you know,
it couldn't have worked out better. So that was a
stupid idea by me. I want to talk about some
light fun stuff. But I got to ask you about
the rolex since we're talking about Dusty. I saw the clip.
I think the WW posted it earlier this week. I'll
say that for when we're taping this where if you
(40:19):
don't mind giving people a little background, If for those
who don't know, after you or your match at wrestleming
and forty where you win the title from Romanu, Triple
H gives you a box in the box is a
watch and you get you did? You gave rolexes to
the guys who were in the main event with right
that Seth and Roman and the Rock. Now when you're
(40:41):
buying a gift for the Rock, are you thinking like, like,
is it like one of those situations like for what
do you get? The person who has everything like the
Rock probably has a rolex? Is it harder to shop
for a rolex for the Rock?
Speaker 2 (40:53):
If not confirm, I can't confirm that I gave them
one to Rock or Roman, I think people probably.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
Oh, I thought you did, Okay, my bad, and confirm okay, okay, right,
you might be right, but okay, I remember for WrestleMania
with Sean Michaels versus Rick Flair, they had the custom
role access for each other with I think it was
twenty three.
Speaker 2 (41:16):
It was the number. I have a great student from
the Nightmare Factory who runs an outstanding jewelry company in Atlanta.
He does a lot of NBA, a lot of the
rap community, just wonderful gotta. His name is Diamond Cheek.
I I gotta probably find out what Diamond Cheek's actual
name is, but we just he's a he's he was
a great student at the Nightmare Factory, remains a good
(41:39):
ally to us. But I got it into my mind
that I wanted to do something for Seth. We've we've
had such a unique, competitive, challenging relationship, but also we
we really were going to do this together. And the
fact that he was going to be in the main event,
a WrestleMania spot A lot of people thought he should
(41:59):
have been in multiple times already. I wanted to have
that moment with him. And and I'm a I like
to give gifts, I do not like to receive gifts.
I gave every department in WWE, you know, whether it
was the makeup team and edible arrangements, whether it was
Amazon gift cards for the travel department. I wanted everyone
to know we're at the end of our season. I
(42:22):
appreciate everything you do. I'm I'm a very needy talent.
I'm a mess. And I wanted to know how much
I appreciated them and needed them, and Seth particularly so
I love giving giving gifts like that, and that was
a really great thing to be bonded over again. Like
this documentary. I wanted to capture how many things we're
doing here because who knows if we'll ever be in
(42:43):
that place again, that specifically for us forty, we will
never be in again. And and that's that's that was
the thing. Now, the rolex you're talking about, it was
a week where you came into the rust of any
week with no rolelexes, and you left with you left
with two. The roles that my dad had growing up,
the Jubilee bracelet and the whole deal. I wanted it,
(43:08):
always wanted it. I assumed I would get it. I
used to go into his room and his jewelry dish
and I'd put it on my wrist and it was
far too big. And when he passed away, I just
assumed it was coming to me. And then I thought, oh,
you know, that's selfish to me. Maybe it comes to Dustin.
You know, Dustin has deserves it just as much. And
then I found out none of us were getting it.
(43:29):
We're gonna get pocket knives instead and his cowboys stuff
because he had pawned it so that I could go
to the Howard Fine acting studio in LA And that
was the cash he handed me when I was pulling
out of Maryetta, Georgia to drive all the way over
to studio city there. So Nick Con triple h Bruce Richard.
(43:51):
I want to say Conrad Thompson probably had some involvement
in it as well, just because he's kind of like
the watch and belt guru him. And then they tracked
the watch down. There's this big discussion on is it
the watch? Is it the watch? And the best thing
I can tell you is it is. If that makes any.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
It's yeah, totally, I get it.
Speaker 2 (44:17):
It's the watch. And I was so I don't like
giving gifts. That's a moment that the whole world got
to see. I don't know how to react when getting
a gift other than I wore it last night on
Monday night. AWL. It's such a full circle moment, especially
to come from a Nick Con Bruce and of course
(44:38):
a triple h. I can only hope that all of
this we pay forward, all of this we do incredible
record breaking business as a team together, so that it
feels justified that they gave me this extremely expensive and
beautiful piece of my history.
Speaker 1 (44:58):
Well, records are certainly broke. I mean Peacock Live Show
Raw the next night. It was. It was quite a weekend.
We know, we didn't discuss time for this. Can I
ask you a couple more? If you got to run,
let me know, I don't want to keep you. It's
two oh eight.
Speaker 2 (45:14):
Yeah, go ahead, let's ask a couple more. Sorry, well
let's do this.
Speaker 1 (45:16):
Where are you right now? It looks like you're in
a hotel.
Speaker 2 (45:19):
Hotel. I will literally leave here to go to the
gym after these questions. I will then go immediately to logan.
I'm in Boston. I bust down to Boston to fly
to London to then drive to Birmingham, England.
Speaker 1 (45:34):
Oh wow, all right, I appreciate you doing this. You
mentioned you're gonna bust down. Your bus caught on fire?
What was that about?
Speaker 2 (45:41):
Uh? The air conditioning un on top of the bus
completely exploded. I was in bed, I thought it was
a gunshot because all the buses were in the same area,
and I thought maybe we were getting robbed. We were
literally in a back alley at Lincoln Financial. We were
parked alongside of it, and so the bus is the
air conditioning unit blows up. Here. I hear my driver
(46:05):
we got to get off this bus and terrified. I
can hear his feet running, and I thought, probably wasn't
gonna be that big of a thing. In my mind.
I've got kind of some adrenalitis, so yeah, it's okay,
grab my stuff. And I opened the door. And the
only way I can describe it from when I opened
the bedroom door is if you've ever been on like
the Mummy ride at Universal Studios, there's an effect where
(46:26):
they light the ceiling up with fire where it comes
in and it creeps down the ceiling. That's what I
was looking at. So now I'm of the thought, oh
my god, my life on this bus. I it's gonna
this bus is definitely blowing up. My life is on it.
And for whatever reason, egg because I'm a psycho wrestler
at E because I do this all for my family,
(46:50):
I grabbed my boots for night one, so they had
set andized logos on them, and I grabbed a picture
of the girls and I ran out in my short
snow shirt, windy, rainy, freezing cold there in Philly, and
I just saw the fireball on the top of the bus.
So then I went and got the fire extinguis shirt,
(47:11):
thinking maybe I can help. And one of the other
drivers he rushed me down to the to the other
bus and said, just get over here. And I think
the scariest part for me we were watching Seth and
I the fireball on this bus. I think the scariest
part for me was they started backing up the Missus
bus as if hey, this bus is going to blow up.
We've got to get this one out here. And I thought, oh,
(47:33):
how is this happening a few days before WrestleMania, right yeah,
And then the next thing, you know, the fire department
there in Philly pulled right in blasted that bus and
saved it to you know, that bus will eventually roll again,
but it had a big hole in it. So people
who see me getting off that bus at WrestleMania, it
(47:54):
was just parked there with a giant hole in the ceiling.
But we wanted to make sure our friends at Wheatley
Vodka who had wrapped that bus, and I worked closely
with them. We wanted to make sure that it was
still seen on That.
Speaker 1 (48:06):
Is unreaking believable. What time like was this like in
the middle of the night.
Speaker 2 (48:11):
So it was a yeah, one hundred I was asleep
is probably two am. I had to go to the hotel,
which I told my wife I will never step foot
in that hotel. I had to bring my back hair
all sad uh it was. It was really the week
before US Mania. It was the best thing that could
happen in a weird way, because it made it so
that like, hey, whatever happens now, you know what I'm saying.
(48:34):
Whatever if I fall through the Cody Vader on the stage,
I'm all right, It's just things happened. That was something
that happened. I'm very grateful for the Philadelphia Fire Department
because the speed and efficiency they put it out was
was unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (48:47):
Yeah, I thank god your wife and daughter weren't there,
you know.
Speaker 2 (48:50):
Oh yeah. They let me have that space during the
big you know, the summer Slams and the Mania where
you're out in the city for the week, just because
mine rosis and obsession with what we do. And I
don't think they want to watch Who's Your Dome WrestleMania.
I think they'd rather watch Gabby's Playhouse, you know, So
they give me a little space.
Speaker 1 (49:11):
You said, you said a few minutes ago that you're
a needy talent. What makes you a needy talent?
Speaker 2 (49:21):
Well, needing may not be the word, but in the
last maybe five or ten years, even longer than that,
wrestlers have really started to uh lean into their athletic side,
lean into being an athlete, and lean into being an
athlete means you have to have your meal prep, which
(49:43):
is hard to do when you travel. So you've got
to You've got to have your meal prep. Your diet
has to be dialed in. You have to have trainer,
whether that's a zoom training session, whether that's a written
out report or if that's that you bring your trainer
on the road with you. You have to get to sleep,
You have to take the supplements that you take. You
have to be hydrated. You got to have the amino acids.
(50:05):
It's a level of So I got like three of these.
This is a storm trooper one forgive me three of
them that go with me because I'm so used to
the bus. Because I just want to make sure as
an athlete, I have all these things. The game is
different than when you used to hit the ropes and
not actually hit the ropes. The game today is fast,
(50:28):
it's very high impact, it's incredibly violent, and if you're
not if you're not leaning into being an athlete, it's
tough to do right. So that's where I think I
need is the most.
Speaker 1 (50:41):
Yeah, I got it, okay, Because I was gonna say,
you seem like a very easy going person.
Speaker 2 (50:46):
I don't know as as John Cone I have. I have,
I have my moments. But I also I learned a
lot from how rodden of a EVP I was. So
there was things I did that were great in that role,
and then there were things that were just blowney and
I again, people make mistakes, they learned. I learned and
grew a lot from that experience.
Speaker 1 (51:08):
I saw you the week before Mania at a at
a Make a Wish Foundation event. Make a Wish is
unbelievable things partnership with the WWE. Everyone knows John scenes
in volopment, Cody is involved. And I asked you that
day how tired you were and you were. You said
you were pretty exhausted after Monday night Raw, the day
after WrestleMania. How tired were you?
Speaker 2 (51:32):
I mean physically tired.
Speaker 1 (51:34):
I needed both physically and mentally.
Speaker 2 (51:37):
I needed to sleep like Odin, like go into like
the deep, deep sleep. But one of the most exciting
things for me was Liberty. We had told her she
was coming to Philadelphia. We couldn't really get her too
excited about Philadelphia. I don't know why. She just we
told her all the people you'll see, and everyone just
like fawning over It was amazing moments. But we also
(51:58):
told her We're going to take her to Disney World
if I want. So that was really like weigh on
her mind. And the next day was as tired as
I could be. Was maybe the best day of my
life was the next day because just to have her
I didn't see her much the week before, and to
be with her, to be with Brandy or so so
(52:21):
freaking proud of in terms of and so happy she
was part of WrestleMania. She's been there every step of
the way, sometimes in front of me and leading me
on in the best of ways. But that was just
the best day ever. So as tired and as exhausted
as I was. Anyone who if you could have come
up to me and slapped me in the face and
I'm like, yeah, that's all right. I just I was
just on such a such a cloud and great spot
(52:44):
and to share that there's this kind of old outlook
on wrestling that you can't do this and have a family.
I do this for my family, and that's that's just
how I roll. And that was that was the best day.
So tired, like needing the sleep, sure, but also ready
ready for war all over again.
Speaker 1 (53:04):
Can you even walk around Disney? I hope you do.
You have like a security people have to recognize you.
I mean, the hair along is a little bit of
a giveaway.
Speaker 2 (53:13):
So we've we've discovered that it's uh, it's it's getting
to the point where you got to always have the
hood and hat on and we we always have a guide.
We're again incredibly lucky to be able to share this
with our daughter. And I don't take any of it
for granted, but it has become a little maybe maybe
(53:37):
maybe I sit out on a couple of these just
just because I don't want to ever take time away
from the girls, and they understand that. You know, to me,
no fan is a bad fan. I love all fans,
so I always stop. But anytime we go there's there
is we do have some help to get us through.
It doesn't help when you take one of your friends though,
who's also a wrestler, like when I've gone with Matt
(53:59):
Cardona and the and he's essentially in his gear like
tank top, arms oiled, the shades, the zach Ryder shades
on doing this as he walks by people. That's difficult.
Ricky Starks also is not helpful. Brandy with her purple
hair when she had it wasn't helpful. And she's always
like dialed.
Speaker 1 (54:17):
And you're there with the hat and the hood trying
to lay low.
Speaker 2 (54:19):
Yeah, I'm just trying to get by all. I'm just
trying to get you know.
Speaker 1 (54:24):
I'm going to ask you one last thing and then
I'll let you go. I went in on a really
weird one because I've wanted to ask you this like
the other two times I've had you on the pod
and it never came up, but worked out where I
could squeeze it in. I figured I got to get
it in, you know. I tried to do a lot
of research before the interviews. Go back watch old interviews,
watch youtubes. I have to say, I think one of
the best things of your career. I don't know if
(54:46):
you agree, I hope is. But the vignettes you did
is dashing Cody Rhodes is some of the most historically
funny things I've seen. And I don't remember at the time.
It might have been a little period where I was
on top of Monday night raw you could, you know,
sometimes you go in and out of it, and I
didn't remember it. Those things were hysterical and I would
(55:08):
have and I was wondering, I'm like, when you did those,
were you like laughing off camera? Did you think some
of these are I mean you talk about trimming your nose, hair,
trimming your ear hair, grooming your breath, going out on it.
It was real. I thought it was historically funny. What
did you make of those old vignettes?
Speaker 2 (55:24):
Well, I was always really tickled that the vote for
the most handsome Superstar was a real vote, so that
I feel like I let it slide to my head
a little bit. But I will say a lot of
these things that were news to me, Like I was
talking about proboscis. I guess that's the nose and trimming
the nose hairs. Things that were things that were like
(55:46):
news to me. I actually learned right there was informational
aspect to those grooming tips. Yeah, still used now. I'm
not shaving my legs with a straight razor, which in
one of them in the d roll you see me doing,
which is the most terrified I've ever been. And I
think I've told some people this. When the first set
(56:08):
of them were filmed, the shop we were in, the
salon was open for business. So I was in the salon, Well,
guys are getting you know, their nails done and then
the hair and having like cocktails being they was in
the back of the salon as they kept having to say, hey,
quiet guys, and I do I do a take? Yeah.
(56:29):
So when that when, when that situation arises, you have
to really commit to it. And I feel like, prior
to Dash and Cody Rhoades, maybe I didn't know all
those things. Outside of those vignettes. I still use all
that stuff to this day, all of iteen all that
I want to maintain that I.
Speaker 1 (56:45):
Find it'sthartically funny because I've always said to people I might.
I don't know if I've ever said this on Twitter,
but I've said this to people. I said, you know,
when you go to school, high school, college, they teach
you so much stuff you don't ever like. I've never
used algebra in my life. I would have liked someone
to tell me that when you turn about thirty five ish,
you're gonna have hair growing out of your ears, and
(57:07):
your nose and your eyebrows are going to be caught
and you need to take care of this stuff. That
is a life lesson I would have liked to have
learned in school. So when I saw the vignette, I said,
you know what, this is hitting me right right where
I could feel it.
Speaker 2 (57:18):
Well, I had a great teacher, my sister Tiel. We
used to skip school and she would take me to
go get like our eyebrows waxed. And this is in
high school, you know, and stuff like that to the
point where at that well we go to the tanning
bed you get our eyebrows wax. Really vanity based things.
(57:40):
So they help a lot with the world of pro
wrestling and sports entertainment. Is there for all the world
to see and be judged. So, yeah, you're right, though
more people need that type of class and information. It's
better to learn early than learn the hard way.
Speaker 1 (57:59):
Hell yeah, got that right. Well, I can't tell you
how much I appreciate this. I I really was. I
wanted you on the pod after after finishing the story,
and I appreciate you doing it so soon after. And uh,
enjoy your run here as the Universal Champion. We'll see
you on either Raw or SmackDown or both. We'll see
the draft. Is uh that you're doing the draft at
(58:21):
the same time as the NFL, So that'll be good.
There'll be draft media going on, and uh, hopefully you
get a little rest, but there's no rest for the WWE.
Now you're the next pay per view is in France,
right if I'm not mistaken.
Speaker 2 (58:32):
Leon France for Backlash, Wressel, La Knight or aj Styles.
And I really have of the thought like, hey, you
know the classic sleep when We're Dead. You know this
is uh ww's setting records, breaking records, the consecutive sellouts,
and it's for good reason. These these these that seem hollow,
(58:54):
But if you come into an arena and you feel it,
you know exactly what's happening and why. Wrestling kind of
on the tip of everybody's tongue. Again, so as the
one of the people hopefully leading that into the you know,
into people's living rooms. I'll figure the rest thing out later.
Speaker 1 (59:13):
Absolutely well and again wrestle many forty. It was. It
was perfect though.
Speaker 2 (59:17):
Thanks, thank you sir very much. Until the next time.
Speaker 1 (59:22):
All right, my many many thanks to Cody Rhodes. He
was tremendous. I don't know how you cannot be a
fan of that guy so good. Uh and it was
a great WrestleMania So my thanks to Cody for giving
me his first extensive interview since that night. If you're
not a subscriber to s I mediate with Jimmy trying
to hit that subscribe button. And if you can leave
a review and rate the podcast on Apple. All right,
that wraps it up. We'll see you soon. Stay safe,
(59:44):
take care,
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
The Nikki Glaser Podcast
Every week comedian and infamous roaster Nikki Glaser provides a fun, fast-paced, and brutally honest look into current pop-culture and her own personal life.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.