Cody Rhodes says being WWE 2K24 cover star is "like a championship"

Cody Rhodes talks about what it means to be the WWE 2K24 cover star, and what his hopes are for his future in WWE

WWE 2K24 has been officially revealed, and none other than ‘The American Nightmare’ Cody Rhodes graces the cover. Ever since Cody’s shocking return to WWE in 2022 he’s been a fan favorite, winning the Royal Rumble and main-eventing WrestleMania in 2023, and he’s one of the front-runners to do the same this year.

Cody’s mantra for many years was “undesirable to undeniable”, referring to his 2014 WWE exit and how he’s made himself into a much bigger star than ever before in the years since. Speaking to Rhodes, he explained what it means to him to have such a prestigious spot.

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“It’s like a championship, in a way.” he says, “You’ll hear so many wrestlers say ‘Oh I don’t care about the game or my rating’ – that’s nonsense. Every one of us is obsessed with how we look. Did they get our gear right? Are they executing the moves like we thought? So to be on the cover is a huge bucket list item, a big milestone to me.”

Cody isn’t the only one who has taken this career path. Drew McIntyre is another example of a wrestler leaving WWE only to come back years later as a huge star. Wrestlers from all over the industry are always eyeing a spot on WWE’s roster, and Cody picks some names that he’d like to see join.

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“My buddy Ricky Starks,” Rhodes says, “I know he’s under contract so that’s not happening – but it’d be cool to see.

Starks has been seen accompanying Cody to WWE events in the past year, and many industry experts expect him to jump ship when his AEW contract expires.

“Wardlow is one I’d like to see cross over if he ever wanted to.” Rhodes continues. “There’s a lot of beef in the WWE locker room; it’s a heavyweight locker room. It’s hard when you think you’re big and jacked, then you stand across the ring from Drew McIntyre and you find out ‘Oh, maybe not’. Wardlow is somebody I feel could fit into that role really well.

“It seems like we’re in this day where we’re doing so well everyone wants to be part of it, and the more the merrier. I’m happy with anyone who wants to make the leap and be part of this team.”

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WWE 2K24’s Showcase mode this year celebrates 40 years of WrestleMania and will let you recreate historic matches from the past. Teases on social media have indicated some matches we may see like the first-ever Ladder Match between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon. Having been in the main event of WrestleMania last year, Cody talks about the matches he would’ve loved to have seen live.

“WrestleMania 18, Rock and Hogan is my favorite match,” he says, “but also I think my favorite WrestleMania is [WrestleMania 8] which includes ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage and ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair. I’d want to be ringside for that match – I know people really wanted Hogan vs Flair, but I loved the story that Macho and Flair had.”

While his focus is firmly on Roman Reigns and his ‘finish the story’ mantra for this year’s WrestleMania 40, Cody also mentions some other opponents he’d like to face at the showcase of the immortals down the line – with an unexpected first name.

“Maybe Logan Paul,” Rhodes says, “in terms of the novelty of a civilian who’s come in and taken our business by storm. Gunther is very interesting – I found out how much I liked and disliked him all in one moment with our interaction in the 2023 Royal Rumble. I feel like Seth Rollins and I are always on some sort of crash course to revisit what we’ve done.”

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It’s no secret that the WWE locker room is full of gamers. Plenty of superstars have their own channels on YouTube or Twitch where they regularly create gaming content. Cody is as much a gamer as any of them, but not in the same way.

“I’ve got the Triforce on my hand, so I think I can still check the box.” he says, “Single-player story modes are the biggest thing for me. Brandi and I have the worst internet connection so I’m big on playing the campaign – so still a gamer, but not online.”

While Cody doesn’t have a channel of his own, he’s made plenty of appearances on other wrestlers’ channels like Xavier Woods’ UpUpDownDown over the years, and things like this have gone a long way to building the great connection with fans he enjoys today. Cody says he treasures this connection that it took him a while to build up.

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“Way back in the day, Vince McMahon used to tell me that I was ‘playing wrestler’” Rhodes explains, “and I always hated that and I didn’t understand it. Then, the years went by and the lightbulb went off, and I realized what he meant and what it would take for me to really be a superstar. These matches don’t take place in front of nobody, they take place in front of tens of thousands of people, and you have to involve them fully.

“It’s a lot of talk, but when you feel it then you know you’ve got a great performer. For example, Jey Uso. Jey talks in the ring and he understands what’s happening in the crowd and the rhythm of it all. That’s the difference between playing wrestler and actually being one.

“For me, that connection with the crowd which I didn’t have [when I first started], it’s why I’ve held onto it so tight and why I’ve stuck to my guns on how my character is presented. You can have the body, the mic work, the skillset in the ring, but if you’re not able to connect to the audience then it’s all just fireworks.”

And as the wrestler with the most pyro-filled entrance in all of WWE right now, Cody knows a thing or two about fireworks.

WWE 2K24 launches on March 8, 2024, for PC, PS5, PS4 Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One, with deluxe edition owners getting three days early access.