SI

Cody Rhodes On Epic WrestleMania 40 Main Event, Post-Match Fallout

New WWE Champion Cody Rhodes talks to SI about finishing his story at WrestleMania

Jimmy Traina

Apr 7, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; WWE Universal Championship match between Roman Reigns and Cody
Apr 7, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; WWE Universal Championship match between Roman Reigns and Cody / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

New WWE Undisputed Champion gave his first extensive interview since "finishing his story" at WrestleMania 40 on April 7 to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast.

The WrestleMania main event, which saw Rhodes defeat Roman Reigns, featured appearances by WWE legends The Rock, John Cena and The Undertaker. During the podcast, Rhodes was asked when he first realized the match was special and a huge hit with the WWE fans.

"I feel like sometimes as a competitor or performer, " Rhodes said on the SI Media Podcast, "you're checking these boxes in your head like, 'Oh, that went great and that went great.' 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 nights that it's there, like a complete understanding between you and the audience. I know that might 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 at WrestleMania 39, there was a feeling just in the air of the potential change and the big-fight feel that sometimes when we say it on commentary, there's not a big fight feel, but it's a great little way to describe or maybe perceive something.

"This was very much a big fight feel and it continued and snowballed into Roman and I are looking at each other in the ring and, you can see it on camera, he said, 'One more dance' and I thought, 'Oh, we are we are we are cruising into something' and he just came so dialed in and so prepared. Just an outstanding,.. it felt like everything that was happening hit. Everything that was happening was succeeding and that's just such a beautiful piece of music to write because that audience, I'll forever have some link to Philly.

"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 they were with me the the whole way from the beginning to the celebration."

In quite a surreal twist, Rhodes initially wasn't even supposed to be in the main event at WrestleMania 40. The original plan was for The Rock to face Reigns. But after the fans made it known they were more than unhappy with the WWE not giving Rhodes the shot he was supposed to have after winning the Royal Rumble, the company called an audible and switched up the entire storyline and plan.

What role did Rhodes play in getting the program changed?

"Not to kick the can down the road," Rhodes said on the podcast, "but we filmed a whole behind-the-scenes ... they filmed everything. Rock's 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 from 'the fallout of WrestleMania.' Hopefully it hits YouTube sooner than later. I'm thinking that's where WWE is going to put it.

"A lot of people had questions about the exacts, how much this and that and the answer, but really, my role in all of this was to stay silent throughout the the the chaos. I don't always stay silent. 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 I even thought, I wonder if I can quell the storm. I sent a post out like, 'Hey, calm down.' Because I couldn't believe ... it's flattering, no doubt, but I don't want anyone getting unnecessary hate, anything of that nature in that space and, yeah, I just decided to keep silent.

"In the weirdest of ways, having won the Royal Rumble and having been in there last with CM Punk, who had such an opportunity to win the Rumble himself, such an absolute great, I just still thought it'll be fine. Maybe I was in denial because a lot of people around me were very angry, but I just thought, 'Nope, it's gonna be fine, it's gonna be fine, it will work out."

"DDP, he's so positive and I'm not a positive person, I feel like I'm in the middle, 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 does that even mean?

"He told me that and, man was he right, because let's look at a what if. What if I didn't decide to say, 'I choose you at that press conference? The what if, I think, would have been probably a great story as as well, but this was the right story for the right time, right moment, right place, right people."

Over the course of the one-hour interview with Rhodes, other topics covered include his thoughts on the surprise appearance by the Undertaker at WrestleMania 40, whether he had a moment with Reigns after the match. 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, Paul Heyman's Hall of Fame speech, 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.

In addition, Rhodes mentioned the work he's doing with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

At a Make-A-Wish event the week before WrestleMania 40, Rhodes spoke about how important the organization is to him.

"The thing for me is, you don't anticipate when you're wanting to be a wrestler, this aspect of it. You're thinking about championships, in-ring moves, promos, big entrances. You're not thinking about effect it has. So, to be able to effect somebody, they're wish is to meet you, you really can't describe in words the specialness of that and grounding aspect of it.

"If you ask the Wish children and the Wish families how they feel about it, that's one thing. I don't think we're often asked how we feel, but I feel so incrdibley touched when somebody asks to have that moment, that interaction, for me to follow their story and for them to follow mine. That's just the best part of the day. It's a classic case of you might have a bazillion pretapes and different things, but it's like a clear-the-deck type thing for Make-A-Wish.

"And WWE's relationship with Make-A-Wish is so beautiful. It's over 40 years, 6,000-plus wishes have been granted. And we have John Cena who is the Wish record. holder. Him chasing Ric Flair's championship record is really cool, and perhaps he'll get it because John isn't done, but I think the record we all should be chasing is the Wish record."

Make-A-Wish's "World Wish Day" is on April 29th, which marks the anniversary of the first wish being granted. The organization is nearing its goal 1 million WishMakers.

You can listen to the podcast by clicking into the tweet below or by visiting Apple and Spotify. You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on YouTube.

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Jimmy Traina
JIMMY TRAINA

Jimmy Traina is a staff writer and podcast host for Sports Illustrated. A 20-year veteran in the industry, he’s been covering the sports media landscape for seven years and writes a daily column, Traina Thoughts. Traina has hosted the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2018, a show known for interviews with some of the most important and powerful people in sports media. He also was the creator and writer of SI’s Hot Clicks feature from 2007 to '13.

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