When Joe Burrow walked out onto the practice field for the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this summer sporting bleached blonde hair slicked back ever so slightly, he immediately drew comparisons to the “American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes, the current holder of the WWE Championship and the all-around face of professional wrestling in America.
On paper, the comps more or less wrote themselves; both men are at the top of their games, are heroes or villains, depending on your perspective, and are obviously athletes with similar aesthetic features, but then you factor in Rhodes' signature “Finish the Story” catchphrase, as fans took it upon themselves to fix the phrase onto Burrow too, as his Bengals had a similar false start on the sport's grandest stage and now need to get back to the big plans to become the world champion he wants to be.
Discussing his feelings on Burrow as a player in a special interview with ESPN's Get Up, Rhodes let it be known that he's a big fan of the LSU legend and hopes that he can achieve his dream too this fall.
“Well, I hope it brings him good luck. I'm actually a big Joe Burrow fan. I mean, SEC legend. I mean, now that they're not playing one another anymore, I'm definitely at heart a Dawgs fan, but this guy was as good as good gets on the college field,” Cody Rhodes told ESPN via Fightful. “I very much love watching him now, all these young quarterbacks and what they're doing. I hope the look does him justice. It certainly worked for me. We finished the story, got the WWE championship. I hope he can get some gold himself.”
Unfortunately for Burrow, his sport isn't scripted – stop it – and as a result, he will have a much tougher road to becoming a Super Bowl champion than taking some color from Dwayne “The Rock Johnson” for a few months. Still, considering the Bengals have one of the better rosters in the NFL and are bringing back many of their key weapons from that Super Bowl run, if health is on his side, Burrow might just “Finish his Story” next February, too.
Cody Rhodes wants to see more “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in WWE
Turning his attention from the present of the Bengals to the past of the WWE Universe, Rhodes was asked about “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and his relationship with the Hall of Famer on Gabby AF. While Rhodes loves the “Ring Master,” he does wonder why he doesn't play his legend card more, as he believes he's leaving money on the table.
“Steve Austin is, from a dollars and cents standpoint, the most profitable wrestler ever. From guys who like and study the business of it, that's the benchmark and where you want to get. In addition to being all that, more memories than anyone could possibly provide. WWE at the time needed, WWE doesn't need things that often, at that time they needed Stone Cold Steve Austin, and he pulled [WWE] out of the spot it was in and made everybody rich and brought a whole new flavor to the industry,” Rhodes told Gabby AF via Fightful.
“I'd love to see him in any capacity. He over-delivered with Kevin Owens. If that was the end, that's a great end. Kevin Owens did an incredible job there too. I feel like he hasn't punched his legends card enough. He could just come in and tag with somebody. I know he probably wants it to be at the highest of levels, but you're a legend, you can do whatever you want.”
Now, for fans out of the know, Austin has had exactly one match since he retired from the ring in 2003 by putting over The Rock in the main event of WrestleMania XIX, securing a win over Kevin Owens in a semi-surprise match on Night 1 of WrestleMania 38. Now granted, he's done plenty of appearances for WWE between those two “Showcases of the Immortals,” from guest referee spots to in-ring promos, and about as many stunners as he threw during his prime, but actual matches? Not so much.
Still, considering Rhodes would probably be the beneficiary of an Austin return should it come in tag team action, as he is the babyface hero atop the WWE Universe right now, it's safe to say the old Codester is using a public promotional appearance to politik for another massive payday and legacy-securing moment for his WWE Championship reigns. All in all, Austin would probably be proud of that level of commitment to the business.
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