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WrestleMania is where professional wrestlers bring out all of the stops to cement their legacies into WWE history. Fans have seen shocking debuts, musicians performing their favorite superstar's songs, and even a tank and Terminators for good measure too, and as the shows get bigger, so too will the efforts of wrestlers to stand out.
With arguably the most important WrestleMania match of the decade on the books for WrestleMania 39, has Cody Rhodes thought about how he will handle his main event debut? Well, discussing that very matter with Peter Rosenberg on Cheap Heat, Rhodes was asked if he would consider bringing his own Bloodline to the “Show of Shows,” and while he probably won't bring along Pharoh, his 12-year-old dog, he hasn't ruled out the return of a certain AEW star who has only appeared on WWE television under her old ring name and in video packages.
“As far as Brandi is concerned. I never know,” Rhodes said via Fightful. “Like my dad, when Brandi got in, I went, ‘You have to do your own thing and be your own self.' I'm so proud. When I talk about what we built [AEW], there is a reason why I name everybody in it. Without Matt (Jackson), Nick (Jackson), Kenny (Omega), Tony (Khan), Bernie, Brandi, Dana (Massie), it would have never happened. All of those names have to be included because it was so fragile. I'm so proud of what she did and her contributions to it. If I'm Roman Reigns, I'm not necessarily scared of Brandi Rhodes. If I'm Mr. Heyman [Paul Heyman], I would be scared of what could happen. She's really enjoying watching this. My whole family, not that they've come out of the woodwork, they've always been big supporters, but for Mania, because I've never been in this situation before, I've gotten everything really organized in advance.”
Could WWE fans soon see Brandi and Heyman duking it out around the ring while Rhodes and Reigns – and/or Sami Zayn – go to work inside the ropes? Would WWE fans embrace Brandi in the same way they embraced Cody despite getting relentlessly booed in AEW? Buckle up, folks, this might get very interesting indeed.
Cody Rhodes changes his tune on The Rock at WrestleMania 39.
As you may or may not recall, earlier this month, Rhodes sat down for yet another interview, this time with The Daily Mail, to discuss WrestleMania 39 and made it known that he doesn't think WWE needs to bring back a certain first ballot Hall of Famer for the “Show of Shows” in Los Angeles.
“With all the respect in the world to one of the GOATs The Rock, it looks like the options we have here within the roster are even better because of the stories that are happening,” Rhodes said. “One story about finishing something that started in 1978 – seven years before I was even born – and another story of really the tragedy of being welcomed into the Bloodline and then what you saw unfolds. I think with the amount of time between now and WrestleMania, it’s important I keep my eyes squarely fixed on WrestleMania, squarely wrestling for the WWE Undisputed Championship and as you hinted that may not be against Roman Reigns. Now I don’t know if anyone can beat Roman Reigns, I truly don’t, but for me, it’s about picking up the chip. I love the melodrama,I love the heaviness in these stories that develop in our industry, but I am very simply a man who’s looking for a belt. I’m looking for a championship title belt, the most important one in our world the biggest in all – not just in the WWE bubble but in all the bubbles – and be the first to say as a Rhodes I did it, and it wasn’t Dusty Rhodes and it wasn’t Dustin Rhodes it was Cody Rhodes.”
This, understandably, didn't sit well with some fans, especially those who have either been fantasy booking a Reigns-Rock match for years or folks who are just genuinely fans of Young Rock's 50-year-old namesake. Understanding this backlash, Rhodes walked back his comments ever so slightly in an interview with Sports Illustrated, suggesting that he would love to see The Rock take the stage at WrestleMania 39, even if he maybe doesn't want him inserted into his match with Reigns.
“I said the other day, and I said it in a pretty nice way, ‘all respect to the Rock, I like what we have.' I'm going to walk that one back. WrestleMania is amazing,” Rhodes said via Fightful. “If Rock decides to come to WrestleMania, please. Simply because, we're able to have WrestleMania becase of someone like The Rock, and Rock was able to have WrestleMania because of somebody like (Hulk) Hogan, and because of the Dustys [Dusty Rhodes], the Flairs [Ric Flair], the Pipers [Roddy Piper]. Our industry doesn't just exist, the content is so important in keeping it healthy and keeping it going and respecting these long-time fans. I hope I didn't talk out of turn because I absolutely adore The Rock and would love it if he was present in any setting. His family is massively important to what we do and if Rock decides to show up to WrestleMania, Hollywood would love that. I will say, if Rock doesn't come to WrestleMania, we have an unbelievable card, if not the best ever, at the biggest ever in terms of the financials, the gates, two days in Hollywood. It's a win-win.”
Will The Rock ultimately show up at WrestleMania 39? Honestly, it's impossible to say, but should it happen, it's clear the card will, as Rhodes suggests, transcend its already impressive pedigree to become something truly special.
