Cody Rhodes has been on quite the ride over the last few years as he helped launch AEW in 2019, returned to WWE in 2022, and back in April he main evented WrestleMania for the first time in his career when he challenged Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
The American Nightmare has made it clear that he’s on a quest to capture the WWE Championship which is something he brought up to Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard when they met ahead of his return. During a recent appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Cody talked about that meeting and he also shared some important advice he received from Stephanie McMahon.
“When I came back, and the story was a real story, that is actually what I talked to Vince (McMahon) and Bruce (Prichard) about in that meeting was, hey, here’s the WWWF title, I have it. Dan Lambert gave it to me. This is the whole reason I wanted to be in the business, this physical piece of [history] this thing right here, this belt, this championship belt.
So I was fine with leaning in. Because it feels like it’s now or never, in a sense, it’s now or never that there’s things you have to earn. And when you’re someone’s kid, and you’re second generation, third generation, you have them all at your disposal from the beginning. But there’s a difference from when you use them at the beginning and when you’ve earned them. And I felt like I’d earned them.
I remember Stephanie McMahon said this. She said use everything, use everything you have. And there couldn’t be a more appropriate time to use everything. Oh WrestleMania, the main event, essentially getting elected president is getting that match the final match, like use it all, use everything you have and leave no stone unturned. And she was right.”
