Cody Rhodes was a guest on Wednesday’s edition of “The MMA Hour” podcast with Ariel Helwani to discuss a variety of topics, including a question he received during the post-WWE Royal Rumble press conference regarding the allegations that have been levied against Vince McMahon.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On his comments about Vince McMahon at the Royal Rumble press conference: “You have to be truthful in those moments. I think everybody that night was attempting to be truthful in their own way, but sometimes you have to call it what it is and not shy away from it. I’m glad I was able to answer that.”
On the allegations and reactions to them: “Today, whenever there is an accusation or anything of that nature, it’s very important that you don’t shame the accuser. People are quick to do that sometimes. I also am not a legal personnel or in law enforcement. I like to see it play out from a legal and court situation. Did someone break the law? is there guilt? Is there punishment? I don’t want to be naive to it, but I have to put my focus solely on how we make a show the best show possible. The excitement over Netflix, WrestleMania, The Rock returning. I don’t have a lot of time to focus on that, but I am looking at it like everyone else. Hopefully there is a resolution that justice is brought for whomever.”
On if he considered going back to AEW before re-signing: “No. No, it’s not in any way a negative towards them, it just, I know I didn’t win the title at WrestleMania 39, but I was in the spot I always dreamed of, and I know how lucky I am to be in this spot. When I see a poster and there I am front and center amongst other unbelievably talented people. When I see the 2K24 cover. When I see the responsibility. They didn’t hand me the exact ball and say, ‘You’re the quarterback,’ but they certainly gave me a lot of responsibility. I feel it would have been against my being because I was slotted there, you helped put me there, and now I’m making something of it and growing it beyond what you thought it could be. I wanted to keep doing that for them. It just didn’t cross my mind. Not in a negative towards any other places. This is what I’ve enjoyed doing.”
On when he found out he was losing at WrestleMania 39 to Roman Reigns: “It’s a great question. I’m of the thought that — there is a movie The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. There is a quote in there that I keep getting wrong. ‘When the fact becomes legend, print the legend.’ For the purpose of this answer and that question, what I’ll tell you is that I found out in the ring, in the moment that he hit me with the spear and pinned me one-two-three. That’s when I found out.”
