Cody Rhodes will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against John Cena in less than two weeks at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, NV.
During a recent appearance on the “Pardon My Take” podcast, Rhodes discussed his authenticity, pointing out that unlike his peers, he doesn’t have an alter ego or on-screen character/gimmick.
You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
On his authenticity: “It’s always easier [to be the bad guy]. Every week, I think they’re gonna boo me and every week we’ve been lucky where it’s been like, no, we like you. I genuinely find a surprise every night, the way they do my entrance, I’m surrounded by all this pyro and then it does these sparks and then I can really hear the audience and it’s legit the coolest thing ever. I don’t know, I don’t know the formula, I think there’s an element of being in the family and the love they had with my dad and the connection we had.”
On why everything about him is real: “I think it’s cause I took them on the full ride from the time I was back at WWE — also, with the suspension of disbelief and what we do, everything about me is [real]. I don’t have a character, I am me and I’m really happy that it has worked out. I’m always expecting like, yup, Barclays or something, or Chicago is notoriously a tough wrestling market and then in those places, they’re like, nah he’s cool. I’m very lucky. At a certain point, who knows, but it’s very blessed.”