An intense rivalry had unfolded between Cody Rhodes and The Bloodline’s star player, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, on the trail to WrestleMania 40. This bitter feud included a brutal attack by The Rock on Rhodes, bloodying him in a parking lot altercation.
During a fresh episode of the “Insight” podcast, Rhodes reminisced about his contentious history with the wrestling legend, also known as The Final Boss. Queried about whether The Rock overstepped boundaries during their promotional speeches, Cody’s responded,
“It’s all relative. As the board head, you have the agency to do as you wish. There’s no threat of the show being abruptly terminated or anyone being shown the door if you dare to be a tad outrageous. That liberated him to evolve and shape The Final Boss persona… The encounter with The Rock at WrestleMania 40 was a turning point. It was the first time I truly bought into my own hype. The first time I dared to believe someone from my era did leave a mark…”
He pressed on, “My perception of success is quite towering. John Cena is successful. It was the first time I pondered the possibility of that happening. The only transgression, as I see it, was his attempt to erase my sister Teil from the narrative by noting that I had two other siblings – Dustin and Kristin, from my dad’s first marriage. Hence, implying that I was an accident in the process. Teil is very dear to me, my original partner-in-crime, and it felt wrong. My mother who despises the limelight, now, courtesy of him, needs a security guard at Heathrow airport. If that was the line he intended to cross, it might have backfired as she’s not engaged at all… he drafted her into the show.”
Rhodes recognized that his association with WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson in AEW resulted from their shared connection to Dusty Rhodes. In the WWE, he felt that his mother acted as that nexus and was the one who stepped in.
The star added, “She did more than just fill a void. She received a hearty cheer for herself in Scotland. I don’t believe The Rock crossed any boundaries. If anything, I might have been the one to overstep. I delivered a promo citing that he suffered from LDS. The public seemed to have received the interview well and there was a warm reception when I exited the stage, but it felt askew for me due to our young fans. It seemed like I was going out of my way for this one person and perhaps that is what made this whole thing work. There’s a genuine animosity veiled behind our smiles. Even though it might make enticing TV, it did make me feel somewhat uneasy in that moment.”