Cody Rhodes Opens Up About Journey Back to WWE & ‘American Nightmare’ Documentary
When Cody Rhodes left WWE in 2016, it sent shockwaves. How could the son of the legendary “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes leave a sure thing and six-figure contract behind for the unknown? The driven performer’s gamble paid off big time, building a name all his own working across many companies.
He then in effect helped change the landscape of the industry with The Young Bucks thanks to their one-off independent show All In. Despite naysayers, the show sold out a 10,000-seat arena and set the gears in motion for what would become All Elite Wrestling.
Rhodes once again surprised fans in 2022 when the 38-year-old exited AEW, leaving behind the position of executive vice president and regular top spot on the card. At WrestleMania 38 the “American Nightmare” returned home, setting social media ablaze. A common thread for each of these chapters of his career has been the decision to bet on himself.
This is all explored in Peacock’s American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes. The documentary chronicles the popular grappler from a childhood growing up under the massive shadow of a legendary WWE Hall of Famer and battling through the nepotism that came with the pedigree. Here Rhodes opens about having his story told in such an emotional and cinematic way.
WWE and Peacock hosted a big premiere in Georgia for Becoming Cody Rhodes. What did that night mean to you?
Cody Rhodes: It was really fun to have it right around the corner at the theater from my house. I’ve gone to see movies there before, so to see we were doing my movie premiere there was touching. I was blown away by just the coverage the premiere was able to garner. We had so many of the Nightmare Factory students there too. I feel like this whole time I have been impressed at every turn. [EP] Ben Hauser at ESPN and [Director] Matt Braine from WWE put together something very special here. I just feel like the subject to it all. It’s very honest and forthcoming with the story. I’m glad that if anything all fans can know what truly drives me to do this.
Peacock
There is a relatability to anyone who has taken a leap of faith in their life and working toward a goal. Did you have any aha moments watching it back?
In the documentary, we talk about my wife Brandi [Rhodes] and our courtship, and how we got together. I think it’s funny we have very different versions of that story. When we are asked how we met or how our relationship came about, I always feel we are doing a bit. Now watching the documentary I realize it’s not a bit to her. She believes it went down a certain way, and I believe it went down a completely different way. I guess it doesn’t matter…It’s nice that we’ve been married almost 10 years, and we still have these surprises in the game.
With WWE, your schedule has really picked up. How has it been finding the family and career balance being in such demand?
I think it’s a classic case of being careful about what you wish for. Here are all the things you wanted in that first run with WWE. Here are the things I rallied for when I took my detour, my excursion out into the wilderness of it all. I will say there is a natural tradeoff with what we do in the sense that the schedule is arduous. It’s difficult, but you get to be in front of millions of people watching, thousands of people there in the arena. You get to be able to connect with them. I think that trade-off works well as long as you have a balance at home. I’ve been able to have the balance at home because the schedule is a wee bit lighter than it used to be.
One extra day at home marks a world of difference. In addition to that, I’m welcome to have my family on the road with me. Brandi has wrestling experience and being around it before, it’s not really that foreign for her to jump in and know how to have a family day at work. My daughter Liberty has been to multiple shows. She has made her regular visits to catering and seen the other babies there. In WWE, there is a whole baby division. That’s happening. It works out really well. I don’t know how much longer it can go. You have to put that in your mind, but right now there is no end in sight.
You have a great connection with the audience. How is it taking on that added responsibility?
I’m a big product of all the times I’ve wanted that connection and worked for it and campaigned for it, and it wasn’t there. Now I don’t look at it much from a sterile level of how can I get them to like me as much as I like them. Here is why I came back. I love this. I worked as hard as I possibly can work, be the very best at it, and I don’t want to put it out there without saying I put all the weight into that. The connection between the audience and me in the ring is real. It doesn’t feel like there is a wall up. It’s happening in real-time. They watched this journey now 18 years later. You’ll hear it all the time that wrestlers want to work the marks. It’s an expression, but it never worked for me. There is a different way of looking at it. It’s a matter of connecting with the consumer rather than working with anybody or tricking anybody. Genuinely connecting with them. I like seeing them as they like seeing me.
Peacock
They certainly do. I love those viral videos on social media where they break into tears getting a photo or even when you give them your weight belt.
That’s part of the gig. Sometimes it takes you out of things. Sometimes you go out to the ring and almost forget what you’re doing because of those moments.
A big part of the doc leads into WrestleMania 39 and you attempting to “finish the story.” But you didn’t defeat Roman Reigns on that night. If your dad Dusty Rhodes was still around, what would he have thought of the booking?
As smart as my dad was and I consider him among the guys who are super geniuses in sports entertainment in terms of how to layout and carefully craft a story and create a character and help that character connect. Even with his experience and resume, he would have been coming to WrestleMania as a dad. As a dad, he would have not liked the outcome. He would have struggled with the outcome, but he has been there. He got me into sports when I was very young. I was looking up at the lights a lot in amateur wrestling. I was getting pegged with baseballs when I played baseball. He was there for all this. He saw all the moments when I was down and knew the importance of getting back up. The hardest thing about that match was the walk up that ramp. He knows what can come from that. I don’t think he would have his business hat on at all. From a dad’s perspective, he would be pretty irate.
It’s said in the doc that the “Forbidden Door” wings both ways and you are proof of that. A lot of viewers may be surprised to see AEW spoken about. Seeing companies collaborate more now, do you see a world where AEW and WWE would ever host a super show or work together on some level?
I think in terms of a big-time collaboration, it’s probably unlikely but never say never. I’m of the belief we know each other, especially if you’re a superstar wrestler. You feel bonded by that, almost more than by the brand to which you are under. Now it’s good to have an open line of communication because right now we are entering or are in this golden age of sports entertainment with all these record grosses and unbelievable numbers that WWE has been putting up. To have that open line of communication with an alternative wrestling company like AEW is a great thing. You’re not going to catch me saying a bad word about AEW. I’m very proud of what I created. I know the things I created with others, Mat and Nick [Jackson], Kenny [Omega], Dana [Massie], Brandi, Tony [Khan[, etc. You won’t catch me saying anything bad about it. It was a very wonderful season of my life. It was an incredibly rewarding time. Maybe it ended in a murky fashion, but by gosh, look at where we are right now. I can’t look at this more than it is a wonderful journey.
Stephen Amell does an incredible job narrating the doc. How would you describe your bond?
In terms of the Harry Potter houses, I consider myself Hufflepuff. The reason I’m a Hufflepuff is that I like to be very loyal to people who are loyal to me. Stephen gave me this opportunity on Arrow when I was absolutely down on my luck and no opportunities were coming. I’ve told him this before, but I will do anything for him. If he called me at four in the morning and asked me to create a street team to go flyer the streets of Beverly Hills for Heels, I would do it. He is an incredibly good friend and for him to do the narration and really lean into it and not just take a check. He really wanted to make it something special. I’m so glad we got him and support him in whatever he does. The Nightmare Family is a real thing in ways, and he is very much the Nighmatre family
Peacock
You have SummerSlam coming up against Brock Lesnar. I think the doc’s release falls perfectly in the days leading up to that third match with him.
The doc had to come out at a certain point, but the stuff with Brock has been so eye-opening, so challenging physically. It’s the most physical type of environment I’ve ever been in in the two matches I‘ve had with “The Beast”. I think we carved out something special in terms of WWE, in terms of putting something out that is special for a tentpole event like SummerSlam There are a lot of long stories culminating there. I never thought I would be competing with Brock Lesnar. He is someone I was a big fan of, especially coming from that amateur wrestling world.
What do you want people to walk away with after watching this doc?
That they are equally part of the story. When you watch the documentary and see how people jumped on board the train early on and had to grin and bear through things and still stayed on board. I can actually cite you a bit. I have talked to you for the majority of my career. With every interview, there has always been this gleam of hope. This possibility that I would move out of the block I was in. That’s covered in the doc in terms of it’s no not about me proving critics wrong as it’s about proving fans right. It’s a story where that’s very prominent.
American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes premiere, July 31, Peacock
WWE SummerSlam, August 5, 8/7c, Peacock
