Booker T shares his honest thoughts on whether Cody Rhodes deserved back-to-back Royal Rumble wins
This year's men's Royal Rumble match was seemingly a replay of last year as Cody Rhodes was the last man standing in the ring. While speaking on his podcast, Booker T explained why Rhodes deserved to win the Rumble for the second year running.
Being a pro wrestler is one thing, but being a WWE Superstar is a different challenge due to the grueling schedule. Since returning to WWE, Cody Rhodes has been one of the hardest workers in the company, consistently appearing on TV and wrestling countless matches on the house shows as well.
Booker T said on the Hall of Fame podcast that he loved seeing Cody Rhodes win the Rumble as the superstar had paid his dues:
"Yeah, man, I like Cody winning. I see Cody in a really, really good position. Cody has been working really, really hard, too, and the hardest part is getting through that 365-day schedule. It really is. It's the hardest part to get through that schedule with all the other obligations you've got going on outside of showing up to perform inside that squared circle." [41:45 - 42:15]
WWE has always pushed those superstars to the top who they trust can carry the company forward and complete all the commitments outside the ring. Booker T explained that a main event star must be dependable, and Cody Rhodes had proved over the past year that he was the right man for the job.
Winning the Royal Rumble more than once is an accolade reserved for a handful of stars, let alone winning it consecutively. Booker felt that Rhodes was truly deserving of the "honor":
"Always talk about that guy you can trust at the top of the card; you've got to be able to trust him. You've got to be able to rely on him. He has got to be dependable all the time, and that's Cody Rhodes. I'm not blowing up smoke or anything like that; I think he was the right person for this time." [42:47 - 43:12]
"His motor is hot" - Booker T says there is no stopping Cody Rhodes
Booker T reiterated the stressful WWE schedule and gave props to superstars like Cody Rhodes for being present on nearly every show between WrestleMania events.
Booker felt the talents who could endure working in WWE were the real heroes and briefly looked back at Cody Rhodes' run since leaving the company years ago.
Rhodes rebuilt his name on the indies, helped establish AEW, and, following his return to WWE, is still as motivated as ever to finish his story, which is commendable, to say the least.
For Booker T, it's evident that The American Nightmare was ready to conquer it all, and he had no plans to slow down:
"It's a taxing grind, I always say it. The guys that can make that trip, you know, that 365 days to 364 days until that next WrestleMania, those are the hard men in the wrestling business. For Cody to jump right in there, coming off the indie scene, going to AEW, then coming to WWE, his motor is hot, man, his motor is hot! And he is ready to run." [42:19 - 42:46]
Rhodes has confirmed his main event ticket for WrestleMania, but who he challenges is still a mystery. After the developments on RAW, the top star could even go after Seth Rollins' title, leaving his story with Roman Reigns incomplete.
Who should he face? Sound off in the comments section below.
If you use any quotes from the article, please credit Hall of Fame and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.