"He is one of my favorites" - Cody Rhodes on reunion with former WWE Superstar
Cody Rhodes has commented on meeting Triple H over WrestleMania weekend. He also hinted at a potential match with The Game in the future.
Cody Rhodes recently returned to WWE after six years away. During his time in NJPW and later AEW, The American Nightmare took several public shots against The Game, including infamously breaking the Triple H-inspired throne with a sledgehammer at AEW Double or Nothing 2019.
However, it seems Rhodes harbors The Game no ill will. On the latest episode of the Out of Character podcast with Ryan Satin, Cody discussed his return to WWE. When asked about whether he met the 14-time World Champion backstage at 'Mania, Cody replied that he did, reiterating that Triple H is his favorite wrestler:
"I think that interaction to him may be just normal. There he is - upper management, one of the greatest of all time and going through a lot himself. Maybe just talking to me was another Tuesday (for Triple H). But for me it wasn't, it was different, because he is one of my favorites. I really did model a portion of what I was doing after a lot of how he had modeled 'The Game' brand," said Rhodes. (48:44)
Cody Rhodes also briefly addressed the shots he'd taken at Triple H and WWE from outside the company, revealing that he'd simply been angry:
"I was very, very angry. And that anger remains, as far as how we saw each other, how he saw me, and what I wanted to do. And I wanted to channel that anger differently. But it was just a really touching moment, and I didn't tell anybody what he said, and I won't, but it was a touching moment." (49:18)
Rhodes went on to state that for his story with The Game to come full circle, the two would need to have a match. He referred to his match against his brother Dustin Rhodes and pointed out that all the animosity and tension between the two ended the day they "bled buckets" in the ring together.
It is highly unlikely that Triple H will come out of retirement for a match due to concerns regarding his heart condition, something that the younger Rhodes brother himself pointed out. But a bout between the two would have years of story behind it.
Cody Rhodes and Triple H were the shiprunners of two opposing wrestling brands for a year
My chat with @CodyRhodes on #OutOfCharacter premieres at the top of the hour on YouTube.
youtu.be/zc7CvqveoxY
Cody Rhodes was seen by many as the figurehead of AEW during the company's first year. When it was announced that the promotion's first weekly television show, Dynamite, would run on Wednesdays, WWE added a second hour to NXT and pushed it to cable TV, in direct competition with Tony Khan's company.
The resulting ratings battle between AEW Dynamite and WWE NXT became known among wrestling fans as "The Wednesday Night Wars", a nod to the now-legendary Monday Night Wars between WWE and WCW in the late 1990s.
The Cerebral Assassin and the American Nightmare have had a detailed history even before that. Cody's smashing of the throne was highly-publicized, but The American Nightmare made digs at Triple H for several years before that in promos, interviews, and even on The Young Bucks' Youtube show 'Being the Elite'.
Now that both men are in the same company again, fans will be fascinated to see how the relationship between the two unfolds.
What are your thoughts on today's story? Would you like to see Triple H come out of retirement? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!
If you use the quotes above, please credit Out of Character with Ryan Satin and give a H/T to Sportskeeda for the transcription