Former World Champion on how massively the rivalry with WWE star Cody Rhodes benefitted him
WWE star Cody Rhodes is one of the top names in the pro-wrestling world, wrestling weekly on the company's flagship show Monday Night RAW. Nick Aldis is currently signed to IMPACT Wrestling. The two heavyweights fought before their career directions diverged. This feud immensely helped both parties.
Nick Aldis recently recounted wrestling The American Nightmare after the latter left WWE on the Generation of Wrestling podcast.
The duo's standout match at All In 2018 helped not only Rhodes - who won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship - but also the Englishman, as the latter detailed the success of their feud:
"I'm also grateful to [Rhodes] because by working with him, it helped my cache. We were one of those rare situations where, and again it's a testament to how we both look at the business and we're traditionalists, we came out of our rivalry with each other both better off," Aldis said.
The 36-year-old explained that it was because of an antagonist like him standing opposite the babyface, people were able to suspend disbelief that there just might be a chance that the hero does not win the battle:
"It didn't just benefit him by getting to have the big win on this big show and winning the title that his father had held. It also did a lot for me because then by the time we got there, people were like, 'Man this guy is the real deal, this guy is different. This guy is special, and he does feel like a credible antagonist and a credible adversary for this guy who we really want to see win. But we don't know for sure.' That is The Sweet Spot of booking. We really want this guy to win, but we don't know for sure that it's going to happen. That's a testament to the other guy." (H/T Wrestling Inc.)
Nick Aldis vs Cody Rhodes is still legitimately my favorite wrestling match of all time
- The history of the NWA Championship
- Nick’s reign of being a real traveling world champion
- Cody wanting the title his father once held
- The stage of All In
It was perfect imo 5x⭐️ https://t.co/rwGE2dIrf6
Nick Aldis is "proud of" the WWE star for betting on himself
Following All In, the Englishman got his win back over a month later. Nick Aldis believes his direction was the right call at the time because, at the end of the day, what mattered most was going your own way. He also went on to say that so long as one is self-aware and mature enough to take risks, it's only right to choose your own path.
"In Cody's case, I think it was the same thing. He said, 'Okay people see me as this, where I see me as this. So now, I have to go and show them this guy. I have to go show them the guy that I see because right now they only see me as this.' And it worked out. He's the ultimate example of a guy who bet on himself, and it paid off huge and I'm very happy for him, very proud of him."
10/21/2018
Nick Aldis defeated Cody Rhodes in a Two Out Of Three Falls match win back the #NWA Championship at NWA 70 from the State Fairgrounds Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
#NationalWrestlingAlliance #NickAldis #NationalTreasure #TheDealer #CodyRhodes #AmericanNightmare #WWE https://t.co/RKaXfXHXAX
Cody Rhodes played a part in creating All Elite Wrestling in 2019, then wound up back in WWE in 2022, kicking off a second run in the global juggernaut promotion with a huge win over Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 38.
Despite WWE's interest in signing Nick Aldis earlier this year, the latter ultimately wound up resigning from IMPACT Wrestling. It remains to be seen if the Englishman ever steps foot in a WWE ring in the future.
You can read more about Aldis revealing Rhodes' text message to him following the latter's return to WWE last year here.