"It made no sense" - WWE veteran comments on claims of Cody Rhodes going off script during a major TV segment
Former WWE manager Dutch Mantell recently spoke about claims of Cody Rhodes going off script during a promo segment on SmackDown. The angle in question was from the February 2, 2024, episode of SmackDown.
On the SmackDown after the Royal Rumble, The American Nightmare confronted Roman Reigns. However, the 38-year-old later allowed The Rock to step in and tease a possible matchup with The Tribal Chief at WrestleMania XL. However, former WWE writer Brian Gewirtz, during a recent interview, reported that Cody was supposed to be excited during the segment and it was supposed to be an uplifting promo.
During the latest episode of Story Time with Dutch Mantell, the veteran claimed that he liked how the story played out. He stated if Cody looked happy while passing the torch to The Final Boss, people would not have believed it.
Mantell claimed when Cody looked hesitant and upset, fans got more invested in the story, thinking that The Great One possibly used his backstage power to get himself inserted into the main event picture.
"It made no sense. He [Cody Rhodes] was going to finish the story. That is the story—to finish the story and win the belt for his dad. Finish the story. The Rock comes in, and all of a sudden he wants to finish the story, and he just turns and gives it to The Rock, enthusiastically. People would have dumped all over that. Everybody thought that something had gone on, which really made the angle better. They have forced Cody to do this. Because you want people to think past the curtain a little bit," he said. [From 56:32 - 57:15]
Cody Rhodes will face Logan Paul this weekend
The American Nightmare will put the WWE Undisputed Championship on the line this Saturday against Logan Paul.
This match came to be when SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis introduced Logan Paul as the next challenger for Cody Rhodes for a high-voltage clash in Saudi Arabia.
In the weeks leading up to the King and Queen of the Ring Premium Live Event, Logan claimed that he was the reason for WWE's recent success, and it had nothing to do with the current Undisputed Champion.
It will be interesting to see if Cody Rhodes can shut up The Maverick during their encounter in Jeddah this Saturday.
If you use the quotes from this article, please credit Story Time with Dutch Mantell and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for transcription.