Wrestling legend "feared" that Vince McMahon would ruin 8-Time Champion after returning to WWE in 2022 (Exclusive)
Vince McMahon is in the headlines again after five months of retirement from WWE. One of his final master strokes was Cody Rhodes' three-month run between April and June 2022. Wrestling legend Dutch Mantell gave his insight into how he thought things would play out.
Nobody expected 6-time tag team champion Cody Rhodes to get a hero's welcome under Vince McMahon's regime. Perhaps because he spent nearly six years being an "outsider." However, Cody Rhodes' handling was enough of an indication that McMahon viewed him as a huge future superstar.
On the latest episode of Smack Talk, wrestling legend Dutch Mantell spoke about Cody Rhodes and his entire situation. While stating that the injury may have worked to his advantage, he admitted that a year ago, he feared that Vince McMahon would ruin The American Nightmare:
"Cody Rhodes is one that kind of slips your mind if you're not paying attention. He's there and I think the situation with him getting hurt might have worked to his advantage... And remember, I did make a prediction a year ago that my fear was under the old Vince [McMahon] regime, Cody would come in and somehow get lost in the cycle. And he didn't get lost in the cycle. And it looked like they were pushing him." (2:33-3:47)
Mantell said that when Cody Rhodes left in 2016, it was the right time as there was a big shift in WWE's entire direction. He believes that Rhodes is "fresh" after his hiatus:
"But then there's that saying '51 more weeks. What are you going to do next week?' He may not have even been on the card... I think he left at the right time, at the critical point when the company was changing directions and executive positions... And I think he's fresher now than when he first came over. Maybe not, but we'll see. As fresh as you can get after taking 8 months off. He beat Seth Rollins and he was set to sail. We'll see. "(3:47-4:50)
You can watch the full video below:
In case you missed it, you can check out the Monday Night RAW results here.
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Will Vince McMahon gain back control of WWE?
As per WSJ, Vince McMahon plans to return to the #WWE to pursue the sale of the business after his 2022 retirement. https://t.co/bLz4zkL2xN
An internal power struggle seems to be brewing as Vince McMahon is rumored to be plotting a major WWE return. The Wall Street Journal reported that Vince McMahon, the majority shareholder, will not approve of any TV rights deal unless he is back as Chairman.
As you may know, TV rights deals are the bread and butter of WWE's revenue, so this is far more serious than many realize. Vince McMahon is also reportedly looking to bring back former higher-ups Michelle Wilson and George Barrios to the board.
He could be a major player in facilitating the sale of WWE. Will this lead to a major downfall? Voice your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below!
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