Cody Rhodes on Getting The Rock to Take Him Seriously: “I Spoke His Language”
Cody Rhodes and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have been engaged in a heated rivalry in WWE, and Rhodes recently revealed how he got Johnson to take him seriously.
Speaking on the “SI Media with Jimmy Traina” podcast, Rhodes said he used more adult language in his promos to get on Johnson’s level.
“I think I said earlier how much respect I have for The Rock,” Rhodes said. “It gets to a point, though, where you can’t have so much respect that you put your hands down. And I had been really diplomatic. It wasn’t so much that it wasn’t working with the fans. I don’t think it was resonating with him.”
Rhodes believes that his promo where he called Johnson an a**hole and accused him of having “LDS,” or “little d**k syndrome,” was the turning point in the storyline.
“I wanted to just speak his language,” Rhodes said. “He came from that era of that cutthroat, crash TV. He’s been in every era, but I wanted to just speak his language and let him know someone — if not a few people — on this current roster can speak your language, if you’d like.”
Despite using such controversial language, Rhodes is still aware that WWE is a family-friendly product. He said he felt some guilt knowing that younger audience members were watching, but he believes that the intensity was warranted for the situation.
The rivalry between Rhodes and Johnson has been one of the most talked-about in WWE in recent months. Rhodes and Johnson are two of the biggest stars in the company, and their feud has been full of personal attacks and high-profile matches.
Rhodes’ revelation about how he got Johnson to take him seriously is a fascinating glimpse into the mindset of a top WWE star. It shows that Rhodes is willing to go to great lengths to get his point across, even if it means using language that some may find offensive.
Rhodes Thinks The Rock Saw Who He Was As A Player On 3/8 WWE SmackDown
Cody Rhodes recently reflected on the build to WrestleMania XL, and he recalled the March 8 episode of WWE SmackDown as a standout moment.
“There was a moment, in the ring, live, happening in real time where Seth and I came down through the people to confront the Tribal Chief and Final Boss. I got a big kick out of seeing them see us. I’ve given a lot of respect to The Rock, and will certainly continue to do so, but I think he didn’t know who I was as a player. I think in the moment, he saw, ‘Geez, they’re all doing the WOAH. He’s signing autographs on the way down here.’ It’s a different type of individual than perhaps he maybe saw a picture online or one clip. We base so much off GIFs and social media. That moment, right before I slapped him, and I brought that slap, that moment was a nice moment amongst myself and Seth and our place in all this,” said Cody.
Cody slapping The Rock was a return of favor from The Rock slapping Cody at the WrestleMania XL Kickoff event, which is when the audible ran and the play was called to have Cody vs. Roman at WrestleMania XL Sunday.
The Rock confronted Cody on the Raw After Mania and said their story is not finished.