Cody Rhodes made his WWE return after six years at WrestleMania 38 in 2022. A year later, winning the Royal Rumble, he earned the opportunity to main event WrestleMania 39 in 2023, delivering a remarkable match. The American Nightmare looked forward to dethroning Roman Reigns for his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. However, he fell short in doing so due to Bloodline interference. A moment that could be seen as ‘Cody being robbed’ is ironically his favorite match.
Recently, while speaking with Bill Simmons of The Ringer, he said that this WM 39 match was his favorite of all time. He recollects the sentiments rooted in the electric atmosphere of the night. Cody specifically said that the moment was when Roman had him locked in a guillotine choke. That’s when the crowd gained a different energy. He recalled hearing the stadium come alive, truly authentic and rare.
As he slowly fought his way out of the choke, the crowd was behind him and reacted in an uprising way. That moment was a testament to how invested the crowd was in that high-stakes match. For him, that sequence exceeded the outcome. It wasn’t about the victory, but the visceral connection with the fans, who made the struggle feel real. This “acoustic moment,” as he called it, where the crowd’s response mirrored his in-ring battle, left a mark.
Though the ending was bittersweet, Rhodes rejoices in the experience of its authenticity. However, he redeemed all that pain next year at WrestleMania 40 by ‘finishing his story’ and defeating the Tribal Chief to become the Undisputed WWE Champion.
Cody Rhodes is still ambiguous of the Montreal Screwjob
Nearly three decades after the infamous “Montreal Screwjob” at the 1997 Survivor Series, the wrestling world still debates its authenticity. Adding to that list, Cody Rhodes also remains skeptical of it. Speaking on the same podcast, Rhodes expressed doubts about the event’s legitimacy, noting the presence of a documentary crew filming ‘Wrestling With Shadows’.
They even captured the incident and its aftermath, which is quite questionable considering the secrecy kept by WWE at that stage. Rhodes pondered, suggesting that the setup felt convenient. Rhodes called it “the work within the work,” hinting at a deeper layer of command.
Simmons argued the event’s reality, with Hart spitting at McMahon and punching him backstage. Rhodes countered that a real punch doesn’t reject the possibility of a scripted plan. The Screwjob likely exists in a gray area, neither fully staged as Rhodes speculates nor entirely unscripted as portrayed.
The Screwjob involved Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and Vince McMahon in a controversial moment where Hart, the WWF champion, was set to leave for WCW. Unwilling to drop the title to Michaels, his real-life rival, in his native Canada, Hart was betrayed when McMahon secretly instructed the referee to end the match prematurely. As Hart was locked in his own Sharpshooter move, the bell rang before he could escape, stripping him of the title.