“I Feel So Vindicated,” Cody Rhodes Says Of His WrestleMania Appearance

“I Feel So Vindicated,” Cody Rhodes Says Of His WrestleMania Appearance

Cody Rhodes speaks with The Ringer shortly after his WrestleMania Saturday victory over Seth Rollins.

While recalling the right hands and Bionic Elbow he delivered on Rollins towards the end of the match, Rhodes stated that he now feels confident enough to wear the Rhodes Family name and no longer feels like “the Ugly Duckling” of the family.

“Long story short, the reason I got into this whole thing was to be like my dad,” Rhodes said. That specter is so heavy, I veered away from it. To be able to do one jab, and they [the fans] knew [it was an homage to Dusty Rhodes], I just felt such a rush [gasps].

Read More: WrestleMania 38 Live Stream, WrestleMania 38 Results, and WrestleMania 38 Live

“I hate when people say he [Dusty] must be proud of you. I know they mean well, but he’s not here, and I wish he was here to see it. I feel such a responsibility to carry the name, and the whole thing finally felt like, ‘you know what? I can do it.’ I am no longer going to be the Ugly Duckling of the family. I can do it, I can carry the Rhodes name, I can carry it in Texas, on a show featuring Charlotte, Steve Austin, freakin’ Undertaker, and I felt good about it.”

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When asked if he went into WrestleMania 38 with any expectations, Rhodes said he waited until his music played before going through the curtain.

“Everyone kept asking me all day, ‘what do you expect?’ And of course, I was hoping they’d be happy [with my performance],” Rhodes responded. “I really didn’t want to put any expectations out there. I didn’t even look out there, didn’t walk up the ramp before the show. I didn’t see anything. Coming up on that lift was the first time I saw the grandeur, the Showcase of Immortals, all the things that WrestleMania is.

“And man [gasps], that’s just the feeling I’ll chase for the rest of my life. If we don’t get another one as a wrestler, we’re always chasing. When am I getting the next one? Gosh, if I don’t’ get another one, I feel so vindicated. So vindicated. To go from nowhere on the card, no desire to have me [on the card], to not being prioritized, and that’s no knock on anybody. And to go out on the wilderness, and do everything I could to make noise – change our business of pro wrestling or sports entertainment. I felt like they appreciated it, and I appreciated them.”

Cody Rhodes stated that he would share all of this Monday night on RAW if he had accomplished everything he wanted to spend his time away from WWE. As previously stated, Rhodes has inked a multi-year deal with WWE. You can read various reactions from the wrestling community to Cody Rhodes’ WWE return by clicking here.