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The real reason WWE Champion Cody Rhodes feels ‘selfish’

Originally posted on WWE on ClutchPoints
By Andrew Korpan | Last updated Jan 13, 2025 8:20 AM ET

Despite being on top of the mountain, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes feels “selfish.”

Speaking to People at the WWE Monday Night RAW premiere on Netflix, Rhodes reflected on parenthood. He called professional wrestling a “selfish” career choice.

“So [,] wrestling is selfish, and you got to get to the top, and you want to be number one,” said Rhodes. “And for so long — I even said this to Kevin Owens last week in the ring — I wanted it for me.

“To a degree, maybe I wanted it for my dad a little. I wanted it for him. Having a daughter right out of the gate, all of that went away. It was not about where I am. It was more about the life that I could give her,” he added.

He also explained that you have to “search inside your soul” when saying something like that. Rhodes truly wants to provide his daughter the best life possible, as his father, the late Dusty Rhodes, did for him.

“I had the best life provided by pro wrestling. I want to give her an even, you know, more special — another level of that,” he revealed. “And he’s changed everything for me. You have to go home and report back to a three-and-a-half-year-old who doesn’t care if you just wrestled in front of 80,000 people.

“She cares if you make funny noises and there’s ice cream, you know? So[, she] changed everything for me in the best of ways,” Rhodes continued.

Cody Rhodes’ rise to the top of WWE

Cody Rhodes after defeating Roman Reigns at WrestleMania XL. Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports.

Since WrestleMania XL, Rhodes has been the top champion in WWE. He has held the Undisputed WWE Championship for over 280 days and defended it against the likes of AJ Styles, Logan Paul, Solo Sikoa, and Kevin Owens.

After leaving WWE in 2016, Rhodes went to the independent circuit and even helped launch All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He then left AEW in 2022 before rejoining WWE in 2022.

Upon his return, Rhodes feuded with Seth Rollins and won a trilogy of matches against him. He then won the 2023 Men’s Royal Rumble match and faced Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 39.

Shockingly, he was unsuccessful in his title quest. Solo Sikoa interfered and cost Rhodes the match. This resulted in the “American Nightmare” waiting another year for a crack at Sikoa.

During that year, Rhodes feuded with Brock Lesnar. He also feuded with Judgment Day, taking part in the WarGames match against them at Survivor Series.

After winning his second-straight Royal Rumble, Rhodes once again faced Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Championship. His road to Reigns would be hard, as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson entered the fray as the “Final Boss.” He overcame the odds to finish the story and become WWE Champion.

This article first appeared on WWE on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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