WWE’s Cody Rhodes Addresses John Cena and The Rock on SmackDown, Confirms Two Injuries

The heel turn that no one ever thought would happen finally happened at WWE Elimination Chamber, as John Cena aligned with The Rock and attacked Cody Rhodes. Combined with Travis Scott, they delivered a brutal beatdown to Rhodes, and tonight he finally addressed what happened on SmackDown. While Rhodes did mention The Rock and Scott, he targeted the majority of his ire at Cena, and in his walk toward the ring, you could clearly see the black eye and ruptured ear drum that had been previously reported as a result of the attack. Rhodes took a number of shots at Cena before delivering the challenge everyone was waiting for, telling Cena “John you clearly want some, so come get some!”

After Rhodes made his way to the ring, Cena sucks chants rang out through the arena. Rhodes addressed the elephant in the room right away. Rhodes said, “What do you want to talk about? The obvious answer is the most watched moment in wrestling history, a moment where I am living at the bottom tasting my own blood. What do you say to a little one at 4 years old when she says ‘Poppa, what happened to your face?’ It’s not a conversation I was prepared to have, so I told her as what I can only classify as a Cody lie, I told her I ran into a wall.”

“Not entirely untrue, I ran into a wall designed by the Final Boss The Rock, his associate Travis Scott, and by my WrestleMania 41 opponent John Cena. You know, I drove John around for two years from show to show, from city to city, all I was trying to do was sponge off all the knowledge I could. I felt about John the same way many felt about John. He was a hero,” Rhodes said. “So one day I’ll tell her what actually happened. I’ll tell her that a great man, that did great things, that was my model in this sport. the very definition of the word virtuous, the man who ran down to the ring in a shirt that said never give up, I’ll tell her he gave up.”

“I apologize for any language you might have heard. I’m doing everything I can to maintain my composure. John, I think you owe it to them, we’d all like to know why. Why? And if I know my old friend John Cena, well, I’m sure it will be a very smooth, well-educated retort, a signature amount of phrases, and when he’s done talking he will feel bulletproof, justified. There’s no justification for you John Cena,” Rhodes said.

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Rhodes told a story about his father Dusty Rhodes and his history with Philadelphia, and how Cody’s dynamic with the city has been different. The city has supported him throughout his career, culminating in the epic win at WrestleMania 40.

“Speaking of WrestleMania 40, you can watch it back and turn the audio up. My old friend John Cena in the ring celebrating with my friends and family. He pointed at the Title and I will never forget what he said. He said it gets heavier every day. Well, John here I am, holding this Championship. It’s not heavy enough. Here I am holding this Championship as I have done for the last 300 and something days. John, I know you’re watching. You think your successor had to look like you, live like you, act like you. You are convinced you are the last of your kind. You are not, I am holding this above my head as if it weighs nothing. John, you clearly want some, so come and get some,” Rhodes said.

At the moment, it hasn’t been revealed when Cena will make his return to WWE TV, but odds are it will be soon, as WrestleMania 41 is not that far away. It will also be interesting to see if WWE has him appear on Raw or keeps this story mainly on SmackDown. Typically with Cena, he hits both shows during a return, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see that also be the case here, especially in the run-up to WrestleMania 41.

What did you think of Rhodes’ response to Cena, and who do you think will win at WrestleMania? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things wrestling with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!