Cody Rhodes was, at one point, AEW’s most beloved babyface. But fan reactions for “The American Nightmare” began to sour last year, to the point where fans now wonder aloud if he’s intentionally refusing to turn heel as a way to further aggravate fans online. Many of his critics point to the program with Anthony Ogogo from last year as the turning point for Rhodes’ character, which included a promo concerning racism and the birth of his bi-racial daughter, an infamous weigh-in segment and a poorly received match at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view.ย
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Rhodes was a guest on the Rasslin’ podcast this week and admitted he regretted nearly everything about how that angle was executed.ย
“I’ve never gone on record as saying this, but this is the perfect time,” Rhodes said. “I stood by what I said in the promo.I had this promo that was infamous.I stood by it because I thought the content was good, and I thought the intentions were good.However, a white guy talking about race relations, who has an American flag tattoo on his neck, I can see why people would use the term, ‘tone deaf’ when it came to that.Then trying to defend it, again, intentions were good and sincere.I was so excited about Brandi and the baby, but that should have been one where I went out and just winged it because everything in wrestling, I work really, really hard on it. You hear about Randy Savage and his matches and promos.There are wrestlers who tend to be like Randy with their preparation, and then there are wrestlers who are more like my dad who can cut a promo on the produce in the grocery store, and it’s better than most stuff you’ll hear on television.I tend to be more of the big time thinker, planner, work shopper, all that stuff.I had worked on that one really hard.That’s what made it even more like, ‘Damn.’”
“Every now and then you’re going to come up to the plate and strike out.I overplanned it and struck out, although I stand by it.I don’t think anything with the content, but once that had happened, it set the angle in a way that Anthony, as far as wrestling age is concerned, is like 18.He’s a baby.He doesn’t know what’s going on.It set the angle in a tailspin.It just wasn’t a classic UK vs USA fun spirited deal.I was going to go over to the UK.We have the return match and now I just never want to think about it again,” he added.ย
