This past Saturday night at the Royal Rumble Premium Live Event, The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes created history. He became the first WWE Superstar to win the 30-Man Royal Rumble match back-to-back in 26 years.
Following his victory, Rhodes reflected on his entire journey in the world of professional wrestling that led him to achieve this moment.
“Well, let me put this all kind of in perspective. And this is going to sound like a big old pat on the back. But it’s not for me. It’s for the people who have followed me. I had an unprecedented exit from WWE. I was able to do some really incredible things. Hopefully they were helpful to our industry, hopefully. I had an unprecedented return to WWE where I got to compete with probably the best bell-to-bell wrestler of my generation, Seth Rollins, he’s a future Hall of Famer. And I beat him not once, not twice, but three times.
“I went on to win the Royal Rumble in 2023. Aye… yeah I had number 30 but I went to WrestleMania 39 which broke every record previously set by WrestleMania. After that, not just survived Brock Lesnar but beat him twice. The most decorated Combat Sports Athlete.
“And I moved forward to this point in time where I have gone back to back on the Royal Rumble. The first guy to do it since Stone Cold Steve Austin. And I was able to eliminate probably the most popular wrestler of my entire era and a guy that I wouldn’t tell him to his face, or maybe I would, that I really admire and look up to. That being CM Punk,” Cody Rhodes said.
Cody Rhodes claims that he is ‘The Guy’
The American Nightmare also shared the history of how his fan base grew. He thanked everyone that stood by him from day one and the ones that just joined the Cody Rhodes fan club. Rhodes also was thrilled to have won the Rumble in the city where his father Dusty Rhodes achieved a lot of success. Cody Rhodes also claimed that he has always been ‘The Guy’.
“The reason I walk everybody through this is because, it’s not always easy to be a Cody Rhodes fan. There’s some people here who probably traveled from abroad who know, Mustache Cody didn’t have that many fans. A little, a couple. Dashing Cody. Stardust didn’t have any fans. It was a tough time. And the reason I wanted to say all this is because those fans who have been with me from the beginning and those fans who just jumped on, are completely vindicated by what just happened tonight. They are completely vindicated and they are completely validated.
“Because they know something that I want to tell all of you. Here’s the news, here’s the headline. I am the guy. And I have been the guy and I am a three count or a submission away from being the quarterback of the greatest, most prosperous era in the history of sports entertainment. So for all the memes and all the GIFs, let’s just remember that. Because tonight was a absolutely thrilling, exciting, beautiful moment, and to do it in Tampa, to do it in St. Pete, right here, Eddie Graham area, Dusty [Rhodes] area, means the world. Thank you all for being here. Sorry if it sounded like a lecture.”
Can The American Nightmare finish the story this year?
