By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Insight With Chris Van Vliet with guest Cody Rhodes
Host: Chris Van Vliet
Podcast available via Podcasts.Apple.com
On the night he became WWE Champion: “I didn’t sleep. I went right to ‘The Today Show’. I laid in a bunk and I texted a bunch of people, including The Undertaker and now Undertaker has a podcast and a stage show so things you might say could become public knowledge, these legends, that’s what they do. I left him what I would say as a rambling, perhaps intoxicated little rant just thanking him for being there. It’s the frickin’ sheriff. But yeah, immediately after, I said it in the behind-the-scenes documentary, but it’s really how I felt. I was almost worried there’d be a sense of completion, this sense of fullness. I was genuinely concerned like, well, the story is over. But as soon as it was done, it felt like literally [I was] 10 feet tall, felt bulletproof, felt younger, felt faster, like just didn’t feel grizzled at all, to the point where I thought, Oh, this is going to be a lot of fun. But what do we do next?'”
On dealing with fans who don’t like his character: “Have you ever watched the show ‘Parks and Rec’? Okay, so there’s a really great episode, she is running for city council and there’s a guy who hates her, and for no reason. He just has a thing and hates her. She throws this bowling night and ultimately at the bowling night she’s not supposed to be putting time in on him but she clearly is, she’s trying to turn him and the message is that that’s never going to happen. With me, that’s where I feel very comfortable these days. I’d rather rock and party with the people who were part of all this and the fans versus it’s nice to prove fans right, it’s also nice to prove critics wrong, but it’s not my main focus. Feel like for a long time, chip on the shoulder, you wanted to turn them, change them, and you can to some degree. But I feel like when you do that you discard the ones who are right there like, hey, we got your back, why are you so focused on this?”
On if Cody Rhodes ever felt like he crossed the line: “I feel maybe I crossed the line. I did a promo where I said he had LDS. Actually, I feel like a lot of people liked the interview and got a nice round of applause when I came back through the curtain. But it felt so off-brand for me because we have so many young kids that I felt like this one guy is the guy that I’m gonna go to these lengths for. And maybe that’s what makes this all click, this genuine animosity and smile at each other but probably deeply dislike one another. If he’s the one who’s gonna bring it out to me it’s probably good TV, but it did feel a little I guess, icky in the moment.”
On The Rock and that mystery item: “It’s very important that whenever I talk about The Rock and I feel like I’ve talked about him a lot, people have a lot of questions about him and things of that nature. Very important, he is my boss, which he’s not on the ground as much so you don’t remember, but he’s my boss. He is one of the biggest if not the biggest name that ever came from pro wrestling. I mean, there’s an argument. Some people don’t even make the argument, if you’re looking at your Hulk Hogans, your [Steve] Austins, Rocks, he’s a Mount Rushmore wrestler. He then went on to be the biggest star in the world in terms of film and Hollywood and a modern action hero when we needed one. If Rock decided today he’s going to run for President of the United States my gosh, he would win in a landslide. He’s just one of the most recognizable people on the planet. I’m sure he’ll explain down the road what it was and I’m sure his kind of, what would you call Brian Gewirtz to him? Extremely talented individual Brian Gewirtz, who kept Raw on track for years and years and years, but he’s kind of a Starscream to Rock’s Megatron. I’m sure Brian will do some media where he puts something out there or skews the timeline. Again, utmost respect for both of them.”
On the comparisons to Homelander from ‘The Boys’: “I love The Boys. It’s perfect for the time. However, with all the love I have for The Boys and his [Anthony Starr’s] performance as Homelander, the entire cast, and their production is first class, what a production, the robe is not based on it. The robe is based on military dress uniforms. It’s the little bit of scales, the gold on my bigger robe that has the eagles and of course, the blonde hair and I think the AEW run where people thought I’m pretending to be a good guy, but I’m actually a bad guy, which maybe it was what was happening? I think that’s where it really became ‘Is he gonna go full Homelander?’ Truthfully, Homelander the character is a terrible human being.”
Starscream betrays Megatron in the end!