Former WWE star Cody Rhodes recently spoke with Scott Fishman of Channel Guide Magazine to promote Ring of Honor Final Battle and below are some interview highlights:
On being uncomfortable in the Stardust role:
“I felt like the biggest jabroni ever. I wasn’t Stardust. I know people will say, ‘Do what they tell you. It’s wrestling.’ That’s not who I am. I’m the one out there in the ring. I know there are bosses and people who oversee it, but I’m the one out there doing it. I want to at least do something that feels like me. Stardust didn’t feel like me anymore. It was fun because it was a total departure from what I was doing, but it wasn’t me anymore. I was in the dressing room and thought it was time. Ten years is a long time to work for anybody. I had the greatest experience there for the most part. I met my wife there. I traveled the globe, but it was time.”
On Final Battle being bigger than WrestleMania for him:
“This was all a big test. I’m now going to places that are just freakin’ magical like Ring of Honor Final Battle. Final Battle, I’m not lying, is bigger than what WrestleMania was to me. Maybe because I’m out there in my own skin. Maybe it’s because I have cultivated my own brand now. Maybe it’s because the best revenge in the world is success. Maybe I want to prove naysayers and WWE wrong. I found I stopped focusing on the negative, which, especially in this modern day of social media, is hard to do. I’m driven by the positive. Almost every single show we’ve done on the independent run has had a record crowd. To me, the meet-and-greets with the fans has been very rewarding.”
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
