I’ve been a pet-haver all my life, and I don’t think I ever won’t be — despite how painful it is to say goodbye to the creatures I share my life with with years and sometimes decades.
So even if I hadn’t “met” Pharoah many times while following and covering his primary human companion’s career, my heart would go out to all Pharoah’s humans today (Sept. 8). But we all knew Cody Rhodes’ loyal white husky. As Rhodes writes in sharing about the death of his canine best friend, Pharoah was a pro wrestler
from a pro wrestling family. He worked PPVs (and all animal lovers gave his dad crap for letting him near those fireworks), got his own nickname, and had action figures. He also raised money for animal shelters and other charities, and most importantly, he brought joy and comfort to Cody and Brandi and their children.
Here’s to Pharoah, and all the friends like him. And here’s Cody’s beautiful remembrance of his friend, and then we close with a response from one human friend of Rhodes’ who recently went through the same thing. It says everything we had to say after taking in Rhodes’ post.
Huskies need a job. P howled at the moon. When we thought he would be afraid of the older dogs we had, but instead ran into the living room and belly flopd’ on them. He patrolled the pool. He always tore up a plant when a stranger came into the backyard to let them know – ”I’m crazy” – and don’t come closer.
He got the best training and retained most of it – I’d call him a crisis dog. Whenever there was a crisis, there he was. He put his nose under my arm in the truck…everytime. He was always with us, and when my world got turned upside down…he sat outside with me looking at the Texas stars until the sky started to shift and he pressed his head against me firmly in a way that let me know he understood.
It goes without saying, he was a good boy. My best man.
At the first “all in” when Starrcast did its first convention, I’ll never forget him walking into the Hyatt in Schaumburg and us seeing the lobby overtaken by fans & wrestling shirts from front door to the back. We walked by the lobby bar and they had a special menu posted with “Pharaoh’s fries”; but the thing I remember most is how the fans kinda’ parted the sea for him as he walked through…they snapped selfies and chanted his name like he was making an entrance on tv or something ha. He’d go on to do multiple charity meet/greets for some of the best shelters in the country. He was a Chewy’ champion. Mattel fig! Opponent of the Rock. I knew he was a true alpha when he would just let Yeti bite his face. He was part of the Rhodes’ wrestling family. “The Siberian Nightmare” ha.
I’ve gotten off track though…I said huskies needed a job, and I don’t think Pharaoh ever truly knew his. That is until Liberty was born. I scrolled back through my old pictures and there he is with her…almost every early photo…he’s just peeking into frame, or right beside her, or sternly looking through the lens. His job was to be with her. Maybe he wanted to protect her. As I said, he needed a job.
When you watch GOT one night late on tv and decide you want a little wolf pup, it would be fitting to say “your watch has ended”, but I’d rather say the last thing I told you before you went to forever sleep, you did your job.
We love you.
