Cody Rhodes has been the top babyface in WWE for over three years, putting him in the same position as past top stars in company history like Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Steve Austin, and John Cena. In other words, he’s been the WWE champion multiple times, rarely ever loses clean, and is often in the main event match of WWE PPVs / PLEs. Plenty of fans refer to him as WWE’s “golden boy,” in part because he wins so much and maintains this highly favored status among WWE’s decision-makers.
In this week’s
interview with Complex Graps, Rhodes brushed off any negative connotation with the “golden boy” nickname. Cody loves the term so much that he may even find a way to incorporate it into his entrance and/or ring gear next month at WrestleMania 42 when he faces Randy Orton.
Rhodes offered his thoughts about the “golden boy” nickname while answering a question about how his new reign as WWE champion will stand out from his prior runs with the belt.
“Even at my experience level in [pro wrestling], I still haven’t fully found who I am, and I’d like this to be the reign that defines who I am.
I heard a term that was said in a condescending fashion, but I didn’t take it that way. I actually blushed. I heard someone say ‘golden boy,’ and I loved it. Loved it.
I don’t know if I was supposed to love it, especially with how they were saying it. But I thought, okay, maybe I’ll lean into that, and maybe that’s the identity of this reign.
Maybe I’ll lean into that. Because I’m certainly out there in terms of output, and hopefully this is the one time I say it while talking to you guys, ’cause otherwise it just becomes self-obsessed, but I’m outrunning everybody on the treadmill right now. Even the guy who I consider my largest competition. If that’s gonna be the case, then I’ll take this golden boy moniker. Let’s see where it goes. I might even dial up my WrestleMania gear to lean into it further. Who knows?
I know that’s a bit vague in terms of answering your question. But I’d like this reign to give me an identity that perhaps I’ve been seeking.”
Do you hope to see Cody fully lean into being WWE’s golden boy for his ring gear at WrestleMania 42? Do you agree that he’s still outrunning everyone on the treadmill? Let me know your thoughts on the golden boy in the comments below, Cagesiders.
