Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has been on the run of a lifetime since he returned to the Stamford-based promotion at WrestleMania 38. The American Nightmare is currently the company's top babyface and, as the major titleholder, he is also the torchbearer to the current crop of superstars. He is reportedly among the top Triple H guys in the company.
However, newer generation fans might not know things weren’t always the same. Cody Rhodes’s initial run in WWE made him a mid-card star, and he desperately wanted to change his character, switching from Stardust. However, the Stamford-based promotion declined his ideas repeatedly, eventually forcing him to request his release from the company in 2016.
Cody Rhodes then began a new journey by rebooting his pro wrestling character to “The American Nightmare,” and the rest is history. The American Nightmare altered his gear, persona, and importantly, his theme song. Rhodes currently has one of the coolest entrance themes in the company.
Whenever he walks down the ramp, the crowd goes wild, and the iconic “Whoaa” creates a monstrous roar from the audience. However, many might not know that Rhodes’ theme song, Kingdom, contains multiple verses that are seemingly direct shots at Triple H, WWE, and the McMahon family.
Kingdom begins with Rhodes saying, “Wrestling has more than one royal family.” This line is a direct attack on the McMahon family, widely regarded as the only royal family in the professional wrestling industry. They have transformed pro wrestling into a global phenomenon.
The theme also narrates Cody Rhodes’ stint in WWE until 2016. He refers to the case that the Stamford-based promotion took his dreams away but could not take his freedom. He also refers to the incidents when the company denied his ideas and took his dreams, but now that he is released, they can’t take his freedom away.
Furthermore, Kingdom expresses that now they (WWE) have to bow to him because he has built his empire and is the king of that kingdom. This was seen by many as a shot fired at Triple H, whose WWE character was The King of Kings and whose popular catchphrase was “Bow down to the game.”
Some lyrics even suggest that Cody Rhodes has changed the world of professional wrestling and that everyone is following his lead. Additionally, his father, Dusty Rhodes, had once told him that bad times make a better man, and that too is part of the lyrics of the song.
Former Undisputed WWE Champion Roman Reigns feels that Cody Rhodes was most relevant during their rivalry
Although Cody Rhodes has been the top guy in the company as the Undisputed WWE Champion, former titleholder Roman Reigns expressed during an interview with SHAK Wrestling that while Rhodes is a great champion, he was most relevant when he was in a rivalry with him and his Bloodline.
Additionally, The Original Tribal Chief clarified that there is no backstage heat between them as many surmise. With The Showcase of The Immortals fast approaching, it will be interesting to see what plans the Triple H-led creative team has in store for Cody Rhodes and Reigns in the coming months.