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Cody Rhodes was handed a live microphone on Monday Night RAW for the first time in six years, and the returning superstar made it clear that he was back to become a world champion.
While Rhodes has received praise online for his performance on RAW, Dutch Mantell felt that the American Nightmare tried a little too hard to get an emotional reaction from the crowd.
The WWE veteran briefly reviewed Cody Rhodes' promo on this week's Smack Talk. He said that the former AEW star wanted fans to feel sorry for him, which was something the legendary Dusty Rhodes never did during his prime.
Despite the one problem with Rhodes' segment, Dutch Mantell stated that the promo did its job of reintroducing the superstar to the WWE Universe:
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"I think he tried to put too much in it. And I think he wanted a reaction that wasn't organic, and he really wasn't getting that. I mean, it was okay for what it was, but he wanted everybody to feel sorry for him, and you know, Dusty, that really wasn't the Dusty that people knew. He didn't give a cr*p if anybody felt sorry for him or not. I think Cody wanted to make it more personal, and I don't think he really got that out. It was an okay interview; it introduced him well." [32:10 - 32:50]
Was Cody Rhodes' RAW promo unscripted?
During his recent appearance on The Bump, Cody Rhodes revealed that his RAW promo was unscripted and that he enjoyed telling his side of the story to the WWE audience.
The former AEW TNT Champion considered his RAW speech a special moment as he finally revealed the reason behind his desire to become a professional wrestler.
"I was just able to go out and speak in an unscripted, raw fashion and tell a story about my dad that not everybody knows," Cody Rhodes said. "I actually have the title I spoke about, but not everybody knows that story. That was my original impetus and whole origin story on wanting to be a wrestler. So, to be able to tell the world that was very special." [15:41 - 16:09]
Were you a fan of Cody Rhodes' RAW promo? Let us know your reactions in the comments section below.
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