Cody Rhodes quotes from WWE Raw

Cody Rhodes

Like I said, I respect what Christian has done, but again, he sits on the fence between classic and contemporary, in my opinion.

Jerry

What does that mean? What does that mean, "sits on the fence"?

Cody

Well, I'm trying to be nice, Jerry. It means he's old, old like you.

Cody Rhodes

So, what do you guys want to talk about? It has been 47 days since the abrupt news that I was a free agent. Amongst that, I chose to remain silent, and I heard stories, defamatory whispers, theories that surmised to be nonsense. Everyone thinks the decision to return to WWE was difficult. It was not. It was simple, really. The star that left them in the dust. The man standing here now, having signed a multi-year agreement with World Wrestling Entertainment. And if there was...

[chanting] YOU DESERVE IT!

Cody

If there was a glimmer of doubt, a shred of trepidation, the moment I rose up in front of 70-something thousand fans, the moment I made the walk at a WrestleMania and defeated one of the best superstar wrestlers in any era, that being Seth Rollins, that doubt was eradicated. I’m an avid reader, and I stumbled across this quote. It said, "a man often finds his destiny on the path he takes to avoid it." So, if you’ll humor me, let’s all take a look at the Tron, if you will.

Cody

Right there is my father, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. It’s so simple to say, that’s my father, but in reality, yeah, he's a legend. Yeah, he's the son of a plumber, he's a common man. He’s all those things. To me, he was my hero. This photo was taken in 1977, at Madison Square Garden. That very photo right there, he is holding the championship belt that eventually Hulk Hogan would get his hands on, the Undertaker would get his hands on, the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels. Oh, and Triple H, too. And many other greats. I'm gonna tell you a quick story which made this all very simple to me. This photo, this very photo, was on the mantle in my parents' bedroom until my dad's last day. And as I got hip to the industry, I worked up a little courage, and I remember I asked him, and I worded it very poorly. I said, "I didn’t know that you were a champion like Hulk Hogan." And he looked at me with the same eyes that Liberty has, and he said, very stern and very patiently, he explained to me the champion's advantage. He said that he had won the match, but because it was by countout, he did not take home the championship belt.

[chant] YOU CAN DO IT!

Cody

With that in mind, the silence is broken, my intentions are clear. I've made them clear to all of you here. I stand before you, ready, finally ready. And I'm going to do it. I'm going to give the distinction that my family has long since been denied, and I'm going to do it for you, I'm going to do it for me, I'm going to do it for my family, and I am going to do it for The American Dream, Dusty Rhodes.

Cody Rhodes

So, San Diego... what do you want to talk about? I have the privilege of being the first superstar of coming to this ring and officially welcome you to a special Day One episode of Monday Night Raw. It's a new year. Folks like to talk about their goals, where'd they like to be in 2024, but admittedly, I'm a little stuck. And what I've gotten stuck on is Shinsuke Nakamura.

[chanting Cody's name] Cody!

Cody

This should be over and Shinsuke, I'm going to give you the opportunity to finish it tonight. So go ahead, bring your poison mist. Bring your poison words. Whatever makes you feel like you can stop me from where I need to be. Because this ends. And this ends right now!

Cody, Cody, Cody. [Smirks evilly. In Japanese] I never thought it would be so easy to get into your head. And to become the author of your final chapter. I have whispered the plot in your ear... pushed your character to the brink page-by-page. I have blinded you, so you cannot see the ending. Cody, but your story does not end tonight. I want to give The American Nightmare one more week to dream. Next week, Monday Night RAW. I become what you could never be. I will finish your story, then I close your book. [sprays mist over the screen as the transmission fades to black and his music plays.]

Cody Rhodes

John, I didn't expect to say this: maybe you're right. Maybe I was chosen. But you know who chose me? They chose me. [points at the crowd] Can you say the same, John Cena? Or was it one guy in an office who chose you who's not here anymore and we don't talk about it? [Crowd roars] Oh yeah, let's go ahead. Strip everything away from me, right? I don't know who I am? Who the hell knows who they are? I know this: I'm Cody Rhodes. I'm a wrestler like my father before me. And if anybody is a company creation, it's you, John Cena, and not me. Gosh, everyone's so terrified of you on the mic. I'm not, because I know you've got more dick in that promo, than you do in your jorts. You wanna make fun of me for appearing like I'm 16, taking public speaking lessons? Well, you're the one who hangs out with Zac Efron and wishes he was 16. And what a softball, thank you, John. What a softball you've thrown me saying you created all of this, you created me.

John Cena

Just like all these people, your brain is filled with feces and not facts. I have worked a hundred times harder than you and never once in all that time was I ever protected from an audience or a superstar, present company included, taking their best shot at me. As a matter of fact, everyone knows, every time I step on this canvas, it is a challenge to every arena or every superstar dumb enough to walk down that ramp to take their strongest swing, to see if they are worthy, to put me in the ground. No one - no one has been worthy. So I decided to just do it myself. That's why, Cody, I have never left. I have always been here. Because no matter how high the hill is to climb, no matter what garbage they give me, I find a way to make it great. You had to leave. You had to leave because you realized that your best can't wipe my ass. I make empires for billionaires, all you've ever done is steal money from their kids. See you at WrestleMania, champ.

Cody Rhodes

John, John, no, no, no, no, no. Hey, I just wanna remind you, in all that time that I have been here and everything I've been through, never once has an audience, never once have they chanted at me: "You can't wrestle."

Congrats. [referring to Dominik Mysterio] He really needed that ass-kicking.

John Cena

Ah, he's a good kid. I hope it was a good lesson.

I'm sure it was.

Cena

Thanks, Rey.

Congrats.

Cody Rhodes

Congratulations, Champ. John Cena's last night in Boston? Wouldn't have missed it.

Cena

[shakes Cody's hand] Class act, Champ. Thank you.