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.
Here's what you created, pal. You created a lot of disenfranchised fans, who made it easy for me to pack up and go elsewhere and say: 'Hey, look at me.' Don't act like you cleaned up the room before you left and went to Hollywood, John. Don't act like you left WWE better than you found it. And while we're at it - while we're at it, there are two of us standing in this ring right now and what I'm about to ask you might punch a giant hole in all that logic you just threw up. And it's quite simple: Between you and I, which one of us sold out to The Rock? [Crowd chants 'You sold out'] John, John - John, you are still - you're still my hero, but you're also a piece of shit.
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.
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."
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