Undisputed WWE Champion “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes spoke with ESPN about various topics, including his reaction to winning his debut match for the company as a rookie in July 2007 against “The Viper” Randy Orton.
Rhodes said, “Everyone looks different… I mean, it’s funny that this is a WrestleMania main event — I don’t know, almost 20 years later? But couple things that are a little funny here. The John Deere green trunks, and then a cardinal sin in the wrestling business. What I’m wearing, the trunks, but I’m also wearing white under trunks, which is — should never do that. Dad’s at ringside. And I think I got — the crowd actually bit on a missile dropkick as a potential 1-2-3, which is hilarious.”
On how we was debuted:
“The way they did this is the best way you could possibly introduced in wrestling though. They introduced me as a rookie. So, if you introduce me as a rookie, I can make my mistakes, I can learn. And then 20 years later, maybe you learn from your mistakes. I mean sincerely, that’s what we did with WrestleMania this past year. So, this is uh pretty trippy to to see. But I wouldn’t have it any other way with how I debuted. Uh you debuted in a losing fashion. They didn’t roll the red carpet out, but I got to learn in front of the live audience for the last 20 years, really.”
On whether he was nervous for the match:
“Well, I didn’t have nerves are always there. I’m a fairly nervous person, but I deal well with nerves. In terms of I can channel them into, ‘Let me make the most of this.’ The fight or flight type vibe that runs through your body. But I think the thing I learned here was, you can have the psychological skill, you can have the fundamental skill. But presentation, this is WWE. You’ve got to have the best type of presentation, and I hadn’t figured out what my presentation was going to be. I didn’t have ‘Kingdom’ as an entrance song. I didn’t have a cool robe. My gear barely fit, I’m wearing hand-me-down boots from my brother, I think. I hadn’t I hadn’t earned the right to do the roads bleached blonde yet.”
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(H/T to 411Mania.com for transcribing the above quotes)
