Rhodes Demands Title Back From McAfee

Rhodes Demands Title Back From McAfee

Cody Rhodes is not happy. The WWE Champion is on a mission to reclaim his championship belt, and he believes Pat McAfee has it. Rhodes made a surprise appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, and the main topic was getting his title back from the popular host.

Rhodes arrived empty-handed, apologizing for not having the WWE Championship with him. He explained that Pat McAfee had “absconded” with the title. To make matters worse, McAfee was holding up a replica belt, which Rhodes called the “no contest title.” Rhodes feels it’s important to get the actual championship back for the fans, especially since it was displayed in the Thunderdome with Randy Orton, his WrestleMania opponent, standing next to it.

“I think the most offensive image in wrestling history is probably Pat McAfee holding up the WWE Championship while standing next to Randy Orton, the actual guy that I’m wrestling at WrestleMania. And it’s even worse because he’s over there in the Thunderdome and it’s just sitting there. The richest prize in our game.”

Eisen suggested Rhodes could just go to Indianapolis and take it back. Rhodes seemed unsure about the logistics, admitting he hasn’t been to McAfee’s studio and doesn’t know about any security. He joked about needing to bring some backup, referencing McAfee’s crew. “I imagine, you know, knocking on the door would be a start,” Rhodes said with a laugh.

A History of Outside Interference

The conversation then turned to how outside figures often get involved in major wrestling storylines. Rich Eisen pointed out that fans have seen this before with celebrities like Travis Scott and The Rock. Rhodes acknowledged that dealing with these outside forces is part of being in the spotlight during WrestleMania season.

“If you are a Cody Rhodes fan during Wrestlemania season, it’s a choice. We deal with outside forces. We deal with, hey, they want to be part. We’re about it,” Rhodes explained. He admitted that while McAfee’s involvement might not fit the typical wrestler-vs-wrestler narrative, it makes sense given WrestleMania is airing on ESPN for the first time. However, he believes McAfee is out of his depth.

“Pat’s great on college game day. Pat’s great on so much of what he does. And man, I was a fan before this. But at this point, you know, somebody around Pat, somebody, one of the 55 dudes in that room, say no. One of them say, ‘I don’t know. Maybe do the maybe announce the attendance.’ You know what I’m saying? Maybe maybe sing a, you know, America the Beautiful. You Oh, you want to pony up against with Randy Orton? And so far, his choice has been very entertaining. I kind of loved putting him to the fire last week on the mic. And I, you know, again, I don’t want to go too far without saying something nice about the guy, but it’s uh he’s out of his depth. We’ll see if he can swim.”

WrestleMania 42 Preview

Rhodes also touched on his own journey, reflecting on his childhood and wrestling memories. He recalled being backstage at an event at eight years old and being captivated by the crowd’s reaction. He even shared a story about the legendary Ricky Steamboat patching him up after a fall.

Looking ahead to WrestleMania 42, Rhodes emphasized the realness of the event, especially for him as the first Rhodes to hold the WWE title and compete in another main event. He’s facing Randy Orton, a wrestler with a significant legacy, making the match feel incredibly significant.

“People, whether they, you know, look at what we do as real or they look at what we do as entertainment, one thing about Wrestlemania, especially for me, it’s real. It’s as real as it gets,” Rhodes stated.

WrestleMania 42 takes place this weekend in Las Vegas. The event will air on the ESPN app, exclusively for fans with an unlimited plan, starting at 6 PM Eastern each night. The first hour of Night One will be on ESPN2, and the first hour of Night Two will be on ESPN.

The conversation also briefly touched on Seth Rollins and his past feigned injury, with Rhodes playfully calling their show the “liar liar pants on fire show logo.” Despite the playful jabs, Rhodes expressed his respect for Rollins and his ability to engage an audience.

Rhodes concluded by thanking Eisen for the interview, looking forward to WrestleMania 42 and the challenge of facing Orton, even with McAfee potentially lurking.

Source: Cody Rhodes has some words for Pat McAfee ahead of WrestleMania 42 😬 | The Rich Eisen Show (YouTube)