Cody Rhodes: Winning The WWE Championship For A Second Time Proved I Have Always Been The Right Guy For The Job

Cody Rhodes reflects on winning back the top of the mountain.

At SummerSlam 2025 this past month, the American Nightmare entered his final showdown with the Greatest of All Time where the two stood face to face in a street fight to determine who would walk out of Metlife Stadium with the WWE Championship around their waist.

In the end, Rhodes would become a two-time WWE Champion, and in a recent conversation with Jimmy Traina of Sports Illustrated, the American Nightmare reflected on why he proved he was always the right guy for the spot.

“The first time, WrestleMania 40, was a completely different feeling because I felt like I was capturing something that involved so many people. Of course , my dad [Dusty Rhodes], trying to finish his story. All the medley of characters that were involved in the big schmooze at the end. This one felt, selfishly, for me, in terms of, ‘See, I told you.’ Not in a mean-spirited way, but ‘I told you.’ I was the right guy for the job and I’ve been the right guy for the job,’ but nobody believes that when you’re another wrestler as much as you’re going to make somebody go through it, you put me through it. That feeling felt like ‘I’m the champ.’ The first time, I don’t remember thinking to myself, ‘I’m the champ.’ This time, I felt like, ‘I’m the champ.’” – Rhodes said to Sports Illustrated.

Rhodes is set to defend the WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre at Clash in Paris after the two got into a scuffle on the Friday Night SmackDown following the events of SummerSlam 2025.

You can watch the entire interview with Cody Rhodes for Sports Illustrated below.

(Please credit Rami Hanna and Bodyslam.net when using the above quote/transcription.)

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