Cody Rhodes expressed deep frustration after learning his eight-person tag team match at WrestleMania 29 was unexpectedly removed from the event schedule due to time constraints. The match, which featured The Bella Twins, Rhodes Scholars, and other WWE talent, was cut just moments before it was set to take place, leaving Rhodes, the current WWE Champion, visibly upset and restless.
Behind the Scenes: Vince McMahon Delivers the News
During an appearance on Six Feet Under with The Undertaker, Rhodes described the moment Vince McMahon informed him backstage in Gorilla Position that their match would no longer happen. He recalled how team members reacted differently, but his own response was intense and confrontational.
“When Vince said we were cut, everyone had a different reaction…..My reaction was one of the worst reactions. I think I wanted to fight. I was so [mad] because it wasn’t….we were in gorilla. Sometimes you’re too smart for your own good. I kind of knew the general outline of the rest of the show. I’m thinking, really, this is a three minute match with 90 seconds of walk. I couldn’t get off them. And there was somebody like, All right, we’ll do it tomorrow on Raw. And there’s like, this false positivity.”
– Cody Rhodes, WWE Champion
Processing the Shock Alone Under the MetLife Stage
After receiving the news, Rhodes chose to step away and sit beneath the stage at MetLife Stadium to deal with his frustration. He noted that several prior segments ran longer than expected, and he suspected that the match’s removal may have been predetermined to accommodate the filming of the reality show Total Divas.
“I thought, well, obviously I can’t and won’t fight him. I’m just gonna go sit under the stage, and I was just in full gear, sitting under that stage, which is Met Life, by the way, which is where we’re talking about the John Cena match. I very much needed that, though, because again, like that period of time, a couple of things you and Punk had had gone longer than whatever the times were different, but also, I’m pretty sure Total Divas was filming for the purposes is that the match was always gonna get cut.”
– Cody Rhodes, WWE Champion
疑虑 and Attempts to Confirm the Match’s Status
Rhodes shared that despite asking fellow participants like Nikki Bella if they had prior knowledge of the cut, everyone denied knowing about the decision beforehand. While he believed their answers, he also expressed skepticism, feeling this might have been planned all along without informing the wrestlers.
“I’ve asked Niki about it, and I’ve asked. To this day, like, Hey, did you know? And they all like, No. And I’ve actually believed them, in a sense that they didn’t. But I think no, I think this might have always lined for exactly, and as a wrestler and storyteller, I would have liked to have known. I would have gone about heads up, whole different way.”
– Cody Rhodes, WWE Champion
The Impact on Rhodes and WWE Fans Moving Forward
This unexpected removal of the match at WrestleMania 29 left Cody Rhodes visibly shaken, highlighting the pressure and unpredictability that wrestlers face behind the scenes. His candid reflections suggest a need for greater transparency in last-minute creative decisions, especially when they affect performers’ storytelling and fan expectations. As Rhodes continues to lead in WWE, both his experiences and reactions may influence how future shows balance production demands with athlete participation and audience satisfaction.
