Originally published to X on April 1, 2024.
Cody Rhodes, the man who will face Roman Reigns in less than a week at WrestleMania XL for the Undisputed WWE Universal championship, will be with the professional wrestling behemoth for the foreseeable future, the “American Nightmare” said in an interview Thursday.
The second-generation superstar, who had previously committed himself to retirement by age 40, said that the self-imposed deadline is now off the table thanks to an extended contract with the pro wrestling company.
“I did sign a new contract with WWE, and it extends beyond my 40th birthday,” Rhodes said.
Despite his extended contract, Rhodes said he remains committed to stepping out of the spotlight, a decision influenced by his father, the wrestling legend ‘The American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes, and his journey as an aging wrestler.
“He loved it,” Rhodes said. “But as a son, it was hard to see.”
The superstar discussed his daughter, emphasizing the importance of being present in her life. Rhodes, who will main-event his second sequential WrestleMania on Sunday, admits that he hit his prime late in his career.
“I’ll update the number,” Rhodes said. “I often forget that I’m nearing 40.”
The American Nightmare, speaking on the WWE’s efforts teaming with Make-A-Wish America for World Wish Month, stressed the importance of making a difference in the lives of young people with critical illnesses, calling it “the most real thing” he can do.
“Maybe it’s not that part of the story that I was looking at when […] I went out and left WWE initially and went to find myself and create the American Nightmare persona and everything that would come with it. You’re thinking championships, you’re thinking main events, all that stuff in the world of pro wrestling and sports entertainment,” Rhodes said.
The epic storyline between Cody and Roman Reign’s “Bloodline” has seen its share of twists and turns since its inception during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have correlated the ongoing plot with the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s decade-long Infinity Saga. Cody said the connections lie less with him, a fan of comic book mythology, and more with his rival Roman Reigns.
“He’s presented himself as this mountain that nobody can get over, and nobody can get around,” Rhodes said, adding that both storylines have certain wronged parties searching for justice.
“I can see why people often bring it up in terms of, you need a group to battle a group,” he said, referring to the final scenes of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, in which Captain America assembled a group of heroes to defeat supervillain Thanos at the cusp of the end of the world.
The superstar expressed his desire to avoid the need for assistance by winning the tag team battle of WrestleMania’s night one. However, he described sports entertainment as “chaotic.”
“If anything like that happens, that would be a lot of fun,” Rhodes said.
Those interested in becoming Wish Makers are asked to visit wishmaker.org to learn more about the cause and to get involved. WrestleMania XL is a two-night event, starting on April 6 when Rhodes and Seth Rollins take on The Rock and Roman Reigns before Wrestlemania night two on April 7, where The American Nightmare takes on the Tribal Chief for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.
Justin Walker 
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