Cody Rhodes isn’t pulling punches when it comes to his feud with Roman Reigns—even if he’s not dropping names.
On the latest episode of What Do You Wanna Talk About?, Rhodes opened up about what’s made his on-screen rivalry with WWE’s Tribal Chief so compelling—and personal. While he never said Reigns’ name directly, the message was loud and clear.
“Sometimes the most authentic and personal stories make for great money, ticket-selling, in terms of general revenue,” Rhodes explained during the podcast. “People will never know how real wrestling is in different aspects than just what they see in the canon and the narrative. And that’s the most beautiful thing. I hate using him as an example, but my greatest rival in this company, I don’t even have to say his name, it’s as real as it could possibly get.”
According to Rhodes, their competition extends beyond storyline stakes.
“It’s as real as it could possibly get. ‘You would like to be QB1, I would like to be QB1.’ It’s every piece of it,” he said. “But it’s also, when we get in there, that’s probably my favorite guy to make music with. I don’t know what that is.”
Rhodes and Reigns have clashed on the biggest stage in back-to-back WrestleMania main events, each holding a victory over the other. Most recently, they were uneasy allies at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames, where tensions boiled over following their team’s defeat. While WWE does plan another Rhodes vs. Reigns showdown, it may not come at WrestleMania 42.
For now, Rhodes is staying busy—he’s set to face Oba Femi at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event this weekend in a champion vs. champion exhibition match, and continues to defend his Undisputed WWE Championship in an escalating feud with Drew McIntyre.
Rhodes may have conquered the mountain, but it’s clear one shadow still looms large—and it’s personal.
What do you think about Cody’s comments? Is his rivalry with Roman Reigns WWE’s most real-feeling feud in years? Sound off in the comments and let us know.
December 10, 2025 5:13 pm
