In the wake of the passing of the WWE legend, Bray Wyatt, WWE handed the responsibility of conveying their feelings to Cody Rhodes. After sharing the same locker room and spending quality time for years, it can be extremely daunting to muster enough courage to give a perfect tribute. While Rhodes is phenomenal on the mic, no one can imagine the pain he must have been going through in the process.
With him paying his respects to Wyatt on SmackDown, Rhodes has an unfortunate connection of being the only person to pay homage to two members of the Wyatt Family, Bray Wyatt, and Brodie Lee, making fans laud his speech on social media.
Cody Rhodes’ speech on SmackDown was redolent of another speech by the superstar
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SmackDown was a bumpy road for many emotional fans. WWE opened its show with a gathering at the entrance ramp to honor the legacy of Wyatt. With a 10-bell salute and a beautiful video package, fans became highly emotional from witnessing a glimpse of Wyatt’s magic. Furthermore, Braun Strowman and Erick Rowan, former members of the Wyatt family, were also invited back for the momentous occasion.
While that was heavy, Rhodes pulled at the heartstrings further by talking about the demise of both Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt. After his moving speech, many fans pointed out that it was redolent of another speech by the superstar. They were quick to recall the tribute paid by Rhodes for Lee in AEW.
Cody Rhodes has the unfortunate honor of being the only person to speak at both the Brodie Lee and Bray Wyatt tribute shows. pic.twitter.com/DajzM9VGBB
— A Kenny For Your Thoughts (@_kennythoughts) August 26, 2023
For those unversed, Brodie Lee, aka Luke Harper, passed away in 2020, leaving the wrestling world shocked. AEW, led by Tony Khan, decided to honor his life by making Cody Rhodes address the incident.
In the tribute to Brodie Lee, Rhodes mentioned: “There has never been a wrestler in every company, in every locker room, with every member of management who had that one-to-one connection, and that is why everyone is affected so deeply.”
He also introduced his son and wife to the crowd and placed Lee’s wrestling boots in the ring. In the ultimate sign-off, Tony Khan also presented Lee’s kid with the “Ultimate TNT championship for Life”, as a sign of respect.
“Super strong”: Fans hail an incredible steward
With such a deep history, one can’t imagine the courage mustered by ‘The American Nightmare’ to deliver another tribute. This was enough to move fans, who lauded him on social media. Many felt that there was no other man to deliver a promo on such a sensitive topic and hailed him as the ultimate guy.
No better man to deliver that eulogy.
— LCpl Floyd Digga, 💗💗#MinaShirakawa #白川未奈 (@floyddigga) August 26, 2023
The perfect one to do it, he’s the ultimate company guy.
— 👑𝔸𝕕𝕒𝕞 𝔾𝕠𝕝𝕕𝕓𝕖𝕣𝕘👑 (@AdamGoldberg28) August 26, 2023
Others gave him props for his enduring courage and for portraying his strongest self. Rhodes is no stranger to hardships. The superstar has gone through several trials in life, but his resolve to push through and survive makes him a tough person.
Cody Rhodes is super strong and a blessing to be able to hold in his emotions to speak. 🙏🏾
— Terry “TBONE” Williams (@YOUNGBLACK_MAN) August 26, 2023
a true champion appears in the hardest times. Much respect! ❤️
— Não muitas. (@poucass_01) August 26, 2023
Cody Rhodes is such an incredible steward for not only WWE, but professional wrestling in general.
— Adam Meador (@dadtooed) August 26, 2023
In addition, fans sympathized with him as the weight and responsibility on his shoulders were immense. He was representing the WWE brand on a global level.
The like is because of the way he managed to do it in a manner respectful to both men, giving the crowd the Cody it wanted whilst Im sure his inner thoughts were all over the place. I am sure he hates having to do a speech on his friends and family friends.
— HMS Verdun (@HmsVerdun) August 26, 2023
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Mentioned this earlier to a close friend. For a young guy he’s seen it all just by being who he is. I can’t event imagine the weight of that.
— Rich (@BTCRich) August 26, 2023
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We, as viewers, tip our hats to Rhodes for touching our hearts once more in a moving segment. What do you guys think about Rhodes’ speech on SmackDown and his connection to the Wyatt Family? Let us know in the comments below.
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