“I’m Not Ready”: Cody Rhodes on Getting ‘Screwed’ by Vince McMahon Right After Dusty Rhodes’ HOF Induction in 2007

Cody Rhodes had wrestled less than 50 matches in OVW before he made his debut on the main roster. And yet, everybody, including Vince McMahon, thought he was going to be a massive star. So what soared Cody Rhodes’ popularity? Of course, all eyes were on Rhodes right from the gate, as he was the son of the legendary Dusty Rhodes. But it was his Hall of Fame speech for his father that won over everyone. 

Three months before Rhodes made his RAW debut, he delivered a heartfelt speech for his father at the Hall of Fame ceremony in 2007. With great eloquence and emotion, Rhodes described the impact of The American Dream on his life. His passionate speech caused the WWE management to instantly take a liking to him. 

Cody Rhodes’ popularity grew after his passionate Hall of Fame speech for Dusty Rhodes

WWE’s The American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes Documentary is a compilation of the high points of Cody Rhodes’ WWE career. Rhodes first got people talking about him on the night of WWE’s Hall of Fame class of 2007. Cody and his brother Dustin Rhodes (Goldust) had the honor of inducting their father into the Hall of Fame. 

Cody recalled the fondest memories he had of his father. Then-21-year-old star captivated everyone as he shared anecdotes about his life as Dusty Rhodes’ son. His mother, who was initially concerned about his speech due to his lack of experience, was proud of him.

In addition, WWE executive director, Bruce Prichard was full of praise for Cody Rhodes in the documentary. He said, “I remember sitting backstage, and I was sitting next to Vince McMahon at the time, and I said, ‘Wow’.”

In an old interview seen in the documentary, Dusty Rhodes mentioned Bruce Prichard, who conveyed that Vince McMahon believed Cody Rhodes was going to be “huge”. Dusty said, “I remember Bruce Prichard coming to me afterward and saying, ‘Vince just said to me, this kid is going to be huge’.”

Bruce Prichard also told Cody Rhodes that Vince McMahon was impressed by the way he spoke about his father. Furthermore, Rhodes then recalled worrying about his future. Although it was a big deal to impress McMahon, Rhodes knew he was going to get called up to the main roster early. 

He went on to say, “I knew right away; I’m screwed. Because that was good. And they’re looking at it from a business perspective. And I’m going to get called up. I’m not ready, physically, I am not ready. Mentally… But I know it’s going to happen, so, I better get ready. And that’s exactly what happened.”

Ultimately, Cody Rhodes made his debut on RAW against Randy Orton. The Viper, at the time, was a top star. Unsurprisingly, Rhodes lost his first match. However, he channeled his inner Dusty Rhodes during the match. 

Read More: Cody Rhodes’ Mother Was Worried for Him a Night Before Dusty Rhodes’ WWE HOF Induction: “That Was the First Time”

Vince McMahon’s vision of Rhodes turned out to be true. Despite having a lackluster first run in the Stamford-based company, Rhodes made his historic return as the ultimate babyface of WWE. Nonetheless, it was Vince McMahon who convinced Cody Rhodes to return to WWE.

Vince McMahon seemingly flew to Cody Rhodes’ house to re-sign him

Cody Rhodes has been vocal about his aversion toward his initial run in WWE. And so, it took some convincing to bring him back to the company he belongs to. 

In fact, Vince McMahon himself seemingly flew to Rhodes’ house to convince him to return. At some point in the interview, Kevin Owens says, “Vince McMahon flew to his house to get him back. Not many people can say that.”

Anyway, Rhodes is gearing up to face the toughest challenge of his career, Brock Lesnar, at SummerSlam. Will Rhodes score another win over Lesnar? Or will Lesnar embarrass him before his family again? A lot remains to be seen.

Watch This Story: Cody Rhodes recalls behaving arrogantly with a WWE Legend prior to the worst fight of his career: “I don’t know what I was thinking”

What are your thoughts on Cody Rhodes impressing everybody with his HOF speech? Comment below!