Promodaten
[Nineteen days away from his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match against defending champion Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania XL Sunday, Cody Rhodes makes his entrance, met by loud cheers from the crowd.]
Cody Rhodes: In less than three weeks time, I will stand opposed for the second year in a row in the main event. With the lights on brightest, I will challenge for the Undisputed WWE Championship against the greatest champion in all of sports: the Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns. [Crowd showers in boos.] And this Friday on SmackDown, Roman and I will have a little conversation if you will. But, there are complications. Factors, elements, combustible elements, namely, The Rock. [Crowd boos some more.]
Rock took to Instagram last week, he then followed up with an extremely entertaining Rock Concert too bad he didn't want to be here tonight. Something I took from his Instagram post, Rock referred to himself as 'our favorite heel.' Little bit of an insider term, we're not dumb, we know what that means, that means he's the bad guy. So I've known some heels. Bobby Heenan was a heel, Arn Anderson was a heel, Michael Hayes was a heel, 'Superstar' Billy Graham was a heel, the 'Nature Boy' Ric Flair was a heel. [The crowd chants "woo!"] Rock, I don't think you're a heel, I think you're an asshole. [Cheers]
And I don't want you to get upset, don't get upset Rock, don't get upset, 'Seven Bucks Team', [see Note 1.] I don't want you to get upset, I don't want you to get emotional because I know how you feel about emotions -- you poked fun at me shedding a tear discussing 'finishing the story' with my friend Michael Cole. 'There's no crying in wrestling,' Jimmy Dugan, [see Note 2] I get it. But... haven't you been crying behind the scenes this whole time? I mean, once that hashtag came out, once they started something else you went and cried to your buddies on the TKO board. You said, 'Hey, hey, this is gonna be some good PR for The Rock, I need to save WWE...' [Mockingly] God knows, look at this house, We sure as hell need saving right? [Crowd cheers] You said it's gonna be this great PR for The Rock... until it wasn't. Rock, the TKO folks has said to you 'Oh my gosh, Yes Rock! Yes! Put on your Gucci shirt your muscles look so big, Yes! Yes! Yes!' The reason they said it is because they are yes-people, they are enablers, they don't tell you like it is, so I'm going to.
Rock... damn my man, you're a lot of things. You are lot of wonderful things. You are the 'Brahma Bull', you are the 'Great One'. Hell, I got a pair of tennis shoes with your logo on it, Rock. You are the only guy that I will ever stand across from in the ring that I can honestly say is a Mount Rushmore wrestler. But Rock... you are also a terrible salesmen! A carny succubus, and for those who don't know what that means, you're a whiny bitch! [Crowd pops.] I know you've been convinced otherwise, but please don't think for two seconds Rock, that this locker room needs you more than you need it. That's a rule in the business, nobody is bigger than it. Another one -- I brought up my mom in an interview so it's fair game for you to do so. Ok, I know your mom... [Loud reaction from the crowd.]
Here's what I'll tell you about Rock's mom. She is a wonderful lady. Salt of the Earth. One time he helped me chop Kevin Owens in a dark match, I have nothing but respect for your mom, a respect that you should echo back towards my own. Here's a thing, you were talking about whipping me. A bloody weight belt, handing it to my mother, and normally somebody as powerful as you. She would tremble, she would cower... You don't know my mom. I was more scared than she was. My mom ain't scared of nothing, this is the same lady who hopped off her chair at a Willie Nelson concert and beat up an undercover cop okay? She ain't afraid of you, Rock! I have been asked April 6th, the biggest tag match of all time. Myself, my partner, Seth Rollins, the World Heavyweight Champion -- somebody who you should respect very much because he helps carry YOUR company Rock against you and the 'Tribal Chief' Roman Reigns. How will I get past that? What will April 7th look like? Will it be a fair fight? And I can tell you honestly... I don't know. I don't know if it will be Bloodline Rules or not. Hell I don't know if I'm gonna finish the story.
But... Dwayne, what do you know? How can you be so sure of your own self right? 'Cause you keep forgetting you haven't been in the ring in years in real time action, and April 6th, the bell is gonna ring. And what happens Rock when the bell rings right? Are you gonna bring the Great One? Are you gonna be the hero that I had growing up? Are you gonna have all of that Big Dwayne energy? Or is it just gonna be LDS -- little dick syndome! [Crowd starts chanting "LDS!"] You have referred to yourself as the 'Final Boss'... Kudos to Brian Gewirtz for that nickname, perhaps you are the actual literal final boss, perhaps I'm too naive to see that. [see Note 3.] But at WrestleMania, I don't think you're gonna be the final boss. At WrestleMania, I think you're just Roman's side chick." [Crowd applauds]
[Roman Reigns's Special Counsel, the 'Wise Man', Paul Heyman's voice can be heard as he makes his way into the ring.]
Paul Heyman: "Ladies and gentlemen... [Mixed reaction from the crowd,] Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Paul Heyman. I serve as the 'Wise Man' to your 'Tribal Chief', the reigning, defending, undisputed, WWE Universal Heavyweight Champion... Roman Reigns! [Boos.] And as Special Counsel to the Bloodline, I just wanted to come out here Cody, and say to you that the ideals that you and I share are far greater than the interest on which we conflict. By example, don't you hate it when someone comes out and they demand an apology? 'Oh, I want an apology, I'm not leaving until I get an apology.' Not that you've done that... but I'm here to offer you an apology. I came out here a couple of weeks ago with some friends of mine from the New York Police Department... and I apologize. For a 'Wise Man', that was pretty freaking stupid on my end. One, because the plan didn't work. Two, because it was just plain dumb. And for that, Cody Rhodes, to you, to the RAW audience, I humbly apologize."
Cody Rhodes: Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah. I didn't ask for an apology. Certainly, I know you're gonna ask for permission to step in this ring, you're a Hall of Famer Mr. Heyman, you wanna step in this ring with me right now? Be my guest. [Crowd cheers, Heyman is hesitant and decides to stand on the apron.]
Paul Heyman: "Paul Heyman: I'm uh, I thank you. I'm fine right here, I carry with me a message from the 'Tribal Chief', Roman Reigns. [Crowd reacts negatively] Talk about heels, you can think of me anything that you want that's negative and most likely it's understandingly obvious. Me? Not a trustworthy individual. Roman Reigns is a 'Tribal Chief' of his word. This Friday live on SmackDown, Roman Reigns will go face to face with you, Cody Rhodes. The 'American Nightmare', the 'Tribal Chief'. Challenger and champion. And when you go face to face with Roman Reigns, there will not be a single other member of the Bloodline in sight. Except for me, and I know physical threat. I hold the title, I hold the beads. I whisper in my 'Tribal Chief's' ear how much I love and respect him, and acknowledge my 'Tribal Chief'. But you have Roman Reigns' word. If you show up this Friday on SmackDown, Roman Reigns will show up alone."
Cody Rhodes: "Roman Reigns shows up alone... No Bloodline except for yourself, deal."
Paul Heyman: "I have a bit of jet lag, I've been delayed all day I forgot one little crucial point. [Crowd boos] Oh don't boo me! I'm talking to the man." [The boos continue.]
Cody Rhodes: "They're booing you and I'm about to go full Homelander and rip your throat out alright? So get to the point." [see Note 4.]
Paul Heyman: "If Roman Reigns shows up alone this Friday on SmackDown, Cody Rhodes... you show up to SmackDown alone too."
Cody Rhodes: "Deal."
[Rhodes offers Heyman a handshake, to which the latter accepts and leaves the arena.]
- Credit: Thanks to inmate RhodesEra for this transcription.
- Note 1: Cody references a pretty well-known story about
The Rock, that he once only had seven dollars in his pocket prior to starting his career in professional wrestling. Since then, Dwayne Johnson has started a production company called 'Seven Bucks Productions'.
Note 2: Jimmy Dugan, played by Tom Hanks, is a character in the movie "A League of Their Own", where the quote "there's no crying in baseball!" is attributed to. Rhodes reappropriates this quote for his own purposes in his feud against Roman.
- Note 3: Brian Gewirtz is an author and a former head writer for the WWE. He's best known for being a long-time collaborator with The Rock. Gerwitz now works for Seven Bucks Productions and has helped produce the "Young Rock" series.
- Note 4: Homelander is a fictional character from the comic book and tv show "The Boys". As the main antagonist of the show, he's been compared to Rhodes numerous times due to their similar appearances.