[MUSIC]
It's no secret, I love hopping in my brand new ZR2 in [INAUDIBLE] open road.
And today, no pun intended, all roads lead to Cody Rhodes.
The dynamic WWE superstar that has personified dedication and
determination in historic well traveled in ring career.
Welcome to WWE grit and glory presented by Chevy Silverado.
[MUSIC]
Navigate me to 4000 State Route 33.
>> Okay, 4000 Florida 33.
Here we go.
[MUSIC]
>> All right, so today Cody and I are going on a road trip,
[INAUDIBLE] to discuss firsthand his hard work determination and
how he had to strive and thrive in this career.
If anybody knows about hard work, dedication and
reviving themselves, it's Cody Rhodes.
I'll pick him them up.
[MUSIC]
Mr. Rhodes.
>> Ready to rock?
>> Yes, sir.
How you been?
>> Good man, I need a ride.
>> Hey man, you know what?
You come to the right place.
>> [LAUGH] Let's go >> Look at this, style in the profile and
being wild and everything.
Thanks for taking the time young man.
>> What a ride young man, what a ride.
[MUSIC]
>> Shoot, man.
You bet.
>> I can't believe that this couldn't have been written any better way.
I had to come back, you know?
>> Yeah, I mean, it's written in the stars, man.
>> As me being a up and comer, I have a great relationship with my father.
>> Yeah. >> As you had as well.
Dusty roads, man.
A lot of people he's looked at as the greatest of all time, man.
>> Depends on where you're from, right?
>> Right, [LAUGH].
Were you aware of how revered he was as a child?
Cuz that's your dad.
Sometimes we see them just as our father and the world sees him a certain way.
>> Before I saw and before I heard the crowd react to him,
he was dad, he was dad.
Now is more of a mama's boy like he was dad.
My earliest memories are around wrestling ring.
>> Did you initially fall in love with it as a child or
did it take some time to like really grow on?
>> I don't think it took more than two seconds.
It was in my blood, but
there's a difference between it being in your blood and then it gets in your blood.
And you probably experienced it yourself the moment
you're hooked you cannot do this, you can't not want to do this.
>> What job fair?
What guidance counselor?
>> No offense to the guidance counselor out there.
>> [LAUGH] >> Is gonna tell me what's as
cool as this.
>> Very true.
How did the family initially feel when you decided like, hey,
this is what I'm gonna do?
>> I remember I came back home, driving, just like we're driving.
Driving in a truck with my dad, and I told him.
I think he knew that conversation was common.
And I'll never forget.
He said, well, if you're gonna do it, you're only gonna do it to be the best.
And then the part that really made me feel good as a son,
he started listening a roadmap for me.
And he mentioned no VW.
He mentioned a Missouri.
He mentioned potentially going to Japan.
So he was not only supportive, he wanted to be on the team.
We didn't get a lot of times where we were that part of the same team.
Same last name, sure.
But that was really special to hear.
My gosh, she's gonna support me.
>> Man, I couldn't imagine how that felt.
Did anybody perceive you differently?
Like, hey, I wanna- >> I think what in the town I grew up
in they thought it was just a joke.
I think they didn't realize what it meant not only to be entering the ring,
doing what my family did, my father and my brother, but
also how far I wanted to take.
If someone knew, if they got in this hand and so
what I really wanted in the long run, they think I'm mad man.
>> [LAUGH] >> But that's the only way to do it, man.
It's like he told me, it's his fault.
Riding in the truck like this, it's his fault.
And if you're gonna do it, you're gonna do it to be the best.
>> The bar has already been set.
>> The bar has been set and it's set dangerously high.
>> [LAUGH] It's just crazy how everyone is performing in such a high level.
Black people can say that, but they can't say like you,
[LAUGH] >> I had the bad luck and the good luck
and the pleasure of things being so bad at one point that I was able to make them so
good by my little what I'd call excursion, my world journey.
I was transitioning what does it look like, right?
What is Cody Rhodes gonna look.
From create a wrestler 2007 where the only attribute about me
was my dad was Dusty Rhodes, there was nothing on the surface.
I went through a bitter and a jaded portion.
It wasn't a character but it was happening.
>> Right.
>> My brother kinda came in in terms of, I would say, it was a little bit of a life
raft to do the Tag Team and to actually have the Rhodes brothers.
But to love each other and be able to share that love on TV,
it was all very real.
We didn't grow up together.
So this was active, crazy with each other active.
Learn about each other.
Learn what we like what we don't like.
And then it hits a unique wall on the form of startups.
Because there were times where it was a mask that I didn't want and
then there were times it was a mask that I did want.
While I was doing startups when my dad passed away.
That was 2015.
>> True, yeah.
>> Nothing I needed more than that time actually took to hide, to cover up.
I wasn't ready to be Cody Rhodes.
I wasn't ready to be anything.
The last piece of it all though, that I needed to find was not sound dramatic but
was the American nightmare itself.
Being the son of the American dream and
it just was time to take the mantle in my own way.
I am part of royal family of wrestling.
I'm lucky and humbled to be part of it.
But now I'm carrying it with me, I'm not hiding it, I'm not disguising it.
>> Why do you feel like this is the best time for
Cody Rhodes to return back to the WWE?
>> Well, I'll give you a somewhat error- >> I don't mean to stop you.
>> No. >> [LAUGH]
>> I'll give you a somewhat arrogant
answer.
And I don't mean it with arrogance, but I feel like for two,
three years, I feel like nobody's been able to touch me in the ring.
And the only way you can really say that without
feeling a little bit of doubt is having that chip.
Having extra motivation the biggest prize in our world which would be
the WWE Championship.
>> And I think it's perfect, is motivating for myself as well.
I love that.
>> If I'm telling you in any sport, in any form of in performance entertainment
combat, if I'm telling you I'm the best, and if you have pride in what you do or
it's you in your mind should be saying no,
[INAUDIBLE] >> Exactly.
>> [LAUGH] >> And that makes everybody greater.
>> 100%. >> Because then I feel like naturally
people wanna be like, no, I'm the best so I'm gonna show him why I'm the best.
So everyone elevates at the same time.
>> In the end who wins when you make that claim is the fans win.
>> Yes.
>> Whether you lose whether you win whatever it may be,
you're gonna get the best, you're gonna get the best.
>> I love it.
Sure, let's keep it going.
Matter of fact speaking of keeping it going.
Second little clue, that's precision, target.
So we gotta target practice if I'm sorry.
You know what?
X marks the spot.
>> X marks the spot.
>> That's what we're doing right there.
[MUSIC]
So I did my research as always, and
I heard you a really big fan of this very popular video game.
Wanted to know if you wanna do a little bit of Archery.
>> He wants to know if I wanna do a little bit of archery.
Of course, I wanna do a little bit of archery.
>> You down?
>> I'm down. >> Okay, let's go.
>> After you.
>> Yeah, no, after you.
>> Can you shoot?
>> We'll go see. >> [LAUGH]
[MUSIC]
>> [MUSIC]
Whoa!
>> And we made contact.
>> So I had the pleasure in 2015 when I was first signed to
the performance center to be under your father.
>> Yeah, yeah. >> And his teachings.
And the knowledge that he was passing on to the future generations as well.
You currently right now are doing something very similar with the school.
>> We get a lot of, I do just the beginners.
>> Right. >> Cuz I feel like beginning is the most
fun to teach.
It's not so much about the high spots or the bomb, so the run on the ropes or
the drills or what not.
As much as it's more, the etiquette,
not just because we respect each other cuz we need each other.
You're wrestling me it's not just you versus you, if that makes any sense.
So that's the number one thing I try to pass to them.
And not just that, you're always gonna be hurt.
It all hurts.
You'll always wrestle hard, just don't wrestle injured.
And finding that early on is really helpful so you don't blow a knee or
do something drastic before you ever get your mind going.
>> So with that being said let's get back on the road.
What does the future hold for Cody Rhodes?
>> I said three piecemeal.
>> Great dad, great husband, WWE Champion.
And I mean it's so much easier said than done.
For sure but if not now when?
>> Right.
>> And again I can live with things being unobtained,
I can't live with them being unsaid.
I gotta make it clear, I gotta make these intentions clear.
It's no one else's fault at the end of the day, if it's a success or
if it's a total dud, it's no one else but me.
>> I've known, watched the entire family grow admiration for it,
and I appreciate you.
Take the time, shoot some arrows.
>> Yeah, [INAUDIBLE] >> Thank you, [CROSSTALK]
>> Welcome to
the Wrestling Royal Family Club.
>> A pleasure, man.
Thank you >> You're in it now, man.
[MUSIC]