>> I'm joined by the 2023 Royal Rumble winner, Cody Rhodes.
Now Cody, with your WrestleMania match just days away,
do you think that by accepting tonight's match against Solo Sikoa,
you put yourself in a vulnerable position?
>> I love this position, live for this position.
I understand the question though, Solo Sikoa is undefeated like myself,
hasn't been pinned, hasn't been submitted.
Now if Mr. Heyman and Roman were standing right here, you'd probably need to ask
them though, do they think I have a chance tonight against Solo?
Do they think I even have a chance at WrestleMania?
And I'm sure, they would hackle maniacally and there's Samoan Goodfellas aesthetic.
But I'd follow up and say, why is it so important, Mr.
Heyman, that I wrestle the enforcer of the Bloodline and
he always has an enforcer six days away from the big one.
I think it's because they know.
They know the answer to this question that people are just starting to float
around these days, has Cody Rhodes earned it?
Have I earned it?
The fire didn't start when I came back at AT&T Stadium,
that would be a discredit to where I've gone and what I've done.
This fire started long before that, I have no intention of letting it go out,
not only have I earned it, I have lived it.
Tonight, Solo Sikoa finds out he's not ready.
And at WrestleMania, I defeat Roman Reigns and
become the undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> Now Mr. Heyman, I was hoping that I
could get your response to Cody Rhodes' words from earlier this evening
>> Yehey, though he walks through
the shadow of the island of relevancy,
Cody Rhodes fears no Tribal Chief
because Cody Rhodes is not ready.
He proved it just a few minutes ago when he asked what had to be
a rhetorical question, why is it so important to fight Solo six
days before Cody Rhodes is in his first WrestleMania main event?
It's not important, it's relevant, and
here's why it's so relevant because Solo is
ready to weaken Cody Rhodes for his match against Roman Reigns.
Roman Reigns is ready to stoop to those depths and rise to those occasions, and
get any advantage that he can to remain Tribal Chief on the Island of Relevancy.
And that is the difference between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes.
Roman Reigns came to his wise man and he said wise man, I'm ready.
And so Roman Reigns was ready to stop being the big dog and
become the Tribal Chief.
But this is the same Cody Rhodes that we've known our whole lives who will
have these puppy dog eyes looking at his hero Roman Reigns across the ring,
Sunday night at WrestleMania because Cody Rhodes has never been ready.
Cody Rhodes was never ready to fill the shoes of the American Dream, Dusty Rhodes.
Cody Rhodes was never ready to be the man of this generation.
Cody Rhodes is not ready to defeat your Tribal hCief,
Roman Reigns, this Sunday at WrestleMania.
Cody Rhodes needs to be ready to take the beating that will be
inflicted upon him by Solo tonight.
Then Cody Rhodes will have to take the emotional baggage that Roman Reigns will
dump on him this Friday face-to-face at SmackDown.
So that when Cody Rhodes enters the ring on Sunday night,
the only thing he's gonna be ready for is to lose to Roman Reigns.
And then Cody Rhodes, I implore you be ready for
the greatest moment of your entire existence.
When in the glory of your own defeat,
when you've disappointed the WWE Universe,
be ready to acknowledge your Tribal Chief,
Roman Reigns in the main event this Sunday of WrestleMania.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> I'd say it's been a pretty
emotional year after everything that's happened between us and the Usos and
everything else.
We're now finding ourselves less than a week
away from the biggest Tag Team Championship match of all time.
And a huge part of why this is so emotional for
us is also the fact that it's happening in Los Angeles,
cuz there's a big part of the story there that not everybody knows.
Yeah, everybody knows Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens started in Montreal for
nothing, nothing, but Los Angeles is the city where we first got our big break.
That is where we made our names, that is where we truly became a team.
And now after all these years, after everything that's happened with us,
it all comes full circle and we walk back into Los Angeles as a team.
>> Because every fight we've ever been in, every fight we've had together,
every fight we've had alongside each other.
It's been about making our careers get to the next level, going forward,
going upward, getting bigger and better things.
But this weekend, it doesn't get any better, it doesn't get any bigger.
Biggest Tag Team Title match of all time, you're right.
It's us against the Usos,
the longest reigning Tag Team Champions of all time, the best team in WWE.
And that was true up until last week because this weekend,
we get to show the Usos, we get to show the Bloodline,
we get to show the world what we can do as a team.
And we're gonna do it in Los Angeles in the city where we got our first big break.
And in that city, we're gonna accomplish the biggest thing we
can achieve together when we become WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions and
we're doing it at WrestleMania.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> [SOUND]
>> Solo show next level intensity.
In this moment, smart move by Cody using his quickness,
but Solo answers with a big right hand.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> And Cody is a smart human being.
Cody has to realize the risk involved just by accepting this matchup.
Maybe Cody is hoping to, wow.
My God.
>> Whatever Cody was hoping to do, this went right out the damn window.
>> Out of harm's way.
>> Snap power slam.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> Cody now tapping into the reserves.
>> Trying to take this to the next gear.
Disaster kick connects, but Solo still in this battle, only down to one knee.
>> Rhodes.
>> Welcome to the Cody cutter, where does this man find this energy, this resolve?
>> I can assure you, Rhodes is feeding off of the energy from the WWE Universe.
>> Heyman using Cody's words against him earlier saying he's not ready for
Roman Reigns.
>> Solo lining up the Samoan spike.
>> Ducked by Cody.
>> Here we go.
>> A second Cody cutter.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> Standing
ringside watching their younger brother, Solo,
who just superkicked the lights out Rhodes.
>> My spinning Solo.
Sikoa to win this, Cody kicked it out.
Cody's kicked out.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> Jimmy and Jey can't believe it, nor
can Paul Heyman.
[MUSIC]
Zayn, Owens are here.
>> The Usos have company in the WrestleMania opponents.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> The numbers being even by the arrival
of Owens and Zayn, bringing the fight to the Usos as they
will in SoFi Stadium with the Tag Team titles on the line.
>> Meanwhile back inside the ring, Cody Rhodes caught again.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> Cross Rhodes.
>> Will that do it for Cody Rhodes?
>> One, two, three.
[SOUND]
[MUSIC]
>> Here is Is your winner,
the American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes.
>> It took a little assist from Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens.
[MUSIC]