Seth Rollins & Cody Rhodes Real Life WWE Rivalry

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• At WrestleMania 40, The Rock and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will face Cody Rhodes and World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins in a main event tag team match on Night One of the show of shows. After WWE fans voiced their dismay at The Rock taking the place of Rhodes to face Reigns, that wrong was righted when Rhodes took his spot back. However, what resulted was The Rock joining forces with Reigns. Now, Rollins and Rhodes must team with each other once again. However, they have a tricky past with one another. It remains to be seen what will happen at WrestleMania 40 and how their past will affect their future.

In the realm of professional wrestling, rivalries often transcend the boundaries of the ring, taking on lives of their own beyond scripted performances. Such is the case with the animosity between two renowned WWE wrestlers, Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes. These two accomplished performers have carved distinct paths in the wrestling world, leading to an intriguing clash that goes far beyond their in-ring encounters.

As their rivalry unfolds, it becomes evident that there's more to their story than meets the eye. The complexities of the real-life animosity between Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes have shaped their contentious relationship that fans might not know about.

UPDATE: 2024/03/12 11:30 EST BY BENJAMIN VIEIRA

At WrestleMania 40, The Rock and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns will face Cody Rhodes and World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins in a main event tag team match on Night One of the show of shows. After WWE fans voiced their dismay at The Rock taking the place of Rhodes to face Reigns, that wrong was righted when Rhodes took his spot back. However, what resulted was The Rock joining forces with Reigns. Now, Rollins and Rhodes must team with each other once again. However, they have a tricky past with one another. It remains to be seen what will happen at WrestleMania 40 and how their past will affect their future.

Cody Rhodes Thought Dusty Rhodes Favored Seth Rollins As A Wrestler

Cody Was Frustrated About Dusty's Preference For NXT Talents Over His Son

Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes, two stalwarts of the wrestling world, have traversed contrasting routes throughout their careers. While Rhodes ventured away from WWE to help create AEW, he eventually made a surprise return to WWE at WrestleMania 38, leading to a showdown against WWE's loyal top star Seth Rollins. Their in-ring rivalry is marked by three matches, all of which Cody Rhodes emerged victorious from.

However, the rivalry extended beyond mere competition. Both wrestlers openly acknowledged their mutual animosity, shedding light on the underlying tensions that had been brewing over the years. In Peacock's documentary on Cody Rhodes, American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes, he candidly expressed his dissatisfaction with his father Dusty Rhodes' alleged preference for Seth Rollins and other talents, contrasting it with the seemingly unequal treatment he received. He said,

“He’s telling me I should quit meanwhile he’s grooming a Seth Rollins. He’s grooming a Roman Reigns. He’s grooming a Sami Zayn. He’s grooming a Kevin Owens. Maddening. F***ing maddening.” Cody Rhodes explained, “Really, just it's like, he’s got his own little league team, and they’re just hitting home runs and I can’t play. The worst, and it made me resent all the Dusty’s kids. Made me resent them and made me resent the idea that he would be a mascot for the developmental. It was tough.”

10 Wrestlers Cody Rhodes Surprisingly Never Faced In A Major Match

Seth Rollins Comments On His Feud With Cody Rhodes

Rollins Sees Rhodes As Selfish And Self-Absorbed

• Rollins thought Rhodes tried to steal his spotlight.
• Rhodes and Rollins do have a mutual respect for their talents.
• They are not friends, and their relationship is complex at best.

Seth Rollins has not been shy about expressing his feelings toward Cody Rhodes. During an interview with Wrestling Inc., Rollins accused Rhodes of returning to WWE for self-serving motives, aiming to steal his spotlight. He said,

"The only disrespect I had for Cody Rhodes was that he tried to come in and steal my spotlight. I shouldn't say 'tried to steal it.' He tried to use my spotlight to catapult himself to where he wants to go. So there's nothing more selfish in the world. Don't let anything fool you. Cody Rhodes is a selfish S.O.B. He's not coming back for anything but himself."

However, a more recent interview with Sports Illustrated unveiled a nuanced dimension to their rivalry. Rollins conveyed that their feud primarily revolves around professional disagreements. He said;

"Our relationship is very complex. I think that's the best way to put it. I think there's mutual respect there, obviously. I think when you have two guys at our caliber there's respect, but there's also a level of competition. There's a healthy jealousy in some capacity on both sides," Rollins added, "You know, he has mentioned recently that we both vying constantly to be the top guy on the top show on Monday Night RAW and that's the truth. So, there's respect. Friendship? I don't know that I would go that far. But yeah, it's a very complex situation between the two of us, that's for sure."

Seth Rollins Explains Beef With CM Punk, Why He Flipped Out Over Return To WWE

Cody Rhodes Went From Almost Having A Real Fight With Seth Rollins To Burying The Hatchet

Their Hatred For One Another Seems To Have Subsided For Now

• Rhodes and Rollins have almost had physical fights backstage.
• Their hatred for each other is not as strong as it used to be.
• Rollins sent Rhodes a birthday cake.

The hostility between Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes occasionally spilled over into the backstage realm. Cody divulged during an interview on the Dan LeBatard Show that there was a point where he was on the verge of a physical altercation with Rollins backstage. He said:

"Seth Rollins is the closest I've ever had to backstage turning into a fistfight in front of all of our peers and upper management. It didn't happen. Him and I absolutely can't stand one another, I'd probably try and rip his eyes out."

However, as time has passed, the dynamics of their rivalry appear to have shifted. In a surprising turn of events, Cody Rhodes disclosed to BT Sport that Seth Rollins had recently made a kind gesture on his birthday, hinting at a potential reconciliation. Furthermore, Cody openly expressed his admiration for Seth's wife, Becky Lynch. He said,

"But it was very nice. I came back, and someone who has no reason to like me, and we don't necessarily get along, that being our World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, had a cake provided for me from the production team. I got to blow the candles out, and I made a wish, the whole deal. So, it was nice." Cody added, "Maybe we'll end up growing to be friends at some point. We've got daughters. I love Becky, I do. I just Seth just (...) But a great, great wrestler, [a] big-time superstar."

The Former Rivals Came Together At Survivor Series 2023

They Were On The Same Side To Face The Judgment Day And Drew McIntyre

• Rhodes and Rollins teamed up with Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, and Randy Orton.
• They faced The Judgment Day and Drew McIntyre inside of WarGames.
• CM Punk returned to WWE after the match.

At Survivor Series 2023, Rollins and Rhodes put their differences aside for the sake of fighting The Judgment Day and Drew McIntyre. They had a common foe, which led to them agreeing to put their differences aside to go to battle in WarGames. In the end, Rhodes and Rollins were successfully able to do this. Along with Randy Orton, Jey Uso, and Sami Zayn, Rhodes and Rollins were victorious in defeating The Judgment Day.

The Unlikely Allies Will Go To War With The Bloodline

Rhodes And Rollins Will Team Up To Face The Rock And Roman Reigns At WrestleMania 40

• On the March 8, 2024, episode of SmackDown, Rollins and Rhodes accepted The Rock and Roman Reigns' challenge for a WrestleMania 40 match.
• It will take place on Night One of WrestleMania 40.
• If Rollins and Rhodes win, then The Bloodline will not be present for Rhodes' Undisputed WWE Universal Title match against Reigns. If Rollins and Rhodes lose, then it will be Bloodline Rules for the Undisputed WWE Universal Title match.

WWE Has Huge Plans For The Rock And Roman Reigns After WrestleMania 40

At WrestleMania 40, Rollins and Rhodes will once again find themselves on the same side as they will battle The Rock and Roman Reigns on Night One. After weeks of back and forth, these four wrestlers will collide in Philadelphia. It will have major stakes for Rhodes' match with Reigns on Night Two. If Rhodes and Rollins win, then The Bloodline will be gone from the Night Two main event. However, if Reigns and The Rock win, then it will be Bloodline Rules in the main event. It is an unlikely and uneasy alliance between Rollins and Rhodes. However, it is an alliance of necessity to defeat The Bloodline.