Backstage News on Cody Rhodes Non-PG Promo on WWE RAW – Cody Rhodes delivered a scathing retort to The Rock during his promo on Monday’s episode of WWE RAW, drawing on lines from a memorable 2019 promo he delivered on Dynamite while feuding with Chris Jericho.
In his RAW promo, Rhodes referred to both The Rock and Jericho as “carny succubus,” a sharp jab aimed at their perceived self-importance and reliance on past glory. He emphasized that these veteran stars believe they are more crucial to the industry than the current generation of talent, suggesting that they depend on the younger wrestlers more than the reverse.
The promo marked a departure from the usual scripted nature of WWE promos and allowed Rhodes to inject a dose of non-PG language into his delivery, reflecting the frustration among talent both inside and outside of WWE regarding the restrictions placed on promos.
Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez discussed Rhodes’ provocative promo on Wrestling Observer Radio, noting that while WWE permitted Rhodes to fire back at The Rock in this manner, the overarching directive to maintain a PG tone in promos remains in effect for other wrestlers.
Alvarez: “So we had the Cody promo. And this guy has got to do a rebuttal to The Rock, who’s just killing it. And I will say I thought Cody did a very good job. The story of this was…I don’t buy that f*cking memo for a second. I think it’s bullsh*t.”
Meltzer: “No, there was a memo. Everyone got it. I asked, What was the deal? And it’s like, they knew that he [Rhodes] had to come back. But there’s absolutely a memo. I got that from several different guys, there’s been other reporters who have too. That’s not nothing. No one else is allowed to do that. But he was given the opportunity to do it because basically they wanted him to stay babyface, essentially. And I mean, if he came off badly on this promo and Rock came off so great in Memphis (last week’s SmackDown), it’s like, that’s not what they want. But he was fine. You know, he brought his dog in. I mean, it’s like, that’s all it is.”
Backstage News on Cody Rhodes Non-PG Promo on WWE RAW
