Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes recently offered high praise for The Rock and his “Final Boss” character, which became a central part of the storyline leading into WrestleMania 40.
The “tumultuous” period Rhodes referred to was the intense fan backlash in early 2024 when The Rock returned and seemingly took Rhodes’ main event spot against Roman Reigns, despite Rhodes having won the Royal Rumble. This fan reaction forced a major creative pivot, leading to The Rock’s heel turn and the creation of “The Final Boss” persona. The story culminated in a tag team match on Night 1 of WrestleMania 40, where The Rock and Roman Reigns defeated Rhodes and Seth Rollins.
Rhodes on The Final Boss
In a new interview with ALL THE SMOKE, Rhodes spoke about The Rock’s ability to adapt and create a new, compelling character.
“He came back to a very tumultuous WWE, a year or so ago, and decided, nope, I’m not gonna deal with that. I’m instead gonna create a new character even though I’m already one of the greatest characters ever, that being The Final Boss… We’ve just scratched the surface on The Final Boss. There’s something incredibly special there so The Rock is on my Mount Rushmore.”
Cody Rhodes is currently in his second reign as Undisputed WWE Champion. He most recently defended his title against Drew McIntyre at the Saturday Night’s Main Event Premium Live Event on November 1. The Rock, who joined the TKO Board of Directors in January 2024, has not been seen on WWE programming since his involvement at Elimination Chamber in March 2025, where he helped John Cena turn heel.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit ALL THE SMOKE with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
