Cody Rhodes spoke warmly about John Cena’s role as a mentor on the latest episode of his What Do You Want to Talk About? podcast, and shared the simple piece of advice the 17-time world champion gave him on the biggest nights of his career.
Talking with Diamond Dallas Page, Rhodes recalled Cena pulling him aside before their entrances at both WrestleMania and SummerSlam with a reassurance he did not realize he needed.
“He said, ‘Don’t worry about them, they’ll be making noise all night, don’t worry about them,’ which I didn’t feel like I needed to hear at the time, but then I did,” Rhodes said. What struck Rhodes most was the role reversal. “Has he ever had to tell anyone this? Because he’s always been the one having to do that. Now he’s telling someone, ‘Don’t worry about them.’ There’s responsibility in that. There’s power in that.”
Rhodes said he has no problem with peers viewing Cena as his mentor. “Somebody, one of my peers, kind of took a shot at me the other day and was like, ‘Oh, is this because Cena’s your mentor?'” Rhodes recalled. “And I thought, yeah, A is the answer… what a bad one to have, right? Greatest of all time, 17, and continuing to have another chapter now.”
Page was equally complimentary of Cena, citing his recent run and his appearance at the ESPYS. “I never understood when people didn’t like Cena,” Page said. “Got a lot of respect for that cat, man. When I saw him do the ESPYS, I was like, this guy’s different level.”
Rhodes also shared the mantra that has become central to his babyface run, one he says he repeats often in creative discussions when momentum shifts toward another star. “What I tell them is, I can survive it. That’s what I tell everyone,” Rhodes said, noting that figures like Michael Hayes and Paul Heyman have heard him say it many times. “As a babyface, it’s becoming a powerful trait.”
Page summed up the advice that ties it all together, recalling something Cena told Cody in the ring. “Just be you,” Page said. “That was powerful.”
If you use any of the quotes from this article, please credit What Do You Want to Talk About? with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
