Cody Rhodes speaks highly of Roman Reigns.

At WWE WrestleMania 40, Cody Rhodes beat Roman Reigns to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. In doing so, he kicked off a new era, as Reigns had reigned since 2020.

Speaking on SI Media with Jimmy Traina, Cody Rhodes was asked whether he had a moment with Roman Reigns after the match.

“I’ll say this. When you do something so special and epic, and I’m specifically talking about his run as champion, not anything I did,” Cody Rhodes said. “When you change the landscape of a company, when you help better the locker room situation for the talent surrounding you, when you bring the entire tide up for one company, which Roman did, and then you’re part of something like WrestleMania, I believe it was his ninth main event of a WrestleMania, you’re a part of that.

“In the oddest of ways, we don’t need to have a moment. He was nowhere to be found in Gorilla when I got back. I look forward to when we actually do have that moment and get to see one another. No doubt, my entire time in WWE has been like a wartime situation. There’s always been somebody, it’s always been some sort of fight and issue. Even with all that said, you’re bonded to a degree over the battles that you have.”

Cody Rhodes Highlights Roman Reigns
Cody Rhodes then noted that Roman Reigns changed the business. Rhodes said that Reigns had a generational run. He went on to state that WWE awaited his return.

“I might be speaking very kindly about him right now. He might be thinking in his mind that he wants to smash me and murder me when he comes back,” Cody Rhodes said. “If that’s the case, it’s okay. I’ll be ready for it. But all of the people I did see, the one I didn’t, and I think maybe in his mind, if I could put myself in his shoes, he knew that his run had been generational, that he had changed the industry. Very few people can say they changed the industry.

“You can count ten people in the last thirty years who changed the business. I think he knew that he could walk out of the ballpark knowing that the ball was still sailing, and WWE is gonna be just fine, if not even better. We await the return of Roman Reigns.”

Cody Rhodes On Not Having A Moment With Roman Reigns
Cody Rhodes was then asked whether he took it as a “personal snub” that Roman Reigns was not backstage to talk to him after their match.

“[Shakes head] We just got finished punching and kicking each other to death,” Coody Rhodes said. “Bleeding, belts, chairs. No, I didn’t take it personal at all, and I wouldn’t take it personal if he hates my guys to this day. I just feel a little differently.”