wrestling / News
Bully Ray Praises Cody Rhodes’ Promo From Last Week’s WWE SmackDown for Being ‘Real’
Image Credit: WWE
During a recent edition of Busted Open Radio, WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray evaluated Cody Rhodes’ promo segment on last week’s WWE SmackDown, firing back at Randy Orton and Pat McAfee. Below are some highlights (via WrestlingInc.com):
Bully Ray on How Cody Rhodes’ Promo Felt ‘Real’
“What’s the one word that I said I need my pro wrestling to be? Real. Everything that Cody said was very real. … The words don’t matter to me. It’s the tone. That was Cody’s genuine angry voice. That’s not pro wrestling mad, that’s real-life mad. The whole front end of that promo is, ‘F you … whoever thought that Pat McAfee would be a good idea for this.'”
On How the Promo Was a Message to Those Who Thought the Pat McAfee Angle Was a Good Idea
“It was actually F you to anybody who thought including anybody in this was a good idea. How do I know that’s an eff you to anybody that thought this was a good idea to include anybody? Because at the end he said, ‘This is about two guys with 20 years of history and a pro wrestling match. You should’ve left it alone.’ That’s why that’s your favorite Cody promo, because it’s real. It’s genuine. It’s from the heart. It’s passionate. There’s nothing canned about it.”
As previously reported, it’s rumored that WWE’s creative team charged the reigning WWE Undisputed Champion to go to the ring and “shoot from the hip” about the McAfee angle, where McAfee was revealed as Orton’s mystery caller. The angle has been highly controversial among the fan community, with many criticizing that the development makes no sense.
Additionally, it’s rumored that the decision to use McAfee as part of the angle was a call made by TKO CEO Ari Emanuel, who is also McAfee’s agent, rather than the WWE creative team. During his promo, Cody stated, “Pat, you, and everyone who represents you and I know who I’m talking to, can kiss my ***. Oh no. Is that too far? What are you gonna do? Fire me? It sure worked out for you the last time.” It’s believed that Rhodes was referring to the TKO brass, specifically Ari Emanuel.
