Cody Rhodes Believes The Rock Still Has The ‘People’s Champ’ Inside Him

Cody Rhodes battled a heel Rock at WrestleMania 40, but he believes that the “People’s Champion” is still inside the Final Boss. Rhodes recently spoke with Busted Open Radio and was asked about his rivalry with Rock that started the year and led into WrestleMania; you can see highlights below (h/t to Wrestling Inc):

On what Rock put in his hand on the Raw after WrestleMania: “It wasn’t a dollar, it was certainly more expensive than that. I tried to make a positive overture, an olive branch, to The Rock and the Seven Bucks team, because I have an immense respect for what they’ve done. They’ve set the table so I can eat at it. He did not feel that that was a positive overture, and handed it back to me. That’s the best I can give you Bully. But I was pretty heart-stricken by the fact that it came back, but if anything, again, like Triple H told me, it’s not fun and games for these guys. They’re coming for you. And you either get ready, or you don’t.”

On The Rock potentially returning to a babyface role: “If we’re looking at Star Wars parallels, I feel like we’re maybe past Jedi at this point. Here’s the struggle I have with a person like The Rock; I know it’s underneath there. I know inside is the ‘People’s Champion.’ I was the biggest Rock fan growing up. I know he’s in there. And that’s not what returned. We got ‘The Final Boss,’ we got the cursing, we got an unbelievably gritty and formidable [performer]…I just wish the relationship had been different, and I can’t sit here hoping for that forever. I can’t sit here saying ‘Man, I’d like to bring the real ‘People’s Champion’ back.’ I really would, because I think that’s what’s underneath there. But perhaps The Rock is too far gone.”