Cody Rhodes Reveals His Backstage Fight With Santino Marella

During a recent interview with the Double Coverage Podcast, former WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes revealed he once got into a backstage altercation with former WWE Superstar Santino Marella earlier in their careers. Based on Cody’s description, he and Santino got into a bit of rough horseplay that turned serious.

It culminated in Santino lifting Cody over his head and slamming him onto the hood of a four-wheeler. Cody noted that Santino has a legitimate martial arts and judo background, although he’s well known for his comedy antics on WWE TV. Below are some highlights:

Cody Rhodes on His Backstage Altercation With Santino Marella

“I had one moment with — I don’t think people realize, and I mentioned it on my podcast. Santino Marella is a judo star. I mean, an absolute — we only knew him as this comedy [act]. But he was a killer in judo and in mixed martial arts and when he was in OVW that’s the gimmick he was doing was Boris. So he was he was somebody that we joke around a lot because I rode with him, and we had fun, and one time we got into this little like, you know, he’s getting the Russian two-on-one and we’re starting you know when you start pushing on each other that this is going somewhere, and I got lucky and he shot in on me and I sprawled and I got lucky and I stuffed the shot and then I shot in on him and I took him down to his back and we’re in the locker room. This is no big deal. This is two points in wrestling. Whatever.

“It’s not — I’m not better at martial arts than Santino. But he was so angry that he picked me up over his head right as we came up, and he slammed me on a four-wheeler hard case in the back. And thank God he slammed me on that. Otherwise, I would have hit the cement. And I remember Arn Anderson and him; we were all in the room, and we all saw it happen because we were the only ones in there. And we all kind of realized like that that right there I, I get it. Thank you. I understood. I will not be engaging in any of this horseplay any further. That was the only time I ever had it. I’ve never had a situation in the ring where I’m like, ‘God dang,’ or had to like grab someone. Thank God. I’ve never had to, like, sink a leg in on anybody.”

On Logan Paul and Amateur Wrestling

“Also, you know, Logan Paul’s got a really great folk style background, too. And he’s not a double leg shooter. He’s an ankle pick guy. And that’s the only time I think I ever really oddly wanted to implement it into a match. But I love when you have that background. It’s helpful. Amateur wrestling. If you’re a parent who’s thinking about getting their kid into it, they’re going to love it. Think about that. You go out there, you have to shake the guy’s hand. You get three minutes, or you get six minutes depending on where the level you’re wrestling at, and then it’s either your fault you won or it’s your fault you lost. Not a team thing, and then you have to shake their hand again, and then you have to go shake their coach’s hand.

“There is nothing that was character-building more than junior wrestling for me. Oh my god. Getting stuck in front of your parents like that. Those rides home, and you know, and then just trying your best, and then you know, my parents, they were — they’re very competitive. They weren’t vocal about it, but we didn’t love a ride home if you weren’t on the podium you know, and I always thought competition was cool like we should we should be encouraging competition. I don’t know if that’s the thing anymore, but that’s me, so yeah.”

As previously reported, Santino Marella won a gold medal at the Jiu-Jitsu Master 5 competition at Jiu-Jitsu Con in Las Vegas in September. Marella is currently part of TNA Wrestling, where he appears as the on-air director of Authority.

Meanwhile, Cody Rhodes was in action yesterday at WWE Crown Jewel 2026. He defeated Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing Match.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The Double Coverage Podcast with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.