When Joe Burrow He walked out to Cincinnati Bengals training camp earlier this summer sporting a slightly slicked-back bleached blonde hair, he He was immediately compared to Cody Rhodes, the star of “American Nightmare.”current holder of the WWE Championship and the integral face of professional wrestling in the United States.
On paper, the comparisons more or less wrote themselves; both men are at the top of their game, they are heroes or villains depending on your perspective, and they are obviously athletes with similar aesthetic characteristics, but then… factor into Rhodes' signature catchphrase “Finish the story”as fans took it upon themselves to pin the phrase on Burrow as well, as his Bengals had a similar false start on the sport's biggest stage and now need to get back to the big plans of becoming the world champion they want to be.
Talking about his feelings about Burrow as a player in a special interview with ESPN Get upRhodes made it clear that he is a big fan of the LSU legend and hopes that He too can achieve his dream this fall..
“Well, I hope it brings him good luck. I’m actually a huge Joe Burrow fan. I mean, SEC legend. I mean, now that they’re not playing each other anymore, I’m definitely a Dawgs fan at heart, but this guy was as good as you can get on the college field,” Cody Rhodes told ESPN via Fightful. “I love watching him now, all these young quarterbacks and what they’re doing. I hope the look does him justice. It certainly worked out for me. We finished the story, we got the WWE championship. I hope he can get some gold.”
Unfortunately for Burrow, his sport is unscripted, enough is enough, and as a result, he’ll have a much tougher road to becoming a Super Bowl champion than stealing some of the spotlight from Dwayne “The Rock Johnson” for a few months. Still, considering the Bengals have one of the best rosters in the NFL and are getting back many of their key weapons from that Super Bowl run, if health is on his side, Burrow could also “finish his story” next February.
Cody Rhodes wants to see more of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in WWE
Turning his attention from the Bengals’ present to the WWE Universe’s past, Rhodes was asked about “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and his relationship with the Hall of Famer. Gabby AFAlthough Rhodes adores the “Master of the Ring,” he questions why he doesn't play his legend card more, as he believes he's leaving money on the table.
“Steve Austin is, from a dollars and cents standpoint, the most profitable wrestler of all time. For guys who like it and study the business, that’s the benchmark and where you want to go. On top of being all that, more memories than anyone could ever provide. WWE at the time needed, WWE didn’t need things that often, at the time they needed Stone Cold Steve Austinand he threw [WWE] “He stepped out of the place he was in and made everybody rich and brought a whole new flavor to the industry,” Rhodes said. Gabby AF via Fightful.
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“I would love to see him in any position. He exceeded his expectations with Kevin Owens. If that was the end, it was a great end. Kevin Owens did an amazing job there as well. I feel like he hasn’t played his legend card enough. He could just come in and tag team with someone. I know he probably wants it to be at the highest level, but you’re a legend, you can do whatever you want.”
Now for fans who don't know, Austin has had exactly one match since retiring from the ring in 2003 by beating The Rock in the main event of Fight Mania XIXsecuring a victory over Kevin Owens in a semi-surprise match on Night 1 of Fight Mania 38Now, it's true that he's made plenty of appearances for WWE in between those two “Showcases of the Immortals,” from guest referee appearances to in-ring promos, and almost as many impressive stunts as he put out during his prime, but actual matches? Not so much.
Still, considering that Rhodes would likely be the beneficiary of an Austin return if it comes in a tag team match, as he's the babyface hero atop the WWE Universe right now, it's safe to say that the aging Codester is using a public promotional appearance to play politics and score another big payday and a moment that will secure the legacy of his WWE Champion reigns. Overall, Austin would likely be proud of that level of commitment to the business.