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| Cody Rhodes (photo courtesy of WWE) |
Photos courtesy of WWE
By Arune Singh
Some heroes fight for justice, some fight for glory and some just fight to bring a modicum of decency back to the world. Many might not call WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes a hero, but he’s doing his best to accomplish that last goal—in his eyes at least.
Rhodes may model himself after super heroes, but the WWE Universe doesn’t seem to appreciate his efforts. Fortunately, the third generation competitor has found a kindred spirit in ally in Damien Sandow and the two have formed Team Rhodes Scholars, one of the most exciting tandems in sports entertainment, their sights set on making the world a better place—first with words, then with fists.
Marvel.com recently spoke with Rhodes about WrestleMania, his love of the X-Men and, most importantly, the interesting new tag team partner growing on his face.
Marvel.com: So Cody, we have to talk about this new mustache—it’s become quite the topic of conversation. What inspired you to grow it?
Cody Rhodes: When I got hurt [last fall], it was the first time I’ve had off in six years and I wasn’t sure what to do since this time off wasn’t voluntary. I was just letting this mustache grow on my face and thought “You know what? I’m gonna come back to TV and I’m going to see how people react.” I didn’t know I could grow a mustache because none of the men in my family have ever had facial fair. The reaction to the mustache was overwhelmingly negative and positive; anything that’s polarizing in sports entertainment is usually something you want to keep.
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| Cody Rhodes (photo courtesy of WWE) |
Marvel.com: Do you feel like your mustache imbues you with any special powers? Is it the radioactive spider to your Spider-Man?
Cody Rhodes: Man, I really wish I could say that the mustache is the edge I had been looking for, but I’ll be totally honest: when I look at myself, it still just looks like a kid with a mustache on his face. Years ago, Arn Anderson asked me, “Can you grow a mustache? I think it will make you, you know, look more like a man. Our audience will see you as tougher.” And he was one of the first people to laugh out loud when he saw the mustache years later so obviously it was a failed attempt at looking tougher. I just think it makes me look [classier], more like Errol Flynn, y’know?
Marvel.com: I’ve seen fans online compare your look to that of Howard Stark and Tony Stark, which doesn’t seem like a bad thing at all.
Cody Rhodes: Especially because, as far as comics are concerned, there are so many layers to the Starks—layers that not everyone knows. I also love to be included in the same discussion as playboys like these two controversial men—men’s men.
Marvel.com: The Starks aren’t the only ones in the Marvel Universe with some stunning facial hair. Let’s take Wolverine for example—you think you’ll try growing his mutton chops?
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| Dum Dum Dugan |
Cody Rhodes: I’m one of those people who never thought they’d have facial hair. Growing up in a wrestling family, my dad [WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes] was my earliest influence and he hated two things in sports entertainment: guys who wore tights and guys who didn’t shave. He literally, to this day, yells at the television when he sees somebody with a five-o-clock shadow or something like that. He hates it. So, I was never sure I was going to grow a mustache but since I’ve been there I’m not against any other attempted facial hair things like that.
Marvel.com: But in your mind, who has the best facial hair in the Marvel Universe? I hear you’re a Dum Dum Dugan fan.
Cody Rhodes: Oh, of course! Dum Dum Dugan was a circus strong man before he came to work with [Nick] Fury. That’s right up my alley. But throughout me looking at all these characters, I notice that there’s no greater mustache in the Marvel Universe than the man’s, Stan Lee. That’s the mustache that every mustache wants to be.
Marvel.com: It’s hard to compete with “The Man”! But what is it about Dugan that appeals to you?
Cody Rhodes: I think that Dum Dum Dugan, just personally, being in a business where you need to do certain things to stick out, he decided that he was going to do two things better than anybody else and that was the type of hat he has on his head and the type of facial hair he has. I’m pretty sure those combined with his strong man credentials are what elevated him so highly in S.H.I.E.L.D.
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| Cody Rhodes (photo courtesy of WWE) |
Marvel.com: Well, then I guess you have a second career in espionage in case you want to do something after sports entertainment, correct?
Cody Rhodes: Oh my gosh, you should see me in a suit with this thing. I literally do look like a 1950’s CIA agent.
Marvel.com: Are there any characters in the Marvel Universe you think might be improved with a mustache or other kind of facial hair?
Cody Rhodes: That’s a good question; it would need to be a young character looking to stand out. I really think that the [reason] fans have given me such slack about it is because it just doesn’t fit. It just obviously doesn’t fit, even though I’m fully committing to it. So I’d say someone like Peter Parker should grow something. Not so much him as Spider-Man but to see what life was like for Peter Parker if he tried to grow a mustache. I’m pretty sure he’d get the same hit I’m getting.
Marvel.com: Switching gears, I know you’re on the road a lot and read comics whenever you can. What are you enjoying these days?
Cody Rhodes: Yesterday I read the first issue of the new UNCANNY X-MEN series and I’m very intrigued. I always stick with the X-Men. I was on the Cyclops bandwagon long before he became the most interesting figure in the comics world, so I love everything going on now. I don’t know if I was being worked the whole time or if there were other people reading X-Men comics for years, thinking “Man, Cyclops is awesome, taking all these people under his wing, doing so much for these people even though they do nothing for him.” Now he couldn’t be more of a—and I hate this term—boss. Day by day he’s becoming the new Erik Lensherr and I dig it. He’s telling the truth and that’s what makes him the bad guy.
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| Cyclops vs. Wolverine |
Marvel.com: It’s interesting to hear that you side with Cyclops because he’s fighting for a revolution with Magneto by his side, not unlike what you’re doing with Damien Sandow. You’re fighting an intellectual revolution. People might hate you but they don’t understand that you’re right. Or is that stretching it?
Cody Rhodes: No, that’s not stretching in terms of Team Rhodes Scholars and what try to do intellectually, but that’s one of the many areas our revolution covers in the WWE Universe. The intellectual revolution is where our bread and butter is, but there’s also an overall etiquette we bring to sports entertainment; small things like handshaking and not fist pounding. Like Cyclops, we know we’re the truest believers in this revolution.
Marvel.com: This revolution hasn’t been without challenges for you or Cyclops—you both have brothers opposing you. At the Royal Rumble, your brother Goldust returned and you two battled. Do you see yourselves more as Cyclops and Havok or Cyclops and Wolverine?
Cody Rhodes: Honestly, we are probably as much as brothers as Cyclops and Wolverine are anyway. We’re family but we grew up with such a difference in age; he’s so much older than I am that I didn’t grow up around him. That was a very bizarre evening for me. A lot of things in sports entertainment are entertainment but I didn’t know he’d be coming out. It turned out the right way and he got owned up by me but I wouldn’t have let anyone else do that to him. I was most shocked not by the reaction he got but by the reaction we got when we locked up. The WWE Universe consistently surprises me to this day.
Marvel.com: Like Michael Cole always says, anything can happen in WWE! Looking forward to WrestleMania 29 next month on pay-per-view, everyone’s talking about the Rock versus John Cena—greatness versus redemption. Who do you pick as the winner of this match?
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| Cody Rhodes (photo courtesy of WWE) |
Cody Rhodes: I picked John Cena last year and that was pretty stupid. Gosh, I gotta give you just a cheesy, cheesy answer: the fans. They are the ones who win here. The fans in MetLife Stadium, the fans watching on pay-per-view. Look, I have no idea what Rock’s intentions are, whether he’s going to stay with WWE or not. I’m very happy of how he fits us in an extremely busy schedule he has and watching him, it makes you want to be better. At the same time, this is an interesting time to be a John Cena fan. He’s been on top for so many years, consistently, that he’s almost slowly becoming the villain. I admire the guy for the amount of winning he does so I really can’t pick.
Marvel.com: It also looks like Team Rhodes Scholars are coming back together just in time for WrestleMania…
Cody Rhodes: I’m very fortunate to have Damien; we are legitimate good friends. We’ve been regularly reuniting due to the high demand of Team Rhodes Scholars [for] live events. People seem to love it and I would say I wouldn’t be surprised to see not Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania but Team Rhodes Scholars as a unit up to no good.
You can follow Cody Rhodes on Twitter, catch him on WWE Monday Night Raw every Monday at 8pm Eastern on USA Network and learn more at WWE.com!
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