WWE superstar and undisputed champion Cody Rhodes can’t help but reflect on the role football played in his career and his relationship with his famous father as he looks around Allegiant Stadium.

In fact, it was his decision to quit the sport that shaped the rest of his life.

The son of wrestling legend Dusty Rhodes, Rhodes was the kind of kid who tried every sport. However, his father loved watching him play football and was disappointed when high school sophomore Cody told him he wanted to quit to focus on his amateur wrestling ambitions.

“I told my dad I was going to win state that year,” Rhodes said. “That is a very difficult competition in Georgia. I don’t think he didn’t believe me, but he didn’t know what to believe.

“That whole junior season is such a pivotal moment in my childhood and my relationship with my father because I went undefeated and, absurdly, I was only knocked out twice. I just had a season-long “Vision Quest” level. When I won that tournament, our relationship changed forever. He had confidence in me.”

‘That was my father’

Rhodes said his father knew from that day on that Cody possessed the focus to achieve anything he set his mind to and became one of his biggest fans and advocates.

“That totally applies to my WWE career,” said Rhodes, whose real name is Cody Runnels. “In a room of a hundred people in 2008, when I was just starting out in WWE, if you asked, ‘Is Cody going to take over as WWE’s quarterback at Wrestlemania 40, there’s no way 99 would have said it. But someone would have said, ‘Yes. Trust me. I wouldn’t bet against him.’ That was my father.”

Dusty Rhodes died in 2015.

All these years later, Rhodes is somewhat ironically plying his trade in football stadiums. His highlight came at Wrestlemania 40 when he headlined sold-out shows at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on consecutive nights last April.

Now he’s looking forward to being one of the stars of the show alongside the retiring John Cena when Wrestlemania 41 comes to Allegiant Stadium for a two-night event on April 19 and 20.

Rhodes is in town to promote ticket sales for the event, but he probably doesn’t have to do much. These things are incredibly hard to come by, certainly harder than the last time Wrestlemania was in Las Vegas outside Caesars Palace in 1993.

That’s especially rewarding for someone like Rhodes, who has not only wrestled in fire halls and bingo parlors, but has also heard the stories of his older relatives who got their start in the most obscure locations imaginable.

“When you grow up in the business, you almost have imposter syndrome in terms of where you fit in the pantheon of entertainment,” Rhodes said. “For me, when big stadium events happen, it’s really validating for someone who grew up in the industry and tells people, ‘It’s really cool’ and ‘It’s really popular.’ You’ll see.’

“To have moments like this where we fill this place for two nights and show how mainstream WWE has become, the little kid in me that wants to be so proud of what we do as a family, is extremely validating.”

Now it’s a global phenomenon with a full week of events surrounding the big event.

“It feels like it’s very fitting that it’s here in Vegas because it’s going to be a tall order to top what we did at Wrestlemania 40, and this allows us to meet and exceed that order,” Rhodes said of Allegiant.

“And you’ll see when the week starts, so many international fans come in. Vegas is already a destination, but now it’s becoming a double destination for wrestling fans and I’m really excited to have them here. It’s the perfect place for Wrestlemania 41 because, again, it’s a tall order, but we’re aiming to beat what we’ve done.

Although it will be only the second WWE event at Allegiant Stadium, the company has a long history in Las Vegas. Just like Rhodes himself. He fondly remembers old television recordings at Sam’s Town and Orleans Arena. One of his most famous matches was a bloody battle against his brother Dustin at the MGM Grand as part of AEW in 2019.

“I’ve had wonderful moments all over the city,” says Rhodes, an avowed fan of the city for both business and pleasure. “I’m really excited about bringing wrestling fans who have never been before to experience not only Wrestlemania, but one of the major cities. I would encourage them to take it all in, take their time and enjoy a beautiful place.”

The fans at Allegiant Stadium will no doubt heed his advice those two nights.

‘The Quarterback’

Full disclosure, I’m not much of a wrestling fan. But I have come to appreciate storytelling, something Rhodes speaks of eloquently and with such dedication to that part of the craft.

There is also something so unique about the performers’ ability to control a crowd. Rhodes compares that aspect to a lead singer sometimes having more than 60,000 backup singers. It’s remarkable to see in person.

WWE commentator Michael Cole had a different comparison. Perhaps because of the success Rhodes has had in football stadiums or the way he can take control of the action in the ring and with all the fans in the arena, Cole has dubbed Rhodes “the quarterback.”

“Nothing is funnier because I’m not a football player,” Rhodes said as he sat in a suite overlooking an empty Allegiant Stadium. “But I take responsibility for it, and I understand the parallel. So if I go from ‘I’m not playing this anymore’ to this stadium and know that we’re going to perform right where that Raiders logo is, right in the middle with a record crowd watching, then I’m going to be that night the quarterback.

“Somehow I’m back in football again.”

Contact Adam Hill at [email protected]. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.