Roman Reigns’ “Politician” Jab At Cody Rhodes Finally Gets Honest Response
Cody Rhodes opens up about The Tribal Chief’s cutting remark during their intense promo war and what it really means behind the scenes
The tension between Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes didn’t end when the lights went out on their last match.
During a revealing conversation on GUNTHER’s podcast appearance, Rhodes finally addressed the “politician” label Reigns slapped on him during one of their heated exchanges. And his response might surprise fans who thought it was meant as an insult.
“Roman Reigns called me a politician one time, and I remember thinking, ‘I’m not mad at that,'” Rhodes admitted.
The former Undisputed WWE Champion explained that growing up in the wrestling business gave him a different perspective on what that word actually means in the locker room. To him, there’s a clear line between playing the game and being fake.
“Everyone is, to a degree,” Rhodes said about being a politician in wrestling. “To me, there is politics and posturing, and then there is snaking and backstabbing.”
Rhodes took the opportunity to praise today’s locker room culture, pointing out that most wrestlers keep it real with each other even when they disagree. He described an environment where guys say exactly what they think is better for business, have the conversation, and let management make the final call.
“You can smell when you get around the ones today, ‘This is going to be really good for you,’ and you can already tell, ‘No, it’s not,'” Rhodes added.
The Mixed Reaction Era
The conversation also touched on something Rhodes is experiencing more frequently these days – boos from crowds that once cheered him unconditionally.
During a separate appearance on the “Unsportsmanlike” podcast, Rhodes opened up about finding himself in unfamiliar territory as a fan favorite who now draws mixed reactions.
“I’m in a funky spot as a wrestler on the show now, where not every game is a home game anymore,” he explained.
The shift happened gradually. What started as “Let’s go Cody”/”Cody sucks” chants has turned into straight-up “Cody sucks” in some cities. One memorable moment came during a show in Germany when Bobby Roode walked up to him backstage after the crowd saw his face on the screen.
“He goes, ‘They just showed you on the screen. It’s gonna be an away game,'” Rhodes recalled.
Rather than viewing the changing crowd dynamics as a problem, Rhodes sees it as the ultimate test of character. Some territories still feel like home – Florida and Texas remain safe havens – but he’s not about to change who he is just because some fans want to boo him.
“I think it’s the coolest thing you could possibly imagine,” Rhodes said about the mixed reactions. “You can’t change because of it. I think that’s the greatest gift you can give to that fandom that is adversarial to you.”
He pointed to staying consistent with his “goody two shoes” approach as the key to potentially winning those crowds back down the road. Whether he’s getting cheered or jeered, Rhodes insists the noise fuels him either way.
“I thrive on ‘the noise’ as John Cena coined it,” he said. “So it doesn’t matter what it is. It can be – it’s gotta do something.”
