Cody Rhodes just pulled the curtain back on one of the most surreal moments of his career the private meeting that led to his WWE return and the details feel straight out of a crime drama, not a boardroom.
While speaking with The Undertaker and Michelle McCool on Six Feet Under, Cody walked through how the meeting even happened, how unprepared he thought it would be, and how quickly he realized he was dealing with master-level negotiators. He confirmed that Vince McMahon didnt just call him. He didnt send an executive. He personally got on a plane.
Cody explained that the emotional weight of the meeting had nothing to do with money at first. For him, it was about proving his worth after years of being made to feel undervalued during his first WWE run.
He laid out everything that had changed since he left WWE not just professionally, but personally. But as the meeting unfolded, Cody admitted he quickly understood he wasnt in control of the room the way he thought he might be.
What ultimately hooked him wasnt a dollar figure. It was the one word that hits every wrestler right in the gut. Cody explained that hearing that word didnt just feel like a pitch it felt like a challenge.
Then came the negotiation itself and this is where the story turns from emotional to cinematic. Michelle McCool asked if the rumor was true that Vince didnt even say the number out loud. Cody confirmed it. Instead of discussing it, Vince simply slid the paper across the table.
Cody admitted the moment hit him harder than he expected, not because of the money, but because of how old-school the entire exchange felt.
But the most relatable part of the story came after he saw the number. Instead of playing it cool like a veteran negotiator, Cody admitted he did the exact thing everyone tells you not to do. Almost immediately, regret set in.
He acknowledged that nothing really prepares you for moments like that, no matter how successful you are.
Cody went even further, admitting that now when he hears about his peers negotiating big contracts, he cant help but wonder what their reactions look like behind closed doors.
Taken together, this wasnt just a cool behind-the-scenes anecdote. It painted a clear picture: WWE didnt just bring Cody back with money. They brought him back with psychology, timing, and the one word every performer chases.
Cody Rhodes return wasnt a fluke, and it wasnt just business it was personal, emotional, and psychological from both sides of the table. Hearing him walk through every step of that meeting makes his WrestleMania return hit even harder, because it wasnt just a comeback it was validation years in the making.
Do you think Vince flying to Atlanta shows how valuable Cody had become outside WWE, or was this always the inevitable endgame for The American Nightmare? Drop your thoughts and join the conversation.
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