Cody Rhodes Reflects on WrestleMania 42 Build, Says He’s Proud of How He Handled the Chaos

Cody Rhodes has been candid about what it took to make his WrestleMania 42 moment come together, telling Ariel Helwani that he’s proud of how he carried himself throughout the entire process.

The road to Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship match against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 42 was anything but a straight line. The build incorporated broadcaster Pat McAfee and Grammy Award-winning artist Jelly Roll — two high-profile names outside the traditional wrestling world who added an extra layer of variables to an already massive stage. Despite the moving parts, Rhodes said his mindset was simple: he just wanted to make it work for the night.

The quote itself speaks to Rhodes’ approach — less about controlling every element and more about rising to the moment regardless of what surrounded it. That’s a mentality that has defined a lot of his tenure as WWE’s top bayside star. Since completing his story at WrestleMania XL by capturing the Undisputed WWE Championship, Rhodes has operated as the face of the company, and moments like WrestleMania 42 only add to that legacy.

His willingness to work alongside celebrity involvement and high-concept booking without complaint is something he’s clearly reflected on positively. Whether the match and its surrounding spectacle landed the way WWE hoped remains a topic of fan discussion, but Rhodes, for his part, sounds at peace with how he navigated it all. It’s a telling window into the mindset of a champion who has learned to thrive under pressure on the grandest stage the industry has to offer.