Cody Rhodes Says Celebrities Should ‘Pick Other People To Mess With’

Cody Rhodes has a message for the celebrity crowd circling WWE: leave him out of it. Appearing on The Tonight Show, Rhodes addressed the recurring trend of outside stars getting pulled into his storylines, telling the audience, “You can pick other people to mess with.”

The comment lands at a pointed moment. WWE fans have spent recent weeks bracing for Tom Brady to show up on television, with speculation building toward a possible confrontation or match involving Logan Paul. Those teases picked up steam after Brady slapped Paul during an appearance at Fanatics Fest, a moment that immediately got the wrestling internet buzzing about a crossover angle. Brady has already dipped a toe into WWE waters as a part-owner of the company through a minority stake, so the idea of him stepping into a more active on-screen role isn’t far-fetched.

Rhodes, for his part, seems to be gently pushing back on the idea that he’s the default target whenever a celebrity wants a moment in WWE. It’s not hard to see why. Since reclaiming the top spot in the company two years ago, Rhodes has been positioned as the face of WWE’s biggest crossover moments, from Logan Paul confrontations to various star-studded WrestleMania builds. Being “the guy” often means being the guy that outside stars want to test themselves against on their way into the wrestling world.

WWE has leaned heavily into celebrity involvement for decades, going back to Mr. T, Cyndi Lauper, and Mike Tyson in the Rock ’n’ Wrestling era, through Floyd Mayweather, Ronda Rousey’s crossover run, and now the modern wave that includes YouTube-turned-wrestling stars like Logan Paul himself. Brady potentially joining that lineage would be one of the biggest gets yet, given his stature in American sports and his existing financial ties to the company. But Rhodes’ comment is a reminder that the wrestlers actually holding the spotlight don’t always relish being used as measuring sticks for famous visitors.

There’s also a storytelling wrinkle here worth watching. If Brady is being lined up as a program for Logan Paul rather than Rhodes, that would suggest WWE is trying to build a second marquee celebrity feud independent of its champion, rather than funneling every big name through Cody. Whether that’s by design or simply where the pieces have fallen, it takes some pressure off Rhodes to be the guy who has to sell every splashy guest appearance.

For now, nothing has been confirmed about a Brady in-ring appearance, and WWE hasn’t laid out specifics on how far the Paul angle will go. But between the Fanatics Fest slap and Rhodes publicly noting how often he ends up in the middle of these celebrity storylines, it’s clear the company is at least floating the idea to see how fans react.

Expect the speculation to keep building as WWE inches closer to its next round of premium live events, with all eyes on whether Brady’s WWE ownership stake turns into something more theatrical on screen.