More Backstage Details On WWE Raw Segment Between Paul Heyman And Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes and Paul Heyman turned heads on the February 6 episode of "WWE Raw" with their emotional promo exchange in the middle of the ring. When Rhodes started to address Sami Zayn challenging Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Elimination Chamber, Heyman made his way out and shifted the focus back to the slated Rhodes-Reigns WrestleMania event while adding more layers to the story of the famed Rhodes family.

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter previously noted that Heyman was a late addition to the "Raw" lineup and that the segment was mostly put together by Heyman and Rhodes. Fightful Select has now backed that report up by stating each man wrote their part and came together to produce what viewers saw on Monday night. The report also claimed that Heyman was said to be "caught by surprise" regarding "how important the ECW bookings were to the Rhodes family."

The talent and officials involved with the segment were all said to be "thrilled" with how the segment played out and with the positive reception that it has received in the days since. Another WWE higher up told Fightful, "Cody Rhodes is a star, and Paul Heyman is a starmaker. They were in a difficult position, and made something that seemed like a manufactured booking decision become a personal, WrestleMania main event if it ends up going that direction." While anything can happen in the world of WWE, company officials wants Rhodes vs. Reigns to be seen as one of the biggest matches of the year despite Zayn's popularity increasing.