Road Dogg Defends Cody Rhodes Losing At WWE WrestleMania, Says He Hasn't Earned It

While many professional fans lamented Cody Rhodes' WrestleMania 39 loss to Roman Reigns, some who work behind the scenes believe Rhodes needed more adversity to overcome before he reached the pinnacle. On a live edition of "Oh...You Didn't Know?" WWE Hall of Famer and Senior Vice President of Live Events Brian "Road Dogg" James discussed and agreed with the argument.

"He came in and he had no adversity. He went right through the [Royal] Rumble, right through everybody, and right to the champion," James said. "And so the argument could be made, if you just give it to him now, did he earn it?"

James recalled Rhodes' impressive work leading up to his resurgence in WWE, including laying the groundwork for its rival company, All Elite Wrestling. Upon his return to WWE, Rhodes was hellbent on "finishing the story." Though the metaphor was left open to interpretation, many foresaw Rhodes' story ending with a world championship around his waist, a feat neither his father Dusty nor his brother Dustin, ever achieved in WWE. While it remains to be seen if Rhodes will ever receive a rematch and capture the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at a later date, James still applauds his accomplishments.

"From a human standpoint, holy mackerel. He's an entrepreneur in the industry of sports entertainment, and that has never existed before," James said.

As Rhodes pivots away from Reigns, he looks to conquer "The Beast Incarnate" Brock Lesnar, who ambushed him at the conclusion of the "Raw" after WrestleMania. Following Lesnar's attack, Rhodes challenged him to a match at Backlash, which is scheduled to take place on May 6.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Oh...You Didn't Know?" with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.