Chris Jericho Discusses Cody Rhodes' Ascension In WWE, Feud With The Rock

Cody Rhodes is currently heading into WWE WrestleMania 40 as the biggest babyface in the company, and his ascension has been apparent since his AEW departure. Even though Chris Jericho was shocked when Rhodes left Tony Khan's promotion, he admitted that he's a big fan of the "American Nightmare," and he understands why he moved back to WWE.

"He's done so great. He's probably a far bigger star there than he was in AEW, and he was one of our top guys in AEW. There was just something that clicked for him there," Jericho told "Gabby AF." "He became a huge star in WWE and a future World Champion for sure. I'm very proud of him."

While Rhodes' win in the 2023 men's Royal Rumble seemingly positioned him to be Roman Reigns' challenger at WWE WrestleMania 40, The Rock's return initially threw a spanner in the works until WWE pivoted back to Rhodes. Jericho likened the situation to what Bryan Danielson had to deal with heading into WWE WrestleMania 30 when Batista came back and almost shook things up. Still, he did admit it's awesome that Rock is back, and he's looking forward to seeing what they do.

"They built Cody's story so well that when it kind of gets pushed aside for The Rock, who a lot of people haven't seen for 10 years. They're like, 'Who the f*** is this guy coming back? The actor guy, we want this guy.' Rock is so smart obviously, he did the right thing and turned heel," Jericho said. "I don't think this is a one-and-done for Rock either."

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