Cody Rhodes' Legitimate Heat With Seth Rollins Stemmed From Backstage Culture

For all the talk of pro wrestling being fake, many aspects of it are very much real, perhaps nothing more so than the competition between wrestlers. This is not to refer to the matches in the ring; everyone knows that matches are scripted, even if many of the things that occur within the match are not. When one talks about competition in wrestling, they are referring to what happens backstage and behind closed doors. Wrestling may be different in many ways from so-called traditional businesses or other sports, but at its core, it is very much the same. There are only so many spots that can be filled in the main event scene of a wrestling card, much like there are only so many slots open in a quarterback room or a board of directors.

As such, wrestlers are always competing with each other for that main event spot, that World Championship match, that push that could see one go from a midcarder to a superstar. In some promotions, that competition may be more relaxed than others, but sometimes, it can get very cut throat, with animosity developing when two headstrong wrestlers in particular believe that they are entitled to something. This sort of competition has informed the backstage culture of WWE for years now, first introduced by then WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and continued into the days of TKO's ownership. But it was during that brief in-between period, right when WWE was attempting to merge with Endeavor, when the backstage culture led to legitimate heat between rivals Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins, one that nearly spilled over into fisticuffs.

The seeds for the animosity between Rhodes and Rollins were planted almost as soon as Rhodes made the decision to leave AEW and rejoin WWE in early 2022. Not long after that, Rhodes was not only booked against Rollins in a month-long program, but he proceeded to beat Rollins on each occasion, including WrestleMania 38, and later even doing so with a torn pectoral muscle in Hell in a Cell. It was understandable booking from any perspective; if WWE had any hope of establishing Rhodes as a player, while also proving to AEW talent that they'd be treated well if they decided to jump, having him beat Rollins in three consecutive matches was the way to go. In the same breath, it would be easy to see why decision making could upset Rollins; after all, he remained with WWE while Rhodes left and had worked his way into becoming one of the promotion's more dependable stars, only to be beaten like a drum by Rhodes once the latter came back.

All of that could've been considered conjecture if Rhodes hadn't confirmed in a 2023 interview that those sort of decisions did lead to him and Rollins having heat. What's surprising is that the heat got so bad that, at one point, Rhodes and Rollins nearly came to blows in the locker room, in a confrontation that Rhodes described as the closest he's ever gotten to legitimately fighting a co-worker. Beyond that, Rhodes was coy with the details, only revealing that the incident took place in early 2023, shortly before Rhodes unsuccessfully challenged Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 39. Two years later, it seems those issues have at least been somewhat ironed out, as Rollins and Rhodes worked together with no problems at WWE Crown Jewel. But their story goes to show that, even among two top stars, competition always exists, and it can lead to something worse if one isn't careful.