Cody Rhodes Partnering With Old Foe For New Business Venture

Once on-screen enemies, Cody Rhodes and Arrow star Stephen Amell are now partners in the wine business. Sports Illustrated's Justin Barrasso reports that Rhodes is joining Amell's Nocking Point wine club and will be creating two new wines.

"Stephen is one of the hardest workers I've ever encountered, and we're talking a Vince McMahon-level drive," Rhodes said. "Through our SummerSlam match-up and my guest appearances on Arrow, we moved from a mutual respect for one another's work ethics to a really cool friendship."

Rhodes and Amell first met in 2015 when Amell was a guest on Monday Night Raw. Rhodes' Stardust character developed a rivalry with Amell culminating with a tag team match at SummerSlam in which Amell and Neville defeated Stardust and Wade Barrett. Amell said he received some great advice from Triple H before his lone match in the WWE.

"I was standing in the 'Gorilla' position before our match," Amell recalled. "Hunter walked up to me and said, 'If you think you're going too fast, slow down. When you're sure you're going too slow, then slow down some more. And when you're positive you're going too slow, then slow down some more.' As soon as I walked out into the Barclays, all of the moisture was immediately zapped from my mouth. I literally forgot to get in the ring, but I couldn't ask for a better person to work with than Cody. It couldn't have been better."

Rhodes' two wines will have ties to the wrestling business. The first one is called "Dream," dedicated to the memory of his father, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. The second is called "Nightmare" and represents Rhodes' motivation to succeed in pro wrestling.

"The original idea was to create 'Nightmare', but once I heard I'd be working on two bottles, 'Dream' was a no-brainer," Rhodes said. "There is a personal quote from my father on the bottle that reads, 'You can't be a beacon if yo' light don't shine', and it is such a nice touch. Of all my father's sayings, that is one he regularly told his grandchildren in the last few years of his life."

Source: Sports Illustrated