Cody Rhodes References Stardust On WWE Raw
Claims he was "dead inside" while portraying bizarre alter ego during earlier WWE run.
You had to wonder when Cody Rhodes would finally talk about one of the more ignominious times of his WWE career, and he finally did Monday night.
Since returning to WWE, Rhodes has spoken a bit more freely than other wrestlers on the roster, cutting promos that -- while still scripted -- come across as more authentic to Cody than the usual drek we hear on WWE programming.
On Monday night, Rhodes was drawing a comparison between Seth Rollins' career trajectory and his own during his earlier run with the company. He noted that he lost -- a lot. But then he went a step further:
"I scratched. I clawed. I painted my face, with a smile, dead inside, looking up at the lights most nights. But the thing is, I endured."
Although he didn't mention it by name, Cody was clearly talking about Stardust, a character he portrayed from mid-2014 until he left WWE two years later. He was originally paired with his brother, Goldust (Dustin Rhodes), and the two would capture the WWE Tag Team Championship, but once they lost them, the team faded in prominence. By early 2015, the duo disbanded and Stardust was little more than a lower-midcard talent, putting over others.
By the time he left WWE, Stardust was losing to Zack Ryder, Apollo Crews and Dolph Ziggler on WWE Main Event and Superstars. Six years later, Rhodes has a countdown clock announcing when he's going to make his entrance and speak to the fans on Raw.