10 REAL Reactions From WWE Wrestlers Being Punished On Air
2. Cody Rhodes (Monday Night Raw, 2013)
There must be so much of this sh*t buried within the infected bowels of the WWE Network.
For all the archives offer in terms of history making moments and legendary, awe-inspiring matches, there will be as much toxicity hiding either side of a Hart/Austin or an Angle/Michaels.
Or indeed, a Shield/Rhodes Family.
The October 21st 2013 Raw is one such nugget that emits a particularly pungent stink if you fish around long enough. It came just a week removed from the second generation stars winning the Tag Team Championships in an instant television classic, but the celebrations were short-lived and Cody was about to bear the brunt of his boss via his chief lieutenant.
Early into a battle between The Shield and The Usos, the announcers ask the babyfaces what they think of their potential opponents, but Cody's babyface platitudes apparently haven't got enough about them. Allegedly (and, if true, gleefully) acting under instructions from a furious Vince McMahon in the headsets, JBL relentlessly abuses the younger Rhodes for not having more gumption. Further calls from Cody for a bit of normal humanity are rebuffed from freight train Bradshaw, who just stops short of leathering him harder that Bart Gunn did him in the Brawl For All. Predictably, the match and the story within it is completely lost to the disdain.
Regardless of bad booking, this had to be an atmosphere Rhodes was only too happy to get the f*ck away from when he finally departed three years later.