Cody Rhodes discloses what happened before his entrance at WrestleMania 38

Cody Rhodes made an unforgettable WWE return at WrestleMania 38. After his match, he opened up about the unparalleled experience of performing at The Grandest Stage of Them All.

The American Nightmare returned to the company as Seth Rollins' surprise opponent. His arrival sent fans into a frenzy as they welcomed the prodigal son with a deafening pop. Both men locked horns in an intense physical battle that ended in The Architect's defeat.

Cody opened up about the entire experience during his recent interview with The Ringer Wrestling Show and revealed lesser-known details about his return at WrestleMania.

He said that he never saw the crowd and directly faced more than 77,000 WWE fans right before his match. Without mincing his words, Cody said that this is a feeling that he will be chasing for the rest of his life.

"Man I uh... Everyone kept asking me all day, 'What do you expect?' Of course, I was hoping that they will be happy, this crowd or at least 'yay boo whatever, just some sort of energy and feeling but I really didn't want to put any expectations on it, and I never looked out there. I never walked the ramp, I never got to see the crowd, you know, they put me in my sweats, and I ran to get on the elevator. I didn't see anything. So, coming up on life was the first thing I saw the grand jury. You know, 'The Showcase of Immortals', all the things that WrestleMania is, and man... [exhales in excitement] just a feeling that I will chase for the rest of my life." (0:57 -- 1:38)

He also recalled how he was once someone who was nowhere on the card and had his fair share of doubters. The American Nightmare took time away to do everything he could to make noise and returned to the same people who now appreciate him. This change helped him in feeling vindicated, and he appreciated them. Cody Rhodes continued to say:

"If I never get another one, you know, as a wrestler, you're always Iike 'I gotta get another one,' 'What am I doing next year?', and another one but I feel so vindicated, man. So vindicated. To go from just nowhere on the card, no desire to have me, no priority, and to go out in the frickin' wilderness and to try everything I can to make some noise, change our business, the pro-wrestling, the sports entertainment whatever the F you want to call it, and just... [exhales loudly] I felt like they appreciated it and I appreciated them." (1:39 -- 2:08)

What's next for Cody Rhodes after WrestleMania 38?

Cody Rhodes has confirmed that he will appear on WWE RAW following WrestleMania 38. The American Nightmare is headed to the red brand, where he is expected to extend his feud with Rollins. Both Superstars delivered an incredible match at The Show of Shows.

As of this writing, there is no official confirmation regarding the creative team's plans for Cody Rhodes, especially when it comes to classifying him as a face or a heel. However, it is worth noting that Vince McMahon previously described him as someone he hand-picked for a WrestleMania match.

Interestingly, the only other Superstar who falls under the same category is Austin Theory, who currently portrays a corporate heel. Regardless of his booking, fans are certain that Cody will continue as "The American Nightmare" following his big win on WrestleMania Saturday.

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If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Ringer Wrestling Show and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.