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Cody Rhodes instantly became the talk of the town after his remarkable return to WWE on Night 1 of WrestleMania 38.
His blockbuster arrival at The Showcase of the Immortals marked his first appearance for the promotion since his fateful departure in 2016. Cody Rhodes showed up as Vince McMahon's hand-picked mystery opponent for Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
The two men put on a barnburner as they laid out every move in their arsenals to push each other to the limit. After landing his Cross Rhodes maneuver three times and The Bionic Elbow as a homage to his late father Dusty Rhodes, the former AEW star clinched the victory over The Visionary.
The 36-year-old's comeback came with big surprises as he surfaced with his AEW theme "Kingdom" blaring through the speakers in Arlington, Texas. But more than that - his in-ring attire, Nightmare Family emblem, pyro, and "The American Nightmare" persona all resembled his AEW style of presentation.
And speaking of his moniker, one may wonder why Cody Rhodes calls himself The American Nightmare?
It's no secret that Cody derived his most recognized moniker from his late father's "The American Dream" persona. The former AEW EVP is a second-generation superstar, so it's evident that wrestling blood runs in his veins.
In a ‘Ask Me Anything’ feature for Bleacher Report, Cody revealed why he calls himself "The American Nightmare." The veteran stated that following his WWE departure, he pitched the idea of embracing something similar to his late father's moniker, which would make it easier for fans to get behind the name.
The former TNT Champion asserted that "The American Nightmare" fits his persona because of Dusty's inspiring rags-to-riches story:
"I spent my WWE career trying to do everything different from Dusty but then at a certain point you’re allowed a little grace. When I left in 2015 and went to New Japan it was Tiger Hattori and Gato that liked the idea because it was easy for the fans to follow because it was like ‘The American Dream’. I was able to take it from there and get ownership of it and bring it everywhere I go. Now I’m surprised because I’ve never used it before. Dusty was rags to riches and I was riches to riches, bratty little kid so the American Nightmare fits me well.”
While Rhodes's Dashing and Stardust gimmicks failed to yield success in WWE, his "The American Nightmare" persona on independents and then in AEW carved a new legacy for him.
Now that Cody is back and better than ever, he'll look to continue building his legacy, with his WrestleMania 38 moment signifying the first of many more to come.
Cody Rhodes will appear on WWE RAW
Following his monumental WrestleMania victory over Seth Rollins on Saturday night, Cody Rhodes confirmed that he will appear on Monday Night Raw.
The American Nightmare will elucidate the reason behind his comeback and what he aims to accomplish in his second stint with WWE.
Cody's arrival has undoubtedly changed the landscape of the men's division, and it will be interesting to see whether his rivalry with Rollins continues.
Did you enjoy Cody Rhodes' emphatic return to WWE at The Show of Shows? Sound off below.
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