Sgt. Slaughter reveals heartfelt Cody Rhodes moment after WWE show (Exclusive)

Cody Rhodes has been one of WWE's top fan favorites since returning in 2022 after a six-year absence. In an exclusive interview, WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter gave his thoughts on The American Nightmare's connection with the audience.

On October 11, 2024, Rhodes defeated Dominik Mysterio to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship in an untelevised match after a SmackDown episode. Slaughter's daughter attended the event, which took place at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.

Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling's Senior Editor Bill Apter, Slaughter praised Rhodes for genuinely caring about the fans.

"He's [Cody Rhodes] a real professional. My daughter got tickets to a match in Greenville, South Carolina, took my grandson and a couple of friends, and after the dark match, Cody was in it, he went around the ring, took pictures, took selfies with everybody, shook hands, hugged, and he ran into my daughter."

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Watch the video above to hear Slaughter's honest opinion on what John Cena was like in the early 2000s.

Sgt. Slaughter on Cody Rhodes studying his matches

In 1981, Pat Patterson defeated Sgt. Slaughter in an Alley Fight at Madison Square Garden. The match is widely viewed as one of the best WWE bouts of its era.

Slaughter was pleased to find out that Cody Rhodes had watched his old matches, including the legendary battle with Patterson.

"She [Slaughter's daughter] had a Sgt. Slaughter shirt on. He said, 'You know him?' She said, 'Yeah, that's my dad.' He said, 'I just watched his match with Pat Patterson yesterday, and I'm watching all of his matches because you only learn from the best.' And my daughter was just like, 'Oh my God. You actually are speaking to me about something that means something.' It wasn't just like, 'Hey, hi, how are you? Thanks for being a fan.'"

In the same video, Slaughter revealed what he told Cody Rhodes after WWE's 10-bell salute for Hulk Hogan.

Please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling and embed the video if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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Edited by Danny Hart