The WWE Championship has become a common sight in sports culture, with college and professional athletes receiving and taking photos with WWE title belts after a championship victory. As a result, it is perhaps to be expected that despite a banner year for the undisputed WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes, his title has managed to eclipse him. This face was clearly revealed to Rhodes during his 20th high school reunion, which he discussed during a recent appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon“.
“There are, I guess, some main rules in sports entertainment, in professional wrestling, and that night I broke one of them: Always bring the belt,” Rhodes said. “I didn’t bring the belt. I don’t know what was going through my mind.”
Rhodes said many classmates (even those he didn’t have the best relationships with in high school) recognized him at WrestleMania 40, where he defeated Roman Reigns to win his first WWE world title. At first, they were excited to take a photo with the WWE Champion, but when Cody mentioned that he didn’t bring the title belt, that excitement seemed to melt away. The only people who ultimately took a photo with him (which was put on display for Fallon’s audience) were members of the International Thespian Society, which Cody was involved with in high school.
“They didn’t care, they didn’t want a belt,” Rhodes said. “They were real.”