It's been six years since the WWE visited Bloomington-Normal—longer than that for superstar "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes.
The son of wrestling icon Dusty Rhodes is riding high as the reigning undisputed WWE champion, defending his belt Saturday at Grossinger Motors Arena in a live, untelevised event called the WWE SuperShow.
“If you ever come into a live event completely unindoctrinated, I feel like you’re in,” Rhodes said in an interview for WGLT’s Sound Ideas. “It gets in your bones. You get to see the matches that TV only advertises; there’s just a lot of bang for your buck.”
Rhodes is joined by WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins, Sami Zayn, “Main Event” Jey Uso, Kevin Owens and Becky Lynch, plus more WWE stars from across the company. The SuperShow is the pro wrestling equivalent of an NFL all-star game or a Cubs/Sox crosstown classic. Stars from SmackDown and Raw compete against each other, a rarity outside the WrestleMania championships.
Rhodes said the victory lap following his landmark win at WrestleMania 40 has been different than he anticipated. In April, Rhodes unseated reigning champion Roman Reigns in a Bloodline Rules match that reintroduced Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to the ring.
“The new thing started immediately as the old thing ended,” said Rhodes. “There was no time. I’ve tried to find some quiet moments where I just remind myself, hey, if it all ended tomorrow—you did it.”
Dusty Rhodes died from kidney failure in 2015. His physique and charismatic persona were symbolic of his “son of a plumber,” everyman narrative and his moniker: “The American Dream.” He was widely recognized in the industry as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.
In the late stages of Dusty Rhodes' career, he was a trainer with NXT, the WWE’s development program. Kevin Owens and Becky Lynch, both appearing in Saturday’s SuperShow at Grossinger Motors Arena, were among his pupils.
“Dusty had a way of bringing everyone up around him,” Cody Rhodes said. “That’s become the overarching goal. I wanted to be like my dad as a wrestler. I think after WrestleMania I want to be like my dad as a man.”
Rhodes left the WWE in 2016 when it became clear his persona "Stardust" wasn't champion material. He returned to the independent circuit, developed “The American Nightmare” in Japan and launched a new promotion called All Elite Wrestling (AEW). By the time Rhodes came back to the WWE in 2022, it was under his own name—an attempt to "finish the story" by claiming the championship his father never won. “Dream” is tattooed across Cody Rhodes’ chest in homage to his father; the "American Nightmare" logo is permanently inked on his neck.
“I was trying so hard for the longest time, kind of chasing the ghost, when it came to [Dusty Rhodes’] legacy, his accomplishments and the promise I made about winning the WWE championship,” said Rhodes. “This was all sincere; it was all real—no matter how you look at our industry.”
After all, the WWE is “sports entertainment,” in which the athletes don’t have complete control over their destiny.
Former wrestler Triple H heads up the creative enterprise following longtime chairman Vince McMahon’s two-year phased resignation stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct. McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022, remaining executive chairman of the parent company which controls the WWE and Ultimate Fighting Championship [UFC].
“I remember coming back on Monday Night Raw the night after I returned at WrestleMania,” said Rhodes. “I thought it was such a massive risk—that I was going to be the laughing stock of the business having come from my own creation and then return to a place that perhaps didn’t value me as much.”
Moreover, Rhodes sustained a serious injury shortly after returning to the WWE. After surgery and rehabilitation, he’s stronger than ever, but it took an extra year to “finish the story.”
“Every step along the way isn’t a step alone,” he said. “So, the thing I noticed coming back to WrestleMania was, oh man, these fans are into this. They don’t care. They’re not mad. They’re happy to have me back. They were with me.”
The WWE SuperShow is 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at Grossinger Motors Arena, 101 S. Madison St. Tickets start at $25, available at 309-434-2843 and grossingermotorsarena.com.
