In a deeply personal segment from the second episode of Stephanie’s Places, WWE’s Stephanie McMahon met with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes at Atlanta’s legendary Center Stage Theater — a location rich with wrestling history and a cornerstone of Cody’s childhood.
“This was center stage for WCW Saturday night. I spent a huge chunk of my childhood here,” Rhodes said, as he pointed out his childhood seat in the crowd. “Think about going to a wrestling show at eight years old. Look at these outfits, the smoke, the fire, the music… It’s just magic… What on earth would I want to do [else]?”
The building also holds an incredible memory for Cody involving a future WWE icon. “[Steve Austin] babysat me in this building… and was, was a legit, real babysitter,” Cody revealed. “Watching him, you know, Stone Cold Steve Austin… romp and stomp and doing everything, changing the industry… If you were in this building, you knew something. Steve Austin was awesome.”
Stephanie, who grew up inside the business herself, connected with Cody over their shared family legacies. “Wrestling has more than one royal family,” she said.
Cody’s lifelong dream wasn’t just to become a champion — it was to finish what his father, Dusty Rhodes, started in 1977. Dusty once defeated Superstar Billy Graham by count-out at Madison Square Garden, only to be denied the WWWF Title due to the result.
“He wins the match… grabbed the title… held it up so the people could feel it… And then the boom gets dropped,” Cody recalled. “I wanted to get it for him so I could show it to him. And my big plan was, I’ll get it for him, and I’ll say, hey, nobody can take it away from you. Now.”
After years in WWE, frustration over the Stardust character pushed Cody to walk away in 2016. “Stardust was locking me out of the top of the card. That was rock bottom — I had to get out,” he admitted. “You have to legit burn the boats, because the fear is, if you’re out in the ocean, you’re going to want to swim back.”
Stephanie praised the bold move. “That takes so much courage… most people don’t jump… out of fear.”
Following a successful run on the indies and helping launch AEW, Cody returned to WWE in 2022, determined to finish the story. He fell short at WrestleMania 39 against Roman Reigns — but one year later, he finally won the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 40.
“To get it to validate him [Dusty], also, at that point, validate myself… it was the greatest story for our family,” Cody said.
An emotional moment followed backstage. Triple H gifted Cody a Rolex identical to the one Dusty once had — but was forced to pawn.
“My dad had this exact Rolex… she [my mom] told me, ‘Oh, I thought you knew he pawned it,’” Cody revealed. “Receiving that watch from Triple H… how could you guys give me any more… What do I owe you now?… I don’t think I’ve ever felt like a world champion more than I did in that moment.”
Reflecting on the spiritual weight of the journey, Cody said, “I felt like I felt his hand [at WrestleMania 39], and I could smell him.” At WrestleMania 40, though, he noted: “In my mind, it’s because he knew I had it.”
The conversation served as a powerful reminder of what WWE storytelling can represent. “WWE is built on hope,” Stephanie concluded. “And as Punk said, ‘If you aren’t afraid, then your dreams aren’t big enough.’ My dream has always been WWE — and there was no better feeling than coming home.”
