Cody Rhodes Addresses Using ‘Raheem’ Line On WWE TV: “I Did My Field Testing Of It”

Rhodes speaks about the pushback he received online.

There was an in-ring segment on the February 6th edition of Friday Night SmackDown with Cody Rhodes. He was responding to the promo segment involving Roman Reigns and WWE World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk that took place the prior Monday on Raw.

A portion of Rhodes’ response to the Reigns-Punk segment is transcribed below:

And besides, I heard it was gonna be a ‘you know what’ measuring contest. Well, they’re both glad I’m not in it, because I didn’t get the nickname Raheem for no reason.

Rhodes was interviewed by Jonathan Hood and addressed the ‘Raheem’ line. He stated that his wife, Brandi Rhodes, encouraged him to use it.

Cody added that he did his ‘field testing’ of the line as well. He addressed the pushback he recieved online and said he viewed it as a positive joke.

“I had told her (Brandi Rhodes) that I might say it. I felt bad because I told her and then she said, ‘Oh, you have to say it. It’s funny.’ I didn’t wanna come at Roman (Reigns) or (CM) Punk in an adversarial way. I’m not wrestling either of you. You guys are wrestling each other and it’s awesome. I feel that those things will come. I wanted to come at it with a little bit of levity because I knew others were gonna come at it from a different perspective, and I thought that was funny but then I felt bad because I don’t ever want anybody to get married to a line. I’m like, ‘Oh, well, if I can’t say that…’ I did my field testing of it and I hope I didn’t offend anybody with it. I very much stood by it and when you see a Manchester United in the bio and an anime picture as the avatar complaining about it, I gotta ask, what are we really complaining about here? This is more of a positive joke than there could ever be about gifted men. I can’t really be mad at that and I can’t really walk that one back… I said, ‘I’m not gonna spend my road to WrestleMania talking about two other guys. This is where it ends for me,’ and I picked a great place to do it. Charlotte, North Carolina, was the place so, yes, I said it, and that’s where I’m at.”

Rhodes is making the media rounds for WWE ahead of the Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event. He is scheduled to be in the men’s Chamber match with Trick Williams, L.A. Knight, Randy Orton, Je’Von Evans, and Jey Uso.

If the quote in this article is used, please credit Under the Hood with Jonathan Hood with an H/T to Fightful for the transcription.