Two-time Georgia state wrestling champion also trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu

'She rarely opposes my wild ideas, but that time she was absolutely clear'

Pro wrestler Cody Rhodes enters the ring wearing a championship belt at WrestleMania 42 in April, where he faced Randy Orton. [Getty Images]
Pro wrestler Cody Rhodes enters the ring wearing a championship belt at WrestleMania 42 in April, where he faced Randy Orton. [Getty Images]

WWE star Cody Rhodes, 41, has revealed that he once seriously considered crossing over into MMA — only to abandon the idea after his wife put her foot down.

Appearing on the podcast "Double Coverage," hosted by Zack Hersh, Rhodes said he had genuinely entertained the possibility of competing in MMA. "I thought about trying MMA. I told my wife Brandi that if I got the right training, I thought I could do it," he recalled.

Brandi Rhodes, however, was having none of it. "It was rare for her to say no that firmly," Rhodes said. "She usually doesn't push back on my crazy ideas, but that time she was absolutely clear." He added that she may have simply pictured him getting badly beaten up in the cage.

Rhodes is not a pro wrestler who merely dabbled in combat sports out of curiosity. He won the Georgia state high school wrestling championship twice and trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu during his school years.

He noted that UFC was still growing at the time and had not yet reached the mainstream popularity it enjoys today. Jiu-jitsu gyms were also far less common than they are now, but he continued training after the wrestling season ended to stay in shape.

Rhodes was candid about the limits of his combat sports background, however. He acknowledged that his jiu-jitsu was only average and noted the gap between the folkstyle wrestling he learned in high school and the skill set required for MMA.

WWE star Cody Rhodes (left) poses with fans while dressed as the character Guile at a special screening of "Street Fighter" held at AMC Madison Yards 8 in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 14 (local time). Rhodes plays Guile, a US military fighter and key character from the video game franchise, in the film. [Getty Images]
WWE star Cody Rhodes (left) poses with fans while dressed as the character Guile at a special screening of "Street Fighter" held at AMC Madison Yards 8 in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 14 (local time). Rhodes plays Guile, a US military fighter and key character from the video game franchise, in the film. [Getty Images]

When asked which current WWE performer would be best suited to a real MMA career, Rhodes named Chad Gable. Gable represented the United States in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2012 London Olympics, and Rhodes said that Olympic-level experience made Gable a far more natural fit for MMA.

Crossing between pro wrestling and MMA is not without precedent. Brock Lesnar reached the top of WWE before winning the UFC heavyweight championship. Bobby Lashley also competed in both disciplines, splitting his time between the two.

Former WWE star CM Punk took the opposite path with less success, going 0-2 in UFC bouts — one of which was later ruled a no-contest.

Rhodes, too, had considered following in their footsteps, but his wife's opposition kept the idea from ever leaving the drawing board. He ultimately stayed in pro wrestling and went on to become one of WWE's biggest draws.


yjc@heraldcorp.com