Summary

Cody Rhodes said he has been intentionally changing his presentation to put more attention on his ring gear, including how his tights are cut and his use of braces or suspenders.

During a conversation with Nikki Bella and Brie Bella, Rhodes said he sees performers leaning into visual presentation more openly, and pointed to Rhea Ripley as an example. He also framed the approach as part of the wider push for visibility and merchandise momentum in WWE.

The comments come while Rhodes heads toward WrestleMania 42, where he is set to defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Randy Orton. That title build has already included tense TV moments, including when Stephanie McMahon confronted Cody Rhodes on Raw.

Quotes

Quote from Cody Rhodes, Brie Garcia, and Becky Lynch

**Cody Rhodes:** "I think you’re starting to see, ’cause there’s a lot of fans who notice, I’ll give you an example. Rhea Ripley’s cover that she does. It’s quite, it’s provocative, right? So, now I think there’s some guys who are starting to go, ‘Cool, I’m gonna lean into my thing.’ So like, I started trying to draw attention to my butt a lot more. I’m like, ‘Hey, if they’re doing it, I also wanna do it.’"

**Brie Garcia:** "Wait, did you make your trunks smaller?"

**Cody Rhodes:** "No, I just like the suits were carved out a little bit more, and then I started wearing the braces or the suspenders, which is a new bit."

**Brie Garcia:** "I do like that. That’s sexy."

**Cody Rhodes:** "Give it a little extra. You know what I’m saying? I’m not doing anything that anyone else isn’t doing."

**Becky Lynch:** "You gotta put the ones around your thighs. There you go. Like matching your tie. You know?"

**Cody Rhodes:** "Rhea does the promo and does the turn, you know what I’m saying? What’s to stop us from, you know?"

**Brie Garcia:** "You should. All of us women, we’re not gonna say no."

**Cody Rhodes:** "It’s a fight at that merch day. You know what I’m saying? So, you’re just trying to get your percentage up, you know? Whatever it takes, you know?"

Cody Rhodes and WWE presentation heading into WrestleMania 42

Rhodes tying these choices to merchandise competition suggests WWE talent branding is part of his WrestleMania season strategy, not just a throwaway joke. With Randy Orton waiting for an Undisputed WWE Championship match, Rhodes is publicly reinforcing his character presentation while the spotlight is at its highest.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.