Paul Heyman says WWE undisputed champion Cody Rhodes has eclipsed his father, Dusty Rhodes, in interest and fame.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more beloved professional wrestler than “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes. His everyman personality made him a hero to fans and his love for the industry influenced countless future stars. It’s hard to imagine that anyone bearing the name “Rhodes” could eclipse the legend of Dusty, but Paul Heyman says Cody Rhodes has managed to do it.

Dusty competed for the WWWF World Championship four times, but came up empty-handed each time. When Cody defeated Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 40 to become wwe Undisputed Champion, he achieved a multi-generational dream. It was a touching moment that solidified Cody as the promotion’s leading man, a wonderful achievement after leaving the company in 2016 to forge a new identity on the independent scene. It surprises Heyman, a wwe Hall of Famer with nearly four decades of professional wrestling experience, to admit that Cody has eclipsed his father’s legacy.

“When Cody Rhodes first came back here, we all had the same line we gave in the press conferences. ‘How can you look at Cody and not think about Dusty?'” Heyman told CBS Sports. “To Cody’s unspeakably enormous credit, I think now is the moment in history where we’re realizing that Dusty Rhodes is Cody Rhodes’ father.

“Cody Rhodes is the bearer of the last name that generates the most interest and is now the most famous. If you had said that to someone three years ago, they would have thought you were crazy.”

Rhodes returned to wwe in 2022 to “finish the story” and add a wwe Championship to his family heirlooms. He returned not as the cosmic villain Stardust, with his face painted gold (the gimmick that got him kicked out of wwe), but as “The American Nightmare,” his self-made character. Rhodes emerged victorious against Seth Rollins in his long-awaited return at WrestleMania 38. wwe‘s commitment to Rhodes was a promising sign, but Heyman credits Rhodes’ continued commitment to excellence for making it undeniable.

“That man has worked so hard, so tirelessly, so magnificently and has consistently hit it out of the park 52 weeks a year and never struck out,” Heyman said. “Not once have I seen a bad performance from Cody Rhodes. Not once have I seen him mediocre. Not once have I seen him rest on his laurels.

“If you can’t give that man flowers right now, you’re not paying attention.”

Rhodes has even faced challenges as a featured member of the wwe roster. After failing to finish the story at WrestleMania 39 against Reigns, all signs pointed to Rhodes getting his rematch at WrestleMania 40. But then The Rock, who joined the board of directors of wwe parent company TKO Group Holdings, made a surprising return and Rhodes appeared to step aside so The Rock could face his cousin, Reigns.

While nothing official was made during that appearance, online fan outrage seemed to inspire an about-face from wwe creative and a new plan was born, beginning with a press conference in Las Vegas where The Rock slapped Rhodes and set up the two night battle that involved. the entire Bloodline, Rollins, John Cena and a surprise return of the Undertaker.

“Keep your finger on the pulse of the audience at all times. Some people don’t and some people do,” Heyman said when asked what lesson he learned from that situation. “That story ended exactly where it should have ended. That story ended with Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes in the main event of WrestleMania 40.

“That was the legitimate main event of WrestleMania 40 because the audience invested two years in that story and lived it… They lived it not only by witnessing and experiencing it, but they lived it many times through the eyes of the protagonist and the fights who had to endure, survive and thrive with his chin held high and a forward-thinking attitude.”

Watch the full interview with Paul Heyman below.

It can be debated whether Cody or Dusty’s legacy carries more weight, but their bond is undeniable. Dusty’s influence permeates everything his son does. It’s tangibly true of their “American” nicknames and elements of their move sets. The same goes for your intangibles: your ability to connect with an audience and your success despite the powerful forces working against you.

Next up, Cody will lead wwe Saturday Night Main Event against Kevin Owens. It is fitting that it marks the beginning of a new era of the show, an event in which his father performed four times, after a 16-year absence.