Felix Upton on February 4, 2026
Cody Rhodes is opening up about just how deep the bond with Jey Uso ran following their chaotic and now-infamous Fastlane press conference — and it nearly led to a permanent decision.
While speaking on his What Do You Want to Talk About? podcast, Rhodes and Uso revisited the unscripted post-show press conference that followed their tag team title win. What started as two exhausted champions joking around quickly turned into a viral moment that helped ignite the “Yeet” movement and cemented their short but memorable run as champions.
Rhodes admitted that after the press conference aired and fan reaction started pouring in, he found himself completely swept up in the emotion of the moment — to the point where he reached out to Jey and Jimmy Uso with a question he probably shouldn’t have asked.
“I was so teed up at the press conference… and I knew, like, well, we’re in trouble tomorrow or that was fun,” Rhodes explained. “And then the next day, they ran the whole thing and it’s full, so I thought, okay, we’re good. Maybe people liked it.”
That’s when Rhodes realized just how far gone he was.
“I don’t know if you remember how bad I was… it’s probably in a group thread with your brother,” he continued. “I wrote to you guys, ‘Do any white guys ever get a Samoan tattoo?’”
Rhodes fully owning how emotionally charged he felt in that moment.
“When you said the thing about, ‘I’ve never won a belt with anyone other than my brother,’ I was like, oh dude… I wanna be his brother,” Rhodes said. “I was ready.”
According to Rhodes, the Usos laughed it off and someone even sent him a YouTube video explaining the cultural significance behind Samoan tattoos — a gentle reminder that maybe this wasn’t the move.
The confession wasn’t about actually disrespecting Samoan culture, but rather how intense the camaraderie felt between Rhodes and Jey after sharing a moment neither of them even knew was coming. The press conference wasn’t planned, they didn’t know they were first, and they hadn’t even realized how historic the tag title win was for Jey until he said it out loud.
That raw honesty — and Rhodes’ near-tattoo confession — perfectly summed up how real the moment was for both men. It was one night, one press conference, and one bond that left a lasting impression… even if the tattoo never happened.
What do you think about Cody Rhodes getting that emotionally invested in the moment with Jey Uso? Did that Fastlane press conference create one of WWE’s most authentic viral moments in recent years? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know how you saw it.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
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