Felix Upton on April 18, 2026
Cody Rhodes is changing his tone about the viral “Raheem” nickname—and now he says it was never really his to claim in the first place.
The nickname first took off after Rhodes referenced it during a segment on WWE SmackDown, and fans quickly turned it into a running joke online. Since then, the name has followed him everywhere, but his latest comments show he’s looking at the situation differently now.
While speaking during an appearance on Matt & Shane’s Secret Podcast, Rhodes admitted that referencing the nickname on television changed how he feels about it. After explaining that the joke seemed funny at first, Rhodes made it clear that once it aired and caught attention, he realized it wasn’t something he should claim as his own.
“I referenced my nickname on TV, Raheem, and that was funny until I said it. Now, I live with it. It’s not mine to say. It’s not mine. I learned. I learn every day.”
That comment shows Rhodes stepping back from the joke rather than leaning into it. Instead of embracing the nickname the way fans have, he made it clear he now sees it differently and understands how quickly things can spiral once a line hits national television.
The original moment happened when Rhodes joked about tension between Roman Reigns and CM Punk, turning what could’ve been a serious segment into something humorous. Fans latched onto the nickname immediately, and it stuck longer than he expected.
Rhodes isn’t pretending the moment didn’t happen—but his latest words make it clear he’s learned from it and doesn’t see the nickname as something he should keep pushing going forward. Once a joke gets that big, it can take on a life of its own, and he knows it.
Do you think Cody Rhodes handled this the right way by saying the nickname isn’t his to claim, or should he have just leaned into the joke and owned it completely? Let us know what you think.
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