Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast – Ep 608 “WrestleMania” (feat. Cody Rhodes)
Date: April 13, 2026
Hosts: Matt McCusker & Shane Gillis
Guest: Cody Rhodes (WWE Champion)
Episode Overview
This episode spotlights pro wrestling’s cultural impact—blending comedy, nostalgia, and locker room lore as Matt and Shane welcome WWE superstar Cody Rhodes. The conversation is a headlong ride through American family mythologizing, behind-the-scenes wrestling tales, fandoms, childhood relics, entertainment insecurities, and the funny overlap between bombing in comedy and wrestling. Notably, Rhodes gives candid perspectives on “nepo baby” narratives, working his way through the ranks, the spectacle of WrestleMania, evolving training regimens, and his rivalry with Pat McAfee. At its core, the episode is about embracing your roots—whether as a performer, a fan, or a guy with “shrine of guys” action figures.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Family Myths and Wrestling Roots
- Cody shares stories of his father Dusty Rhodes’ origins, examining how family narratives often get mythologized in wrestling—sometimes embellishing the “plumber’s son” backstory for effect.
- “My mom knows better...he was a non-union plumber who was killing it.” (03:00)
- This parallels the hosts’ experiences of older generations exaggerating hardship, a phenomenon they jokingly call “Springsteen-ing.”
- “When you pretend to be more working-class than you are, it’s Bruce Springsteen.” – Shane (04:54)
2. Morning Routines, Fatherhood, & the ‘Old Man Beach’
- Discussion about waking up early, beach chair etiquette, and the strange “old man” rituals that come with fatherhood. Jokes about knowing the tides (and making stuff up for your kids).
- “You can be wrong about everything all the time to your little kid... The sun explodes at night.” – Shane (07:47)
3. Childhood Fandom & Action Figures (The Shrine of Guys)
- LaMaire’s hidden “shrine” of wrestling figures spurs discussion on the shame and pride of holding on to childhood fandoms into adulthood.
- “If you have a lady friend in there, be—you keep your figures up, man.” – Cody (10:25)
4. DX, “Suck It,” and Who Owns Wrestling Gimmicks
- A deep-dive into pro-wrestling's blurred line between innovation and appropriation; Cody explains gimmick origins and who deserves credit.
- “The rule is, whoever got it over, whoever made it famous, it becomes theirs.” – Cody (13:31)
5. Rekindling Wrestling Fandom & The Magic of WrestleMania
- Shane and LaMaire share how each got “back into” wrestling and Cody shares the magic and athleticism of the Undertaker’s return.
- “The blackout…when we do it in the stadiums...it’s not full like on TV. And he rolled in the ring...He had such testosterone…I mean, he was so ready…” – Cody, on Undertaker (18:12)
6. Embracing Sports Fandom: The Eagles Story
- Cody explains his journey from being a Georgia sports fan to becoming an adopted Philadelphia Eagles devotee after a pivotal WrestleMania moment in Philly.
- “The story of the match was more about me losing than winning. But…they [Philly crowd] took to me…my life was changing as an entertainer.” (21:33)
- Discussion of the Roman senator analogy for ‘nepo babies’: “You bring glory to the house of Rhodes.” – Shane (24:17)
7. Behind the Scenes: Training, Tag Partners, and the Locker Room
- Stories about old-school training vs. modern WWE Performance Center.
- “Today...they’ve got agility, they’ve got multiple rings, including one that has an extra layer of pad and bounce...” – Cody on NXT (31:15)
- Recalling “Hardcore Holly,” Cody’s tough, old-school tag partner and learning hard lessons on the road.
- “He was just very much the first guy I met that was one thing he did right by me, he taught me about proper training…” (26:54)
8. The Bomb: Failing in Comedy vs. Wrestling
- Laugh-out-loud stories about “bombing”—on stage or in the ring—and the emotionally raw car rides home.
- “We had, like, a house with five of us...If you bomb, you gotta sit in the bomb chair.” – Matt (38:24)
- Cody parallels the moment in wrestling: “As far as wrestling promos go and the last lines being flubbed, that’s one of the worst feelings ever...When you think you’ve got some hot ammunition, and then you come back and realize, didn’t get it.” (41:18)
9. Audience Experience and Production Value
- Shane, now playing arenas, admits he once thought fog machines and lights were corny, but now sees their value for big crowds.
- “Turns out I’m not George Strait, so...load it up.” – Shane (43:38)
10. Theme Songs & The Art of the Wrestling Walkout
- Cody discusses the importance of walkout songs as branding:
- “It doesn’t need to be a good song; it needs to be a catchy song.” (46:06)
- “It’s the only walkout song WWE has that WWE doesn’t own...but the issue is I hear it so much…We’re married together, that song and I.” (47:57)
- Hosts joke about the worst entrance music and the humor of occasionally picking “funny” (bad) walkout tunes. (44:19)
11. Pat McAfee vs. Cody Rhodes: Feud and WrestleMania Hype
- Light ribbing about McAfee’s wrestling ambitions (“He’s the new Liberace,” jokes the group), and Cody’s polite yet razor-sharp non-comments.
- “Henceforth, I’m just going with the Mariah Carey, ‘I don’t know him.’” – Cody, on Pat McAfee (53:01)
- The tradition of celebrities at WrestleMania, and whether McAfee fits that pantheon.
- “You decide where Pat falls on that list...” – Cody (57:06)
- Extended, hilarious in-character promo by LaMaire calling out Pat McAfee for WrestleMania.
- “Pat McAfee, you dare say the wrestling industry… that the IWC stinks?…without the IWC you wouldn’t be shit!” – LaMaire (69:02)
12. Nostalgia & American Culture
- The group reminisces about epic college football rivalries (Catholics vs. Convicts), regional fandom, and childhood loyalty.
- Cody credits Ken Burns’ documentaries and street fighter prep, showing the odd but inspiring overlap of historical Americana and pop culture performance.
- “I live for Ken Burns...I was just diving in and for whatever reason, I got stuck on Ken Burns’ Civil War.” – Cody (64:27)
13. Memorable Interview Moment: Brandi Rhodes & The “African American Nightmare”
- A running joke about Cody’s wife’s self-declared nickname and his learning curve.
- “It's not mine to access. And I learn it more every day.” – Cody (71:18)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On family myth-making and wrestling's tall tales:
“Technically it’s real...But I always laugh, like my mom knows a little better on that.“ – Cody (04:26)
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On ‘nepo baby’ accusations:
“I look at it like a Roman senator. You’re just bringing more glory to the house.” – Shane (24:17)
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On being proud of your fandom:
“Be proud of your figures, man...Don’t be afraid of that.” – Cody (11:22)
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On the pain of bombing:
“After an hour of me making fun of him, the one dude just lost his mind, tried to fight me.” – Shane (38:23)
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On modern wrestling’s evolving training:
“The system they have down with the performance center now is designed for the NIL athlete.” – Cody (31:15)
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On Pat McAfee:
“I’m just going with the Mariah Carey, ‘I don’t know him’ response...Even though I might.” – Cody (53:01)
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LaMaire’s wild McAfee promo:
“You think you’re going to walk out unharmed?...This guy right here, Cody Rhodes, the American Nightmare—the QB One of the WWE—he rarely lets us down.” – LaMaire (69:43 & 70:04)
Important Segment Timestamps
- Intro & Family Stories: 00:00 – 05:10
- Morning Routines, Dad Energy: 05:11 – 07:30
- Kids, Tides, and Lying to Children: 07:31 – 08:50
- Action Figures & The Shrine: 09:41 – 11:34
- DX, 'Suck It' Origins: 11:50 – 13:44
- Old-School Wrestling Gimmicks: 13:45 – 15:13
- WrestleMania Reignites Fandom: 16:31 – 18:09
- Cody's Philly Love & the Eagles: 19:40 – 21:58
- Nepo Babies, Legacy in Wrestling: 23:56 – 25:49
- Hardcore Holly Stories: 26:01 – 29:10
- Training Evolution: 31:03 – 33:10
- Bombing Onstage/In-Ring Comparisons: 37:03 – 43:05
- Walkout Songs & Branding: 45:00 – 47:57
- Pat McAfee & WrestleMania Feud: 51:26 – 57:10
- LaMaire's WrestleMania Promo: 68:22 – 70:15
- Closing Bits: 70:17 – End
Tone & Style
The episode is loose, candid, full of locker-room energy and affectionate ballbusting, toggling easily between heartwarming nostalgia and sharp, on-the-nose comedy. Cody is game for riffing and deeply insightful about the wrestling biz, matching Matt and Shane’s “hangout” vibe with war stories and earnest reflection.
Final Word
Whether you’re a lifelong wrestling fan, a comedy nerd, or just someone who loves group dynamics and pop culture anthropology, this episode delivers big laughs, insider perspective, and the joy of belonging to a tribe—action figures, dad stories, and all.
