Paul Heyman reveals the real ‘yeah but’ of Cody Rhodes’ storyline

On paper, Roman Reigns is the biggest adversary on the path to Cody Rhodes finishing his story, right?

I mean think about it, Rhodes wants to finish his story and do what his father never could and the biggest opponent standing between himself and that goal is the “Tribal Chief” and the rest of his Bloodline buddies… or is it?

Discussing the biggest “Yeah, but” of Rhodes’ current storyline heading into WrestleMania 40, Paul Heyman reveals that while the concept of a compromised hero or villain is paramount to successful storytelling and Reigns feels like the natural thorn in the “American Nightmare’s” side, the actual truth is much sadder.

“Well, I think all great presentations have to have that ‘Yeah, but,’ in it, I think every hero has to have the quality of being compromised. Batman has a really bad temper, Superman is not the best of all human beings, he’s an alien. So even the most heroic have to be compromised in some ways. At the same time, the portrayal of someone whose heart is so dark that they have absolutely no redeeming qualities is not an interesting character, there’s nothing to digest there. It’s very one-dimensional. But when you have a villain who takes the money that they rip off of other people, and they tear down dilapidated houses to build a brand new orphanage and pay for the orphans to have a place to live, well, then that’s a compelling portrayal of a villain. That’s the “Yeah, but.” Well, he’s a miserable human being, and he cheats in his matches, and he robs the hero of the title that they deserve, yeah, but he’s building orphanages. And hey, the person that builds the orphanages, yeah, but then he puts out a press release about it,” Paul Heyman told Forbes.

“So all great stories have to have the “Yeah, but,” Roman Reigns is the “Yeah, but,” to the Cody storyline. Cody’s storyline is very easy to digest. He is seeking closure, and even affirmation from the story of his own father who will never get to see him accomplish ultimately what his father was, the ‘American Dream.’ That’s the, “Yeah, but.” The pursuit, but his father will never truly know except spiritually from Heaven, etc, etc. But he’ll never get that affirmation, that pride, the look in his father’s eyes from his father, except in his dreams. That’s the “Yeah, but,” so the “Yeah, but” in this story is that Cody is the “Yeah, but” to Roman Reigns, and Roman Reigns is the “Yeah, but” to Cody Rhodes.”

You know, as tragic as it may be, Heyman is spot on; no matter how great Rhodes’ match is at WrestleMania 40, he will never get to enjoy the moment with his father because he simply isn’t around. While it won’t take away from the sweetness of the moment, in the end, there will be that aspect of Rhodes’ story that will forever go unfinished, as, at this point, nothing else can be said.